Kerby Anderson

In our political discussions we often tend to use the terms “liberal” and “leftist” interchangeably along with other terms like “progressive.” Dennis Prager has provided a public service by defining and distinguishing the two. A year ago, he wrote about this and more recently put it in one of his Prager University videos.

His argument is that traditional liberalism has far more in common with conservatism than it does with leftism. Here are just three examples he uses to make his point.

One of the most important differences is in the area of race. The traditional liberal position on race is that the color of one’s skin is insignificant. By contrast, leftists argue that the notion that race is insignificant is itself racist. Liberals were committed to racial integration and would have rejected the idea of separate black dormitories and separate black graduations on university campuses.

Nationalism is another difference. Dennis Prager says that liberals always deeply believed in the nation-state. Leftists, on the other hand, oppose nationalism and promote class solidarity. Superman comics illustrate the point. When the writers of Superman were liberal, Superman was not only an American but one who fought for “Truth, justice, and the American way.” The left-wing writers of Superman comics had Superman announce a few years ago that he was going to speak before the United Nations and inform them that he was renouncing his American citizenship.

Another example is free speech. American liberals agree with the statement: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Leftists today are leading a nationwide suppression of free speech everywhere from the college campuses to the Big Tech companies.

Dennis Prager has other examples of the significant difference between liberals and leftists. His earlier article and his latest video remind us of this important fact.