This is the first in a series where this author intends to attempt to show how words are used, and often misused, in modern-day mainstream discourse. As the title suggests, the word we are going to look into today is the word: progressive.
The word progressive is used fairly often in political discussions today. As so many other political terms it seems to mean different things to different people - however, there seems to be a certain interpretation that currently dominates. This definition would be roughly as follows, "someone who believes that progress can only come exclusively, or predominantly, through pervasive government action and thus a social order is needed where government is granted control over most aspects of citizens' lives with the view of building a harmonic, fair and efficient society". As you can see, this is already a bit of a deviation from the dictionary definition which simply defines a progressive as somebody who believes in progress, social and technological, as a desired path for society.
But the deviation from the proper dictionary meaning does not stop there. Plenty of the progressives in the academia, the media, the arts and entertainment circles appear to have outright socialist, or even communist, leanings. Some of them admit to that, sometimes with pride. And given the basic history of the last couple of centuries, the following can be ascertained with a large degree of confidence: people identifying as progressives today are not progressive in the sense that they embrace true progress. They seem to embrace a century-and-a-half old ideology which has had a dubious distinction of consistent failure and causing massive misery and death.
There is one more point which may be hard to back with solid data but which appears to apply nonetheless. Modern progressives, especially in the academia, appear to largely have a humanitarian background and not have a solid grasp on modern technology and technological progress. On some level, they are retrogrades who fail to understand the world-changing potential or technology and cling to an outdated, discredited ideology which might have some emotional appeal but hardly has facts, reason or evidence on its side.
It is perfectly understandable that one may want to welcome progress. One would that be advised not to fall victim to this linguistic deception and not blindly join those who are progressives in name only.
Source
progressive (The Free Dictionary)
Communists and Progressive Liberals: Comrades for Life
Sarah Hinds, The College Conservative, 26 April 2012
Congressional Progressive Caucus
Communism: The Leading Ideological Cause of Death in the 20th Century
The Fifty Most Influential Progressives of the Twentieth Century
Peter Dreier, The Nation, 15 September 2010