There is no good to be found in modern-day Progressivism. The Progressive movement preceded the cataclysm known as World War II. Prior to that world-shaking conflict, it was believed that Progressivism would help the poor achieve parity with the wealthy. It was a condescending view of course, the idea that the poor were not capable of achieving success on their own merit by working hard in a system that relied on free-interprise, so the elites must help. But elites never use their own funds to help the less fortunate. They believe they must organize the middle-class to provide the funds. And that organizing and convincing depends on propaganda. And since much of the accumulated wealth of Progressives has been generated by the production of propaganda (by the mainstream media), the Progressive elites have gained more capital while organizing the middle-class and having the middle-class pay for their own demise. By demise, I mean removing the primary strength of the middle-class—Individual Freedom and replacing it with weakness, a dependence on the State. Today Progressives have succeeded in convincing the middle-class that freedom can be defined as the fulfillment of human capability but only if that fulfillment stays within the boundaries of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Enforcement is their believed role of the collective State, not protecting the rights of the individual or the nuclear family. It is an old idea called Marxism with a new name called Progressivism.
"With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor [We call that Individual Free Enterprise]; while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor [We call that Socialism / Collectivism]. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name – Liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names – Liberty and Tyranny”— Abraham Lincoln
My thanks to my good friend, Dr. Ronald R. Cherry, for the thoughts that led to this post. Martin Capages, Jr. Pro Deo Et Patria.
Times have not changed.