It strikes me as a strange oxymoron that liberals seem to oppose progress and change.

They are against (especially on the fringe)
1. Nuclear power. The cleanest, most efficient, and cheapest way to produce energy.
2. Every other kind of power. I mean, objections to coal burning plants I understand. But they also oppose windfarms (because endangered birds can get sucked into the fans) and hydro-electric dams because of their effect in changing ecosystems. About the only the kind of plant I don't hear libs demonizing is solar. And solar by all means *should* be demonized. The materials required to make solar panels are not environmentally friendly *at all*, and to recycle these monstrosities requires more energy than you get out of them in the first place.
3. Genetically modified foods. The most eco-friendly way to combat six-legged pests, and with great promise for ending world hunger.
4. Irradiation of foods. Why shouldn't I be able to leave a slab of meat on my counter in a baggy and for two months and have it stay fresh the whole time?
5. Free trade. Liberals see this as "evil capitalism" oppressing developing countries.

I'm also tempted to throw global warming in as a number six. Now, while I do think man can effect climate change on some level, I don't buy into the premise that CO2 emmissions are such a contributing factor to global warming (be sure to read "Aliens Cause Global Warming"; a lecture given by Michael Crichton at Caltech). However, even if I believed the hype that human CO2 can drastically warm the climate, the liberal reaction to this idea is nothing short of irrational hysteria. Watch "The Day After Tomorrow" if you want a typical "the sky is falling" reaction. It's a good thing these buffoons weren't around for the last ice age: "Ahh, the glaciers are melting! We must stop burning camp fires for warmth or we will destroy the planet!"

You know, the earth used to be a lot warmer. Look at a map of Pangea. Do you see any arctic ice sheets? No.

Why are people so afraid of the earth warming up? An irrational fear of change, that's why. Yes, if the earth warms up the oceans will rise. Over the very gradual hundreds of years during which this occurs, some costal habitations may need to be relocated. In the mean time, the earth will experience a healthier climate with more rain and extended growing seasons. There will be more food and more places to grow it.

So if I had any reason to believe that our CO2 output was going to have such an effect, I would be leading the charge to redouble our output.

The point, though, is not my own position on evironmental issues, and I apologize for going into a bit of a diatribe. My point is that somehow the modern "progressive" ideology seems to be synonymous with technological reactionism. The "advances" for humanity modern "progressives" would like to see most include socialized medicine, legalized drugs, and the acceptance of sexually deviant practices. Meanwhile, the technological and industrial advancement of civilization is met with hostility and irrational fear.

Do "liberals"/"progressives" really deserve the cognomens they've chosen for themselves?