[robertsmeets]

To me, its the same as being an independent voter. Liberalism represents freedom from simply following any ideology for the sake of party unity. Two party systems throughout history have tried to polarize the public, but really, in my view, everyone should be an independent (or liberal/free) voter and vote based on the issues he or she agrees with- wherever the "major" party alignment may fall. I'm wondering how this aligns with others' views of contemporary liberalism. Thoughts?

[EastCoastAmerican]

To me, liberalism is an ideology which places equal rights and liberty as being of paramount importance. Overall, liberalism supports various kinds of freedom, such as classical liberalism (liberty of individuals through limited government power), social liberalism (emphasis on combating social inequality).

I believe that liberal groups in the United States advocate for the government taking a proactive role in order to ensure that the lives and welfare of citizens are not violated. For example, they are supportive of welfare programs because they believe it helps people in dire financial straits get back on their feet.

Classical liberals, on the other hand, believe that a limited form of government is essential to ensuring individual liberties. Libertarianism is considered to be a form of classical liberalism.

Liberalism, in general, is the belief that liberty leads to societal and individual prosperity. How this liberty is achieved is a question that many liberal movements around the world have interpreted in different ways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism#Philosophy

[CounterChaos]

My Liberalism is based on a commitment and understanding of our natural world and the preservation of such. It is my understanding that the modern industrial society in which many of us dwell is nothing more than a product of our imagination and not a part of our natural world. Something that works endlessly against evolution and allows the weakest of our species to flourish.

It is in knowing that our natural world provides us sane and only requires sane for the human species to survive. In understanding this, it has removed the burden of prejudice from my heart and allowed me to focus my intellect at social injustice. I will make few friends here, because I am fighting a fight that many feel is to late to fight....I don't think they're right.

[chanakyan]

liberalism-insists on liberty of individual as first& foremost goal of public policy.Liberty in this sense implies liberation from restraints-particularly from that imposed by authoritarian state.
Moreover its not a fixed mode of thought but an intellectual movement which seeks to accomodate new ideas to face new situations.
on political side it promotes liberalism,on economic side capitalism too and by the mechanism of welfare state the interest of ordinary people can be protected from wealth accumulated few .