Classically Liberalism is support of a capitalist economy with a state supplied social safety-net (welfare etc.)
Liberalism goes back to the beginning of capitalism and the industrial revolution. It was mostly a middle class, petit bourgeois, ideology, middle
class guilt for the poor. It preceded socialism, that was a working class revolutionary movement for worker ownership. But by the end of WWII, and
the decimation of the working class, liberalism was sold as the new socialism. The working class were sold the idea of class climbing, instead of
class solidarity and working toward worker ownership, climb the social ladder and become "middle class". Middle class values, and ideas, replaced the
working class socialism of pre-WWII revolutionaries.
The working class became mostly non-political, with exceptions such as the UK miners. Left wing values became more fashionable than revolutionary.
"Liberalism is not socialism and never will be"
Winston Churchill, 1908, when he was the Liberal Party candidate for Dundee, Scotland. They
were essentially a conservative ran party, just a little less right-wing. Winston was a Conservative politician. He was in the Conservative Party
when he was Prime Minister.
Conservatism is support of a capitalist economy, and basically want to maintain traditional values of the present state. Classically an ideology of
the upper classes, bourgeois, and the middle classes. If we were in a socialist economy the socialists would probably be the conservatives. The
enemy LOL at present. Just kidding.
No change from a system that isn't working is just fine, when you're not at the bottom of it. No really it's
just fine, I can understand the fear of change, especially when you have a lot of swag to lose. I get it.
edit on 8/1/2012 by ANOK because: (no reason given)