Good points. Liberals, Progressives, and Leftists in general live for conforming to peer pressure and group-think. The very concept of being intellectually independent causes a shuddering of the soul in revulsion.
This is one reason why the leaders of Marxist-based nations consider liberals to be totally Useful Idiots . . . until, of course, the Revolution has been a success. Afterwards, however, huge numbers of them are no longer 'useful' and so they are the first one's stood against a wall.