Last week I talked about the difference between the terms “liberal” and “leftist.” I wanted to revisit that discussion because I have found that it helps explain what is happening in the political scene. The other day, I had someone say that she doesn’t even think there is a Democratic Party anymore.

I think what she meant was that it doesn’t look anything like the political party she remembers when she was growing up. Yes, there have always been liberals in the Democrat Party, but now the Left dominates the party leadership. The 2016 party platform is radically different than it was in 2000. By contrast, the Republican Party platforms of 2000 and 2016 are very similar.

Dennis Prager mentions others examples of the difference between a liberal and the leftist. Take the subject of capitalism. He says, “Liberals have always been pro capitalism” though they often wanted government “to play a bigger role” in the economy. Leftists oppose capitalism and are eagerly promoting socialism.

Liberals have had a love of Western civilization and taught it at most universities. They were promoters of the liberal arts and fine arts. In fact, one of the most revered liberals in American history was President Franklin Roosevelt who talked about the need to protect Western Civilization and even Christian civilization.

Today Western Civilization classes are rarely if ever taught in the university. That’s because leftists don’t believe western civilization is superior to any other civilization. Leftists label people who attempt to defend western values as racist and accuse them of promoting white supremacy. And attempts to promote religious liberty are dismissed as thinly disguised attacks on the LGBT community.

Liberals and leftists are different. It is important to understand the difference if you are to understand what is happening in our world today.