WHAT IS PROGRESSIVE ANYWAY?

I suppose we can hardly wonder how progressive some political policy, theory or act is unless we have a standard by which to judge what is progressive and what is not.

One might say that to side with the have nots against the haves is progressive but a little history suggests not always. Do you side with this set of have nots or that other set? Women and Blacks saw themselves as at odds in the post civil war era and we can easily see that individuals and groups adopt a hodge podge of progressive and not so progressive views.

An oppressive patriarchy may characterize a progressive nationalist struggle. Workers may become Nazis rather than progressive socialists. Of course all these persons, supposedly animated by this or that ism acts in a world of unfolding realities that may or may not be under any influence by the actor.

Obama is an imperialist leader. If so, it seems difficult to characterize him as a progressive imperialist leader but he certainly seems able to unite with more nations than his predecessor.

He seems committed to some sort of draw down in Iraq but I would be surprised if he actually goes for one hundred percent withdrawal.

Obama has adopted the war in Afghanistan as his own and Iraq may now descend into a civil war or civil wars. If the Taliban are routed by the current offensive in Afghanistan I will be surprised. It seems they are not making themselves easy targets this go of it. Taliban positional warfare in Pakistan seems to have failed in Swat. Are the Taliban really there in South Afghanistan and if so in what numbers?