[Ads-l] The new "progressive" [Was: More on "liberal"]

[Joel S. Berson]

At 1/8/2015 04:50 PM, Dan Goncharoff wrote:

>Just because he called himself "Progressive", it doesn't mean there was
>actually a "progression".
>
>I read "pragmatic" as an attempt to step back to the middle.
>
>DanG

Not when "Rosenberg underscored the importance of tackling economic 
inequality in the state, and he made *nods* to pragmatism".  Doesn't 
sound like a "step back to the middle" to me, more a step back in 
time to the original Massachusetts' notion of "commonwealth".

(Rosenberg didn't actually call himself a progressive; he was asked 
if he was one.  Perhaps by a Fox News reporter, preparing to throw a squib?)

Joel


>On Thu, Jan 8, 2015 at 4:38 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: The new "progressive" [Was: More on "liberal"]
> >
> > 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > The new "progressive" is ...
> >
> > /beginquote/
> >
> > Senator Stanley C. Rosenberg, a longtime presence=20
> > on Beacon Hill, was elected Senate president=20
> > Wednesday, becoming the first openly gay person=20
> > and first Jewish person to lead the chamber.
> >
> > A liberal Democrat from Amherst, the 65-year-old=20
> > becomes one of three big players in Beacon Hill=20
> > politics. He joins Speaker Robert A. DeLeo =97 who=20
> > was reelected to his leadership post Wednesday =97=20
> > and Governor-elect Charlie Baker, who will be sworn in Thursday.
> > ...
> > In his first speech as the Senate leader,=20
> > Rosenberg underscored the importance of tackling=20
> > economic inequality in the state, and he made=20
> > nods to pragmatism and to extending an open hand to Baker, a Republican.
> > ...
> > Asked if he considered himself a progressive, he=20
> > said he considered himself =93very pragmatic.=94
> >
> > /endquote/
> >
> > ... "pragmatic".
> >
> > Note the article's progression from "liberal" to=20
> > "progressive" to "pragmatic".   "Communist" and=20
> > "Socialist" are hidden around the left corner,=20
> > perhaps far enough around to be near enough to=20
> > the right wing to be grasped and hurled at the "pragmatics".
> >
> > [Boston Globe, Dec. 8, 2015, B1 & B5.]
> >
> > Joel
> >
> > At 1/2/2015 05:20 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >
> > >You are correct. I noticed the irony as well. Socialists and Communists
> > >described themselves as "progressives," both as a euphemism and to
> > >distinguish themselves from supposedly smug, feckless, and gullible
> > >"liberals."
> > >
> > >JL
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org