A Speech on Liberalism - Well Done

I heard a great speech on liberalism from an unlikely place tonight. A TV series called "The L Word" had one of their characters go to Washington to lobby for better funding for the arts. Bette, the character was being berated for artwork that a Senator pointed out that could be considered obscene to some.

Bette's speech in front of the Committee was outstanding. Here it is:

"You're just the latest reigning vigilantes. You're just a distraction. A wanton distraction. Let's just be forthright and honest about what is truly unpatriotic. Abject poverty is unpatriotic. The failure of our education system is unpatriotic. Lies told by presidents as justification for war is unpatriotic. It is unpatriotic that elected lawmakers fail to acknowledge, let alone address real desperation."

Liberalism is often tough to put into words. I think this show did it pretty well.

You probably know by now that I don't consider myself to be a liberal nor a conservative. I was born and raised in Western Canada, where our politics would be considered left of the American lefties and right of the American righties.

We believe in the free market, in small government and personal and fiscal responsibility. We believe in helping the poor, keeping religion separate from government and preserving the environment.

Name a party in the U.S. that fits that. I don't think there is one. In Canada, the closest thing is the current government (as of last week), the Conservative Party of Stephen Harper (the first Albertan Prime Minister, as far as I know...).