I am conservative, but I am not a conservative.
I am liberal, but I am not a liberal.
I am a conservative in that I believe there are some things from the past-- some values-- which need to be conserved. Including such liberal values as true generosity and compassion.
I am liberal in that I value liberty for ALL and want it spread to everyone. That was once something liberals stood for.
Not so much since they re-branded as "progressives".
For that matter, I am progressive, but I am not a progressive.
I am progressive in that I believe in progress. I believe progress is necessary and good. I do not believe giving our enemy, the State, more power is progress. I think it is quite the opposite. I see those who want to give the State more power as backward throwbacks. As Proglodytes.
It's funny how words get stolen, perverted, and end up meaning the opposite of what they once meant. It's how we ended up with "conservatives" who want to trash things worth conserving, with tight-fisted, thieving "liberals", and with regressive "progressives".