Reply #95: Liberal has a different meaning in America than it does everywhere else.

[Spider Jerusalem]

Strictly speaking, in terms of political economy, liberalism is a philosophy that emphasises capitalism and free trade along with individual liberty and is best exemplified by the thought of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. The classically liberal tradition in politics is what's identified in America as 'libertarianism'; an American 'liberal' is what the rest of the world would call a 'social democrat'.