Why do people equate socialists and progressive as liberal when they are anything but?

Socialists/Communists = Progressive Left

Neoconservatives = Progressive Right

Real Liberals = Libertarian

While Progressivism is not joined at the hip with Liberalism (Bush 43 was a mild Progressive, TR a big one), it has taken over much of Liberal thought. Progressivism is a desire to actively "perfect" society. Progressive Liberalism sees Socialism as the way to this goal, making government the solution to all problems, social and economic.

Norman Thomas, six time Presidential Candidate of the American Socialist Party, explained it best at the onset of the hijacking of the title of "Liberal".

“The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of “liberalism,” they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened. I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democratic Party has adopted our platform.”

The Collectivists, who claim the title of "Liberal", today, are not even remotely connected to the ideology of Classical Liberalism exhibited by the rugged "Individualism" for which it originally stood and was practiced by our Forefathers.

And, oddly enough, it is those who call themselves "Conservatives" who are attempting to "conserve" the remnants of the individualism, once typical of classical liberals.

Although, the prevalent ideologies in today's America may have many names....liberal, conservative, left, right, Democrat, Republican....... they break down into either of the two true defining ideals of "Individualism" and "Collectivism".

And, the real political battle for America lies between the two.

We all fall into one or the other on the one true political spectrum.......we are either Individualists or Collectivists, no matter what else we may call ourselves.

Thank you all for your answers I now have a better understanding and clarity on what is happening to our political system all answers should be best therefore I will not choose a best since all were excellent

For the same reason that a car salesman calls them selves "Honest"- they aren't- if they were then they would not have to advertise or promote themselves that way.

the same reason why they think democrat=liberal=commie

they really don't know what they're talking about

Socialism and progressivism is left wing/liberal.

There is an element here that loves to spread rumors and lies

Stalin was a conservative by any standard.