What is a progressive?

My answer to that question posted at Comments from Left Field is:

To be a progressive means you care more about people and less about maximizing profit. Think Scrooge after his heart melts and becomes a decent person. In fact, Marley's speech I believe encapsulates the essence of being a progressive:

"'Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!'"

Politics, or more importantly governance, is going to have to become about a lot more than just money. The Indentured Servitude bill just passed by the Senate is a case in point. There is no mercy in it. There is only cold, heartless cruelty for the masses being squeezed for every drop of blood and life they have just to make some selfish fucking bastard rich! They are SCROOGE! All of them who voted for the bill! Off with their heads!

Ahem. I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.