[matrixtransform]

Isn't "liberal" often used as an insult in the US by the likes of Ann Coulter and other far-right xenophobic conservatives?

I think the confusion is that the term is used for all sorts of things like economic liberals (neo-liberal de-regulators), social liberals (into multi-culturalism and identity politics) and Ayn Randian sea-steaders and techno-utopians, which is where classical liberals often seem to end up on a diet of extreme capitalism and sociopathy?

In Europe, left libertarianism is very much a thing, as identity politics and re-distributive economic socialism often find common ground in empathy for those who are disadvantaged in different ways. The right to exploit others does not trump the right to not be exploited, unless I am badly mis-remembering John Stuart Mill?

[yahna]

Recent trend is to try and brand certain types of conservatism as "classical liberalism".

Don't really know why, but it's what they seem to want to do.