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| Source: The Heritage Foundation- |
Political labels can be overused and I only tend to use them when describing my politics or someone else's politics and what these things mean. Because a lot of times people use these labels to put people who they disagree with or don't like down and when they don't even know what they are talking about.
Like people who are called social Conservatives when they don't believe in social freedom. At least to the extent that people should have the freedom to live their own lives because they see certain behaviors as immoral. Even when they aren't hurting anyone else with what they are doing. Someone who tends to look at politics from a religious lens especially social issues, whether it's Islamic or Christian, don't tend to believe in personal freedom. Personal freedom- the right for people to live their own lives. Religious-Conservatives instead believe government and the Constitution should be religiously based and that personal freedom needs to be restricted or conserve their moral code.
But personal freedom or any type of freedom can also be dangerous when it doesn't come with responsibility and the rule of law. Because with freedom of course comes risks, which is why so-called Progressives today don't tend to be in favor of economic freedom. And in some cases not big believers in personal freedom as well. For example things that can be dangerous for our health and economic well-being.
So basically people who believe in social freedom and individual freedom generally, believe in individual responsibility as well as the rule of law. So people can't hurt each other intentionally or by acting irresponsible. But also so people who make good choices with their freedom aren't forced to subsidize people who make bad choices.
Liberal democracy which is a free society, is a great system for any society that believes in personal freedom, personal responsibility and the rule of law, to have in their country. But it isn't perfect and has it's drawbacks like risks versus reward. But as former British Conservative Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, "democracy is the worst system in the world, except for all the rest which is how I look at it." I would only add liberal democracy to that.
Whether you are a social Conservative or a Liberal in my case across the board or a Libertarian, the fact is you believe in social freedom. The right for the individual to live their own lives and be held accountable for the decisions that they make for good and bad. Not the right to hurt innocent people, but the right to live their own lives until they've given up that right by hurting other people. So when someone calls them self a social Conservative or social Liberal, I'm going to assume they believe in a high deal of personal freedom until I see evidence that contradicts that.
