Debate Now Is Liberalism Exhausted?

[Derideo_Te]

In other words they become ultra conservatives in practice as soon as they had unlimited power.

Only as the term is defined in some dictionaries and as the term is defined in most of Europe. But not at all as the term is most commonly understood and used in modern day America.

Appeal to authority that fails because that is not how it is "most commonly understood and used in modern day America".

In rebuttal to this and I am becoming really tired of having to say it again and again and again:

. . .Over time, the meaning of the word "liberalism" began to diverge in different parts of the world. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "In the United States, liberalism is associated with the welfare-state policies of the New Deal program of the Democratic administration of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, whereas in Europe it is more commonly associated with a commitment to limited government and laissez-faire economic policies."[17] Consequently in the U.S., the ideas of individualism and laissez-faire economics previously associated with classical liberalism became the basis for the emerging school of libertarian thought. . .

Liberalism - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Classical liberalism is synonymous with modern day libertarianism or how most people define conservatism.​

"Consequently in the U.S., the ideas of individualism and laissez-faire economics previously associated with classical liberalism became the basis for the emerging school of libertarian thought. . ."

Your link just proved that you are misusing the term "modern term" of liberalism. Instead you should be using the term LIBERTARIANISM since that is what you really mean when you are trying to denigrate liberalism.

Some posts are just too off the mark to respond to. But do have a nice day.

Your own words are too off the mark?

Who am I to argue with that?

 

[rdean]

Recent elections are not necessarily indicative of this as OP suggests. That said, Liberalism is in about the same state today that conservatism was in during Nixon's Administration--clawing it's way back into the mainstream, and making considerable compromises along the way.

Yes Goldberg did touch on the fact that who wins elections is not necessarily indicative of the electorate's core values. Those who get elected are usually the ones who are most attractive on camera, who are able to say just the right things to the right audience even if it is something opposite from what they say to a different audience, and those who are able to most effectively demonize their opponents.

But can I draw from your comment that you think liberalism isn't losing favor with the people at this time? Please clarify.

I would say that liberalism (both social and economic) was at it's lowest point during the early 2000's. When Obama ran for the presidency in 2008, his stated agenda was basically the same as John McCain's legislative record. He has had to compromise on almost everything regarding legislation and budgets, and yet there have been good common sense reforms pushed through, better regulation of Wall Street, a Justice Department concerned with things such as police misconduct. Liberalism has made gains here and there, despite the country being far more right-wing than it was a few decades ago.

But recently, do you think most Americans are appreciative and supportive of the gains you see as made by liberalism?

I doubt that a majority of Americans know about them. The things that we hear most about are social issues. But that is a mixed bag for liberals. They have had victories in the realm of gay rights for instance. But on the other hand, in many states reproductive rights are more restricted now than at any time since 1973.

But is that an indication that people are leaning more left/liberal or more right/conservative?

Do you think most people want more or less central government power over those things that are most important to them?
Maybe things like:
Their property and assets?
What their kids have for lunch at school?
What kind of car or lightbulb or toilet they will be able to buy?
What laws will govern speed limits or abortion or obscenity?
What wages they are allowed to work for?
What liberty they have to exercise and practice their personal religious, moral, and ethical beliefs?
What choice and options they have in their healthcare?

It's confusing. Why do conservatives talk about morals and ethics when they say feed the poor and they will breed, don't want people to have access to health care and don't care if a woman is forced to carry a dead fetus?

That doesn't sound moral or ethical. Sounds evil and Satanic. It's not like they can deny it. Today's conservatives seem to stand against everything Jesus stood for. And don't deny it. This message board is proof.

 

[Spare_change]

Yes Goldberg did touch on the fact that who wins elections is not necessarily indicative of the electorate's core values. Those who get elected are usually the ones who are most attractive on camera, who are able to say just the right things to the right audience even if it is something opposite from what they say to a different audience, and those who are able to most effectively demonize their opponents.

But can I draw from your comment that you think liberalism isn't losing favor with the people at this time? Please clarify.

I would say that liberalism (both social and economic) was at it's lowest point during the early 2000's. When Obama ran for the presidency in 2008, his stated agenda was basically the same as John McCain's legislative record. He has had to compromise on almost everything regarding legislation and budgets, and yet there have been good common sense reforms pushed through, better regulation of Wall Street, a Justice Department concerned with things such as police misconduct. Liberalism has made gains here and there, despite the country being far more right-wing than it was a few decades ago.

But recently, do you think most Americans are appreciative and supportive of the gains you see as made by liberalism?

I doubt that a majority of Americans know about them. The things that we hear most about are social issues. But that is a mixed bag for liberals. They have had victories in the realm of gay rights for instance. But on the other hand, in many states reproductive rights are more restricted now than at any time since 1973.

But is that an indication that people are leaning more left/liberal or more right/conservative?

Do you think most people want more or less central government power over those things that are most important to them?
Maybe things like:
Their property and assets?
What their kids have for lunch at school?
What kind of car or lightbulb or toilet they will be able to buy?
What laws will govern speed limits or abortion or obscenity?
What wages they are allowed to work for?
What liberty they have to exercise and practice their personal religious, moral, and ethical beliefs?
What choice and options they have in their healthcare?

It's confusing. Why do conservatives talk about morals and ethics when they say feed the poor and they will breed, don't want people to have access to health care and don't care if a woman is forced to carry a dead fetus?

That doesn't sound moral or ethical. Sounds evil and Satanic. It's not like they can deny it. Today's conservatives seem to stand against everything Jesus stood for. And don't deny it. This message board is proof.

Mischaracterization of reality serves no purpose .... since conservatives give more to charity than liberals, it would seem your argument holds no water.

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=725
Who s More Generous Liberals or Conservatives The Fiscal Times
Surprise Conservatives are more generous than liberals The Daily Caller

Looking for a good example?? Compare George Bush's tax return to Barack Obama.

Your statement that conservatives want to deny access to health care is, simply, a lie. Prove otherwise.

You are, I assume, aware of an instance in which conservatives demand that women carry dead fetuses? Prove it.

Despite your admonition - I categorically deny your spurious, and false, allegations.

 

[candycorn]

I would say that liberalism (both social and economic) was at it's lowest point during the early 2000's. When Obama ran for the presidency in 2008, his stated agenda was basically the same as John McCain's legislative record. He has had to compromise on almost everything regarding legislation and budgets, and yet there have been good common sense reforms pushed through, better regulation of Wall Street, a Justice Department concerned with things such as police misconduct. Liberalism has made gains here and there, despite the country being far more right-wing than it was a few decades ago.

But recently, do you think most Americans are appreciative and supportive of the gains you see as made by liberalism?

I doubt that a majority of Americans know about them. The things that we hear most about are social issues. But that is a mixed bag for liberals. They have had victories in the realm of gay rights for instance. But on the other hand, in many states reproductive rights are more restricted now than at any time since 1973.

But is that an indication that people are leaning more left/liberal or more right/conservative?

Do you think most people want more or less central government power over those things that are most important to them?
Maybe things like:
Their property and assets?
What their kids have for lunch at school?
What kind of car or lightbulb or toilet they will be able to buy?
What laws will govern speed limits or abortion or obscenity?
What wages they are allowed to work for?
What liberty they have to exercise and practice their personal religious, moral, and ethical beliefs?
What choice and options they have in their healthcare?

It's confusing. Why do conservatives talk about morals and ethics when they say feed the poor and they will breed, don't want people to have access to health care and don't care if a woman is forced to carry a dead fetus?

That doesn't sound moral or ethical. Sounds evil and Satanic. It's not like they can deny it. Today's conservatives seem to stand against everything Jesus stood for. And don't deny it. This message board is proof.

Mischaracterization of reality serves no purpose .... since conservatives give more to charity than liberals, it would seem your argument holds no water.

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=725
Who s More Generous Liberals or Conservatives The Fiscal Times
Surprise Conservatives are more generous than liberals The Daily Caller

Looking for a good example?? Compare George Bush's tax return to Barack Obama.

Your statement that conservatives want to deny access to health care is, simply, a lie. Prove otherwise.

You are, I assume, aware of an instance in which conservatives demand that women carry dead fetuses? Prove it.

Despite your admonition - I categorically deny your spurious, and false, allegations.

Georgia Rep Wants To Force Women To Carry Stillborn Babies To Term

 

[Spare_change]

But recently, do you think most Americans are appreciative and supportive of the gains you see as made by liberalism?

I doubt that a majority of Americans know about them. The things that we hear most about are social issues. But that is a mixed bag for liberals. They have had victories in the realm of gay rights for instance. But on the other hand, in many states reproductive rights are more restricted now than at any time since 1973.

But is that an indication that people are leaning more left/liberal or more right/conservative?

Do you think most people want more or less central government power over those things that are most important to them?
Maybe things like:
Their property and assets?
What their kids have for lunch at school?
What kind of car or lightbulb or toilet they will be able to buy?
What laws will govern speed limits or abortion or obscenity?
What wages they are allowed to work for?
What liberty they have to exercise and practice their personal religious, moral, and ethical beliefs?
What choice and options they have in their healthcare?

It's confusing. Why do conservatives talk about morals and ethics when they say feed the poor and they will breed, don't want people to have access to health care and don't care if a woman is forced to carry a dead fetus?

That doesn't sound moral or ethical. Sounds evil and Satanic. It's not like they can deny it. Today's conservatives seem to stand against everything Jesus stood for. And don't deny it. This message board is proof.

Mischaracterization of reality serves no purpose .... since conservatives give more to charity than liberals, it would seem your argument holds no water.

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=725
Who s More Generous Liberals or Conservatives The Fiscal Times
Surprise Conservatives are more generous than liberals The Daily Caller

Looking for a good example?? Compare George Bush's tax return to Barack Obama.

Your statement that conservatives want to deny access to health care is, simply, a lie. Prove otherwise.

You are, I assume, aware of an instance in which conservatives demand that women carry dead fetuses? Prove it.

Despite your admonition - I categorically deny your spurious, and false, allegations.

Georgia Rep Wants To Force Women To Carry Stillborn Babies To Term

Out of 17,000 Republican politicians in office, you get one nutcase, and you want to paint the whole bunch with it?

Give me a break - at least, try to be intellectually honest.

 

[candycorn]

I doubt that a majority of Americans know about them. The things that we hear most about are social issues. But that is a mixed bag for liberals. They have had victories in the realm of gay rights for instance. But on the other hand, in many states reproductive rights are more restricted now than at any time since 1973.

But is that an indication that people are leaning more left/liberal or more right/conservative?

Do you think most people want more or less central government power over those things that are most important to them?
Maybe things like:
Their property and assets?
What their kids have for lunch at school?
What kind of car or lightbulb or toilet they will be able to buy?
What laws will govern speed limits or abortion or obscenity?
What wages they are allowed to work for?
What liberty they have to exercise and practice their personal religious, moral, and ethical beliefs?
What choice and options they have in their healthcare?

It's confusing. Why do conservatives talk about morals and ethics when they say feed the poor and they will breed, don't want people to have access to health care and don't care if a woman is forced to carry a dead fetus?

That doesn't sound moral or ethical. Sounds evil and Satanic. It's not like they can deny it. Today's conservatives seem to stand against everything Jesus stood for. And don't deny it. This message board is proof.

Mischaracterization of reality serves no purpose .... since conservatives give more to charity than liberals, it would seem your argument holds no water.

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=725
Who s More Generous Liberals or Conservatives The Fiscal Times
Surprise Conservatives are more generous than liberals The Daily Caller

Looking for a good example?? Compare George Bush's tax return to Barack Obama.

Your statement that conservatives want to deny access to health care is, simply, a lie. Prove otherwise.

You are, I assume, aware of an instance in which conservatives demand that women carry dead fetuses? Prove it.

Despite your admonition - I categorically deny your spurious, and false, allegations.

Georgia Rep Wants To Force Women To Carry Stillborn Babies To Term

Out of 17,000 Republican politicians in office, you get one nutcase, and you want to paint the whole bunch with it?

Give me a break - at least, try to be intellectually honest.

TX Republican Lawmaker Wants Women To Carry Nonviable Fetuses To Full Term

 

[Foxfyre]

The topic is not abortion or any other social issue or anybody's particular position on it.

But Jarhead is right. There will always be people with positions that are so far out of the mainstream that they cannot be taken seriously and that is true of the left/liberals and right/conservatives. Those individuals are not representative of the whole group and cannot be used to define the whole group.

To say that liberalism mostly promotes and defends the welfare state as the moral position is a fair statement and can be defended.

To say that conservativism mostly promotes and defends limited government and economic policies that result in opportunity and prosperity for all as the moral position is a fair statement and can be defended.

It becomes dishonest when liberalism is accused of being opposed to opportunity and prosperity.

It becomes dishonest when conservatism is accused of not caring about the poor.

What defines both groups is the difference in how we go about achieving prosperity and helping the poor and disadvantaged. Liberalism looks to government initiative to do that. Conservatism looks to private initiative to do that. And both see that the other as producing unacceptable results and causing more harm than good.

What Goldberg is arguing is that more people are beginning to reject liberalism that they don't see as delivering as advertised. Going issue by issue, value by value, more people will choose the conservative point of view overall than will choose the liberal one regardless of how they self identify themselves.

 

[Agit8r]

To say that conservativism mostly promotes and defends limited government and economic policies that result in opportunity and prosperity for all as the moral position is a fair statement and can be defended.

Of course the "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage" theory has been debunked each and every time it has been tried, since the conservative policies always result in economic devastation for the bulk of the population.

 

[candycorn]

The topic is not abortion or any other social issue or anybody's particular position on it.

But Jarhead is right. There will always be people with positions that are so far out of the mainstream that they cannot be taken seriously and that is true of the left/liberals and right/conservatives. Those individuals are not representative of the whole group and cannot be used to define the whole group.

To say that liberalism mostly promotes and defends the welfare state as the moral position is a fair statement and can be defended.

To say that conservativism mostly promotes and defends limited government and economic policies that result in opportunity and prosperity for all as the moral position is a fair statement and can be defended.

It becomes dishonest when liberalism is accused of being opposed to opportunity and prosperity.

It becomes dishonest when conservatism is accused of not caring about the poor.

What defines both groups is the difference in how we go about achieving prosperity and helping the poor and disadvantaged. Liberalism looks to government initiative to do that. Conservatism looks to private initiative to do that. And both see that the other as producing unacceptable results and causing more harm than good.

What Goldberg is arguing is that more people are beginning to reject liberalism that they don't see as delivering as advertised. Going issue by issue, value by value, more people will choose the conservative point of view overall than will choose the liberal one regardless of how they self identify themselves.

BS.

Conservatives would want to get rid of FEMA. Its not in the constitution.
Liberals would want to keep FEMA. It's done wonders in helping towns and regions recover. Yes they have had their share of boondoggles.

Was anyone at CPAC talking about getting rid of FEMA? No.

Liberalism wins.

Conservatives would want to get rid of the FDIC. It's not in the constitution.
Liberal would want to keep the FDIC. So a nefarious bank employee or robber wouldn't wipe out your life savings.

Any conservatives at CPAC talking about getting rid of the FDIC? No.

Liberalism wins.

The victories of liberalism are all around and are self evident in everything from knowing your money is safe in the bank to knowing that there will be help on the way if an earthquake or massive storm hits your community to knowing your drinking water is safe to knowing you have the right to privacy if you're of the female gender.

Conservatives have lost ground every year (they opposed all of the above or at least the government having a hand in it) and will continue to do so.

 

[Foxfyre]

To say that conservativism mostly promotes and defends limited government and economic policies that result in opportunity and prosperity for all as the moral position is a fair statement and can be defended.

Of course the "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage" theory has been debunked each and every time it has been tried, since the conservative policies always result in economic devastation for the bulk of the population.

Then why isn't conservatism falling out of favor with the people?

 

[Agit8r]

To say that conservativism mostly promotes and defends limited government and economic policies that result in opportunity and prosperity for all as the moral position is a fair statement and can be defended.

Of course the "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage" theory has been debunked each and every time it has been tried, since the conservative policies always result in economic devastation for the bulk of the population.

Then why isn't conservatism falling out of favor with the people?

Because of propaganda, and a misunderstanding of what it is.

Crackpot Doom Scandal Conservatism

 

[Foxfyre]

Reminder: liberal and conservative in this context are how they are mostly commonly understood and used in modern day American vernacular and not as they are most commonly defined in the dictionary.

Why does this sound like "we're gonna use my definitions, I don't care what the real one is"?

Love ya Foxy.

Yes, it is my thread and I chose the topic for it and will insist that the topic be discussed by those who are interested in discussing it. And if that means I won't allow the topic to be changed to a discussion on definitions, and that brands me as a control freak, so be it.

When you start your thread you can define the terms any way you want and I will respect that or I will not participate in your thread. Deal?

Maybe I LIKE being controlled ......

Apparently some do since some do understand what liberalism is in modern day American and embrace it.

But according to Goldberg, more Americans are rejecting that even if they haven't given up the self-identifying label of 'liberal'.

 

[Foxfyre]

To say that conservativism mostly promotes and defends limited government and economic policies that result in opportunity and prosperity for all as the moral position is a fair statement and can be defended.

Of course the "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage" theory has been debunked each and every time it has been tried, since the conservative policies always result in economic devastation for the bulk of the population.

Then why isn't conservatism falling out of favor with the people?

Because of propaganda, and a misunderstanding of what it is.

Crackpot Doom Scandal Conservatism

The rules specify that if you post a link, you provide a summary of what the members will learn if they click on that link.

Edit: no scrap that. I didn't put that particular rule on this thread. Damn I wish I had because I despise trying to have a discussion via huge blocks of copy and paste or links to huge blocks of text that do not specify the particular point or paragraph that relates to the topic.

I won't read a long huge propaganda piece that may or may not relate to the topic of whether conservatism is gaining favor and liberalism is losing favor with the American people though. If you have a particular point to make with your link, please specify what it is.

 

[Agit8r]

To say that conservativism mostly promotes and defends limited government and economic policies that result in opportunity and prosperity for all as the moral position is a fair statement and can be defended.

Of course the "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage" theory has been debunked each and every time it has been tried, since the conservative policies always result in economic devastation for the bulk of the population.

Then why isn't conservatism falling out of favor with the people?

Because of propaganda, and a misunderstanding of what it is.

Crackpot Doom Scandal Conservatism

The rules specify that if you post a link, you provide a summary of what the members will learn if they click on that link.

Oh, sorry. It is about the myth that conservatism exists anymore. At the same time it debunks Goldberg's basic assumptions.

 

[Foxfyre]

Only as the term is defined in some dictionaries and as the term is defined in most of Europe. But not at all as the term is most commonly understood and used in modern day America.

Appeal to authority that fails because that is not how it is "most commonly understood and used in modern day America".

In rebuttal to this and I am becoming really tired of having to say it again and again and again:

. . .Over time, the meaning of the word "liberalism" began to diverge in different parts of the world. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "In the United States, liberalism is associated with the welfare-state policies of the New Deal program of the Democratic administration of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, whereas in Europe it is more commonly associated with a commitment to limited government and laissez-faire economic policies."[17] Consequently in the U.S., the ideas of individualism and laissez-faire economics previously associated with classical liberalism became the basis for the emerging school of libertarian thought. . .

Liberalism - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Classical liberalism is synonymous with modern day libertarianism or how most people define conservatism.​

"Consequently in the U.S., the ideas of individualism and laissez-faire economics previously associated with classical liberalism became the basis for the emerging school of libertarian thought. . ."

Your link just proved that you are misusing the term "modern term" of liberalism. Instead you should be using the term LIBERTARIANISM since that is what you really mean when you are trying to denigrate liberalism.

Some posts are just too off the mark to respond to. But do have a nice day.

Your own words are too off the mark?

Who am I to argue with that?

I'll refer you to your own words earlier in the thread:
Is Liberalism Exhausted?

 

[Foxfyre]

To say that conservativism mostly promotes and defends limited government and economic policies that result in opportunity and prosperity for all as the moral position is a fair statement and can be defended.

Of course the "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage" theory has been debunked each and every time it has been tried, since the conservative policies always result in economic devastation for the bulk of the population.

Then why isn't conservatism falling out of favor with the people?

Because of propaganda, and a misunderstanding of what it is.

Crackpot Doom Scandal Conservatism

The rules specify that if you post a link, you provide a summary of what the members will learn if they click on that link.

Oh, sorry. It is about the myth that conservatism exists anymore. At the same time it debunks Goldberg's basic assumptions.

I'll take your word for it that it tries to do that. I won't believe that it did it.

 

[Agit8r]

Of course the "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage" theory has been debunked each and every time it has been tried, since the conservative policies always result in economic devastation for the bulk of the population.

Then why isn't conservatism falling out of favor with the people?

Because of propaganda, and a misunderstanding of what it is.

Crackpot Doom Scandal Conservatism

The rules specify that if you post a link, you provide a summary of what the members will learn if they click on that link.

Oh, sorry. It is about the myth that conservatism exists anymore. At the same time it debunks Goldberg's basic assumptions.

I'll take your word for it that it tries to do that. I won't believe that it did it.

Goldberg is the one who started the myth of "liberal fascism" right? Of course fascism was never liberal:

"Let no one say that the picture produced as a first impression of human civilization is the impression of its achievement as a whole. This whole edifice of civilization is in its foundations and in all its stones nothing else than the result of the creative capacity, the achievement, the intelligence, the industry, of individuals: in its greatest triumphs it represents the great crowning achievement of individual God-favored geniuses"
-- Adolf Hitler; from speech to Dusseldorf Industry Club (Jan. 27, 1932)

"Whereas previously the programs of the liberal, intellectualist women's movements contained many points, the program of our National Socialist Women's movement has in reality but one single point, and that point is the child, that tiny creation which must be born and grow strong and which alone gives meaning to the whole life-struggle"
-- Adolf Hitler; from speech to the NS Frauenschaft (Sept. 8, 1934)

"The Winterhilfswerk... was to call on the Volk to help itself. We could have done things differently. Instead of appealing to the Volk's willingness to sacrifice, we could have directed our appeal to the taxpayer. We consciously and deliberately did not do so because we wanted to educate the German Volk to come together in this common sacrifice, and therein to begin to understand the nature of the community; to comprehend the duties this community demands of us and to satisfy these of our own free accord without relying on the taxpayer."
-- Adolf Hitler; from speech at Berlin Sportpalast (October 10, 1939)

Doesn't sound like any liberal that I have met. But it does sound like half of the people who have announced their candidacy for the Republican party's nomination. So as you can see, Goldberg has zero credibility.

 

[Coyote]

Folks, this thread has gotten lengthy and wandered a bit - let's get it on track again in case people have forgotten the OP and it's rules. It's not about political parties, so please drop that out of the conversation.

Rules for this debate:
:
1. No ad hominem. Address the member's post and make no comment on the character or motive or intent of the member himself or herself.

2. No mention of Republicans or Democrats or any other political party. Keep the focus on liberalism and whether it has or has not run its course in America.

3. Please keep criticism of specific media, political, or other personalities to a minimum.

THE QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED:
Is liberalism exhausted, i.e. has it run its course in America and will fade into the background in coming years?

 

[Foxfyre]

An interested watcher (not participant) on this thread just referred me to the following:

And I do believe that Goldberg is right that more people are embracing the beliefs and values of the conservative these days. Are enough embracing them to elect true conservatives to government? I doubt it. But I think the trend is going in that direction.

Liberals
believe in government action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all. It is the duty of the government to alleviate social ills and to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights. Believe the role of the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need. Liberal policies generally emphasize the need for the government to solve problems.

Conservatives believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. Believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals. Conservative policies generally emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems.

NOTE: The terms “left” and “right” define opposite ends of the political spectrum. In the United States, liberals are referred to as the left or left-wing and conservatives are referred to as the right or right-wing. . . .
Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs​

Free dictionary definition of Statism:
The practice or doctrine of giving a centralized government control over economic planning and policy.


Oxford dictionary definition of Statism:
political system in which the state has substantial centralized control over social and economic affairs:

So obviously, in modern American vernacular, liberals are statists and/or statists are liberals. And that makes them synonymous.

 

[candycorn]

THE QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED:
Is liberalism exhausted, i.e. has it run its course in America and will fade into the background in coming years?

No.
The fruits of liberalism are all around us. If we didn't have them (FEMA, EPA, FDIC, The National Parks Service, NASA, etc..) we'd do well to invent them.