As a liberal, I'd agree that the US Democrat Party is not truly liberal, though it has some liberal views and is certainly much more liberal than the Republican Party.

And yes, the US has been slowly and steadily declining in human rights and civil rights over the past century or two. And I'd blame that almost entirely on the conservative right in this country. In fact, in this country's history, whenever a minority or marginalized group were demanding equality almost every single time it's been conservatives standing in the way.

In my opinion, the US Democratic Party is left of center but a true liberal party would be even more so to the left.

@Charles1971 I always considered myself "Liberal" as was anti-war, into individual rights but also society looking after the most vulnerable. For the worker rather than the business owner.
In Australia that used to be the Labor Party (Your Democrats). Not anymore as they are pro-war, pro-censorship and love big business. Same problem as the US eg much of a muchness really whoever gets in as the machine rolls on regardless

Nearly half of those "congresspersons" who currently identify with the "Party of Lincoln" are not traditional Republicans, as you must surely know, but are members of a cult who have usurped the title from what I referred to as "traditional Republicans" and even half of the ones who don't belong to the "Freedom Caucus" or "MAGA Republicans" or however they prefer to refer to themselves, are a bunch of cowardly toadies who vote along with the cult in order to hold on to their cushy jobs. I shouldn't have to explain that.

I agree that not all of the tenets the parties aspire to are as they used to be but then, I didn't imply that they did. I just asked which of those sets of philosophies you would prefer to live under. Those are obviously not etched in stone but are the generally accepted criteria.

Having said that, I do not consider the Biden administration Liberal. He is a puppet of a little "State" in the Middle East whom he refers to as our "best allies" but who has never joined in with any of our bellicose "democratic" military engagements but enjoy a large per-centage of our international dole. No, liberal is an archaic term but today's Democratic party is the party whose platform comes closest to it's progressive description. My biggest problem with Harris, is that she has not revealed her opinion of the Israili genocide, because it would lose her votes.

I would argue that the Democratic party, as bad as it is, is the only choice that would keep our highly flawed Constitution intact and the alternate option is something that anybody that knows anything about world history would be loathe to experience. In short, in my opinion, anything we might have would be preferable to the most powerful nation on Earth being governed by a super nationalist, authoritan despot like Donald Trump. So, of the two admittedly bad choices we have, which would you prefer? As for me, I'll take Kamala. At least she has an agenda which involves the American people and not just her own self-aggrandizement! Maybe you have forgotten what we were like under the first Obama administration, or the Clinton administration. or before Reagan started the ball of "Christian Nationalism" rolling.

@Charles1971 Thank you. Your frankness is refreshing, and you said basicly what my response woul be with much fewer words!

@fishline79 The big problem I see is the US Constitution has been so watered down by the Patriot/ Freedom Act and other "war on terror" legislation that a personality like Trump could potentially tear things down. If all these bludgers who swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution actually did that, your Trump types could do no damage if elected.

"I'll take Kamala. At least she has an agenda which involves the American people". One I would say prepare yourself for a nasty shock. And two, she has an agenda? That's laughable, let me guess? More conflict and centralised control.

@puff: If by "centralized control" you mean "De-Regulation", that is Reaganomics 101. The "Left" wants government regulation, and taxes for big industry and are pro-Union and subsedized health care. The "Right" wants Elon Musk and Jeff Bazos and Donald Trump and no tax on the super rich. It would be like India, 2 % super rich and the rest in poverty. That is the likes of Bernie Sanders, Jamie Raskin, Robert Reich, Barach Obama, etc. We would keep big industry in check. Under Trump, we would have "oligarchs" CEOs that make more than 1000 factory workers and do nothing, and health care for the rich only. Trump has "ralley's where he talks about how great he is and gives people MAGA caps.. Kamala has campaign speech where she calmly and succinctly explains what she would like to do for the middle classes and the poor. Believe what you want, but I believe she is sincere, even though the cards are stacked against her. I'm 77 and have lived in USA all my life. Excuse me if I think you, an Australian, probably don't know better than I, about my country's politics..

@fishline79 I mean de-centralised as in it is better to let the states govern themselves rather than concentrate power Federally. Australia has exactly the same problem, although our states are more independent governance wise I think, going off Covid responses, than the US eg did your individual states shut their state borders, not even allowing residents to return home? Because Australian states did and the Federal government had no say..
I support taking power from the top and awarding it to smaller govt authorities. I would give more power to councils from the states so power is spread out even more, not concentrated more.
In Australia, we are consumed by US politics. Bombarded with pro USA messaging. Why do you think we accepted AUKUS? So we here are not oblivious to US politics.
US politics is not hard to understand. Totally corrupted by money with an entrenched state run bureaucracy that is run by sycophant directors nominated by and beholden to those that got them there. They are the real power. US is agenda driven and that agenda is to dominate in all things internationally.
Trump is vain and wants his place in history as America's Saviour. If, as it is being suggested, he gets Musk to audit these entrenched figures and their departments/ agencies, he may well pull his wet dream off. Harris and world affairs inspires not.

As an Australian, I would just hope a Trump term would be less violent than the Biden admin has been the last 3+ years. Better chance of that with Trump than Harris. Talking world violence not domestic US violence. That could get nasty depending on who wins and how close.

@puff The "centralized government" issue has been a bone of contention between the "North" and the "South" since before our "Civil War" and the post-war Reconstruction era did little to end the conflict. The recent rise of the "Tea Party", "Freedom Coalition" and "M.A.G.A." movement together with the Southern Fundamentalist, Evangelical movement, as.you probably know, are trying to re-awaken the "States Rights" (a euphamism for white supremacy) movement, and return us to the days of the anti bellum South. People like Donald Trump are using this reactionary mind-set of ignorant, un-educated Southern, "Christian" bigots to his own selfish ends, and quite simply, he does it with a campaign of "projectionist" lies, which these simple-minded people confuse with the truth. Kamala, conversely, attempts to educate these people with straight forward, fundimental statements of truth, which these aforementioned people refuse to hear. As Trump is fond of saying, "Nobody has ever seen anything like it". For some reason they chose to believe the lies of a corrupt, and unscrupulous N.Y. real estate developer who cares no more for them than he does an "illegal immigrant". I don't pretend that Kamala is a bastian of truth, but the difference between her and Donald is as wide as the Mississippi River, and the choice, to any intelligent person, is irrefutable! If she is unsuccessful, it will be the biggest boost to the International Fascist movement that is gaining power as we speak all over the globe.