The American use of political terms like liberal and socialist are warped from their original meanings.

Both can mean supporting healthcare for everyone for example. Even though that’s neither a policy following from the theory of liberalism, nor is socialized healthcare dependent on following socialism.

The same is true for progressivism and leftists. All of these terms are often used interchangeably to the previous two.

There’s a deep lack of nuance and specificity.

Actual Marxist leftists and democratic liberals are ideologically opposed to another in many ways. In the US they might agree on better healthcare for everyone and waving rainbow flags. Liberals should be for free markets, (regulated) capitalism, freedoms, etc. A leftist should be opposed to all of these. Freedom to a Marxist means something else than to a liberal.

Nowadays a lot of political discourse across the spectrum is deeply rooted in identity, creating division, virtue signaling, moralist preaching, etc.

Discussion on specific politics and details is often cut short by the above campism and clinging to identities.

This applies to the right and the left equally.