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Originally Posted by rubecube
Because it's largely a contradiction. Socially liberal, or progressivism, is generally in favour of equal rights as in equality in result, as opposed to formal equality. This is basically impossible to achieve without some sort of wealth redistribution.
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I'm not onboard with that terminology. Liberal =/= leftist.
Classical liberal economic thought supports the breaking down of barriers to trade to allow the free flow of capital and goods. Canadians are largely onboard with that. They don't want to dial back the clock to the 1970s, when everything from telephone companies to utilities were government owned, costly, and inefficient, and when it took years for goods and services available in the U.S. to make it to Canada. Most Canadians work in the private sector, and want to encourage a business environment that supports entrepreneurship and small business.
Socially liberal means allowing citizens the greatest latitude on personal liberty and private behaviour without endangering other people's freedoms. Canada is a very liberal society, and getting moreso all the time.
Those two belief systems are not contradictory at all. You're talking about leftist dogma, which is more authoritarian than liberalism. We don't talk much about the cleavages between leftist and liberal thought in this country, because the two have been uneasy allies against conservatism for a long time, so those cleavages are glossed over. However, now that conservatism is a dying political credo, the differences between liberalism and leftist politics will become more clear.
Quote:
Originally Posted by carbonrod
It benefits anyone that chooses to put themselves into a position to take care of their children via a stay at home parent. This is something society should support rather than insist that we all seek two income households and increasingly state-raised children.
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You realize daycares are private businesses, right? Or are you talking about state schools vs homeschooling?
And you're overlooking affluent families where mom continues to stay home after the kids are school-age. From what I've seen of these couples in Calgary, mom doesn't spend all day moping floors, ironing, and making hot lunches for the kids to come home to. She's out at Starbucks and yoga with her friends, while her husband brings home the big paycheque. Not sure that lifestyle needs the support of the state (though I see why those folks are happy with Harper for bringing in income-splitting).