There are those who believe progressives are not really progressive.

They refer to them as regressive, without understanding exactly how progressive is defined politically, compared to conservative. From a purely political viewpoint, progressives are not regressive. Conservatives would be closer to regressive that progressive.

Politically, there are distinctions between conservatives and progressives that place them at opposite sides of the political spectrum. Neither are inherently positive nor negative. It depends on the form of root government that exists in any given country.

According to Merriam-Webster, conservative has the political definition of:

“2 a: tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions”

 A conservative wants to conserve the government based on the root form of how a current government was founded. As a result of that definition, conservatives vary from one nation to another. People can be conservative all over the world with very different views on conserving governments.

An American conservative wants to conserve the Republic as the American Constitution is written, complete with limitations on government with no royals of any kind. An English conservative wants to conserve their Democratic Monarchy, something no American conservative would ever want. Both are equally conservative with very different views on monarchy being a positive or negative force.

According to Merriam-Websters, progressive has the political definition of:

“1 b: one believing in moderate political change and especially social improvement by governmental action”

Progressives are politically opposite of conservatives since they want to use government to alter the existing form of government into something else. Just like conservatives can vary by country, so toocan progressives.

Republicans in England want to do away with the monarchy through political means. They are every bit as progressive as progressives in the United States with different goals. Both want to alter the foundation of their governments into something they believe preferable.

American conservatives have nothing in common with American progressives, right from the beginning of their movement that started with Teddy Roosevelt and carried through to many of the Democrats of today. Conservatives believe limited government governs best. Progressives believe bigger and stronger government is needed.

As a result of wanting to restore government as intended, conservatives are regressive. Doing away with changes put in place by progressives is to be regressive, which is no more a positive or negative thing than being conservative or progressive.

I am an American conservative who does want the government to regress to only what the Constitution allows. I want my county to have limited government with equal justice for all, and individual liberties respected.

American progressives are the ones who expanded government through legislation that is not Constitutional, along with progressive judges who ignored the Constitution in favor of activism. Politically, I am regressive and have no problem with regressing all the way back until only the Constitution and limited powers of government remain.

Bob Ryan is a writer who has an MBA. He is an American Christian Zionist who staunchly supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. He has been a weekly blogger at the Times of Israel since 2019.

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