You’re right. The only people who use the term “leftist” are conservatives, or people who have studied European politics, because it doesn’t actually define anything in American politics. There is no “leftist” party and there are no “leftist” political groups. “Liberalism” is far more common because it describes an amenable approach to social issues, but also a laisez-faire approach to economic and foreign policy issues. I get not wanting to be called a liberal, or worse a neoliberal, but we do not have a proper labour party, or a communist party, or anything else even remotely resembling the “left.” It would be nice if we did, but the far right has done an excellent job of demonizing the very idea of it.

That’s what I was referring to, which is why I assumed you might be a European, where such parties and ideologies exist out in the open.

I meant no offense.