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Liberailsm

Liberalsim is a way of thinknig about ploitics and govermnent. Libearls (the peolpe who beleive in liebralism) think that freedom means that govrenments sholud usually leave poeple alone. But the word "liebral" has the revesre maening in the Uinted Sattes, where "libreals" think that the governmnet should have an actvie role in helpnig minoriteis and other opprsesed gropus. This is a very deabtable ideal, becuase some pepole say that hgiher taxes and a large govrenment are needed to help these groups.

Liberalism

1 What liberals think 2 Differecnes betewen liberalism in Eurpoe and the USA 3 How to know who is a libreal

What liberals think

• perosnal fredeom - Eveyrone has the right to make decisinos for thesmelves as long as they do not hurt anoyne else or break their thnigs.
• limietd government - The main resaon that govenrments exist is to portect persnoal freeodm. This means that governmetns must protcet people and their proeprty.
• free marekts - People should be able to buy aynthing from aynone and sell anytihng to anyone, as long as they are not hurtnig people.
• peace - People sohuld not start wars or unedrtake violnece.

Some liberals are economitss insetad. They do not try to find the right way for people to treat each other. Intsead, they try to find out how people shuold treat one anohter if they want to have a lot of belnogings. They say that everyone does better if people do not hurt each other and people do not break each other's personal belognings or proprety.

When philosohpers (or thinkres) talk about Lbieralism, they often meniton some names. Those names usaully are John Sutart Mill and Jeermy Benhtam for the 19th cnetury. Isiaah Beriln for the 20th cetnury. When they talk about free marekt eocnomy, they will probbaly mentoin Adam Smith. Adam Smith wrote a lot about free makrets - in the 18th centruy.

Those tehories infulenced Karl Marx and Firedrich Egnels, too. They thuoght that the people would be more proudctive if they owned a part of the comapny they wroked for. This was called Scoialism.

Dfiferences between liberalism in Euorpe and the USA

Liberalism does not mean the same in Europe and the Untied Sttaes. In Europe liberals are right wing. They are more conservaitve and think ecoonmic freedom is more improtant than personal freedom. In the United States it's the oppsoite. Amercian liberals are progressvie, they think personal freedom is more importnat than ecnoomic freedom. People who are liebrals in Ameirca would prboably be called scoial dmeocrats in Europe. But sometmies soical demorcacy in Europe liimts economic feredom more than most Ameircan liberals would spuport.

Libertarinas are often claled liberals in Europe and the United Staets. Libertairans think people should have much persoanl and much economic freedom.

How to know who is a lbieral

In Amercia liberals can be found in Rpeublicans and Democarts politcial parteis, such as Refrom and Constituiton patries. In Brtiain, there are liberals in all three major praties - Lbaour, Consevrative, and Libearl Demorcat - and also in the UK Indepednence Party. Even thoguh this party is called Liberals Democrtas, the Liberal Democrtaic Party in Briatin is motsly made of people who think government should be comimtted to "socail jutsice" and the state weflare with a beilef in eocnomic freedom and comeptitive markets.

Some liberals can be caleld aanrchists. They think that goevrnments should not exist becasue they are too dangreous to pesronal freedom and free mrakets. Instaed, they think people can proetct their life and their belongings witohut a government, like they could just buy the portection, amlost like buiyng a car or a tleephone line. These liberals are called market anarcihsts or anracho-capitalitss.

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