Liberalism is to the left of conservatism. The problem is that you don't have many conservatives in the USA. Conservatism is a philosophy that emerged as a reaction to liberalism in Renaissance Europe. Specifically, conservativism is a philosophy supporting monarchy and hereditary aristocracy linked to monarchy. There are very very few people in the USA who are conservatives. Instead, what the USA calls conservatives are regressive liberals and what the USA calls liberals are neoliberals and progressive liberals.
Liberalism is a conservative ideology, yes. It's the ideology of capitalism and western imperialism.
Leftism is the political realm of anti-capitalists. In a political dichotomy, liberalism stands on the right with other capitalist ideologies. Leftists stand opposed to them both. Liberalism is the ideology of billionaires, of strike breaking, of economic prosperity for the wealthy being the measuring stick of how successful a society is.
Liberalism is not a conservative ideology. You are confused. Read the Wikipedia article on conservativism at the very least. Conservatism is a pro-royalist, monarchich and aristocratic philosophy that emerged explicitly as a reaction to liberalism.
Conservatism and liberalism are both in favor of billionaires, they disagree on where power lies and who can be billionaires. Conservatives believe royals and hereditary aristocrats with royal backing can be billionaires. Liberals believe merchants can be billionaires.
Iain McLean has worked at the Universities of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Warwick, and Oxford, and has held visiting professorships at Washington & Lee, Stanford, Yale, and the Australian National University. He has been an elected councillor on Tyne & Wear County Council (committee chair) and Oxford City Council (group leader).
You think his definition is "absurdly hollow and self serving" ? Honey what have you accomplished? Do you really think your argument holds any water against a resume like Dr. McLean's? For you to describe his work as "absurd and hollow" is the height of irony.🤣💀 Thank you for making my day!!!