At the Prometheus Institute, we often refer to our political stance as "fiscally conservative and socially liberal." This characterization is actually inaccurate. Our true philosophy can be accurately classified as "classical liberalism." Classical liberals, as late as the early 20th century, believed in a philosophy of limited government and free markets and eloquently represented the ideals of the country's founders.

However, for reasons unbeknown to us, those who now call themselves liberals espouse policies that would be anathema to a classical liberal. For us, those Leftists have hijacked the term liberal and created a neologism that resembles nothing of its seminal political meaning.

The modern "liberals" do, however, support certain policies analogous to ours. Because of this, and to make our views understandable to the majority of the public that has never heard of a "classical liberal", we consider our views "socially liberal."

This being as it is, the Prometheus Institute itself, its views, or libertarianism should never be considered "liberal." This is not because our ideas are not liberal in the true definition of the word, but because we are not liberal in the modern political definition of the word.

We explain this further below, as we enumerate the top four reasons liberalism is a destructive philosophy and why we so actively oppose liberals as a group.

4. Pacifism

Liberals are notorious for flippancy regarding national defense. Whether it is the radical pacifists on the extreme left or the soi-disant moderates who vainly suggest irenic avenues circumventing the inevitable and necessary use of military force, liberalism will always be the philosophy of pusillanimous appeasement. With our modern threat of terrorism, such an egregiously ignorant Weltanschauung is effectively suicidal.

3. Moral Relativism

While it is important to maintain a latitudinarian acceptance of beliefs and customs within America, provided those customs do not endanger peace and security, many liberals cross the line with their failure to indict terrorists and their supporters as the representatives of horrendous evil. If we are going to survive, we must recognize that our cause is just. And for this reason, the refusal to recognize terrorism as evil undermines the very ability to defend our own freedoms at home.

2. Hatred of Capitalism

The liberals' infamous contempt of American business - and capitalism in general - is yet another reason why we so consistently oppose them. We believe in capitalism, and although we never fail to animadvert those delinquent capitalists who defraud the people, we will never transmogrify the transgressions of a few individuals into a systematic indictment of capitalism itself. While the liberals choose to spend their energy inhibiting the competitive drive requisite to open markets, we choose to defend the economic philosophy we know, with absolute certainty, is ideal.

1. The State As a Panacea

The most concerning and nauseating axiom of the liberal philosophy is that they cherish the role of the state as a benevolent provider of all things humanitarian. This dysphasic delusion is the antithesis to libertarianism, and perpetually stands athwart the individual on his path to pursue happiness as he/she sees fit. With characteristic savoir faire, the liberals simply ignore the gargantuan agglomeration of evidence that unnecessary state intervention causes nothing but a diminution of the individual's power to effectively live freely. And because of this, inter alia, we shall unflinchingly oppose them.

Addendum: Beyond this, the paradoxical and disproportional denegration of liberal policies has a pragmatic aspect. While one can conceivably violate the social laws implimented by totalitarian conservatives fighting the Kulturkampf, one cannot similarly transcend the economic destruction unleashed on society through socialist policies. In essence, one can smoke marijuana illegally, but one cannot make a recession evaporate.