Damn straight I'm a liberal. Why aren't you?

I read an excellent political taxonomy a long time ago. Unfortunately I don't remember where - might have been buried in the middle of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel - and it didn't make much of an impression on me at the time. I've been thinking about it recently, though...

As I recall, the taxonomy broke down like this:
- Conservatives believe that the status quo is perfect, with any and all inequalities built into it. If the poor are miserable, it's because they deserve to be; if the rich wield absolute power, it's because they earned it. Anyone who wants to make the slightest change is dangerous and must be stopped.

- Radicals (aka Revolutionaries) believe that the current system is inherently corrupt and unjust. Bloody revolution and overthrow is the only salvation for mankind. If the poor are content to live under the current system, then things must be made intolerable until the masses rise up.

- Liberals generally believe that the system they live under is imperfect, but perfectible. There may be injustices built into society, but they can be addressed to make "a more perfect Union." Needless to say, both Conservatives and Radicals despise Liberals.

Under this taxonomy - and it makes more sense than any other I've seen - I can't imagine myself as anything but a liberal. I wish that, just once, a candidate who's being called the "L word" by his (or her) opponent would have the guts - and the nous - to say "Damn straight I'm a liberal. Why aren't you?"