OK, so I did read this in a bored moment, and what the actual fuck?
a book of essays written almost 50 years ago
Are you somehow under the impression that liberalism is a new concept that could not possibly have been understood by scholars 50 years ago? Do you know anything about its origins or the philosophical works it draws from? Or do you just believe that people should pull definitions straight out of their arse rather than use authoritative sources?
You do have a substantial disadvantage, being from the US where the word is so badly misused. But come the fuck on, do some reading. The link is another excellent esssay, by an actual liberal. Read it.