"Thus, by consistently championing basic values such as reform, social improvement, free trade and individual rights, the Economist stands for values that are timeless, proven and certainly not outdated. Indeed, on many of today’s hot-button issues, the Economist’s brand of what might be called liberal libertarianism is—depending on your perspective—'politically correct' in the best or worst sense of the term. For example, it has emerged as a leading voice—critics might call it an alarmist one—in the global-warming debate. It also strongly advocates national gun control in the United States, favors abolition of capital punishment and has 'come out' in favor of gay marriage."

In other words, The Economist defies categorization by political labels used in the United States. That's one of the things I like about reading The Economist. What I first liked about The Economist, when I first started reading it in the 1980s when I lived overseas, is that it has better reporting about countries outside the English-speaking world (as I can verify for Chinese-speaking countries) than any other newsweekly in the English language. Oh, and The Economist uses a variety of English that is international, but still rooted in educated usage in the environs of its editorial offices in London, so an American reader like me can learn many interesting idioms of English from other lands, especially Britain, by reading it. The Economist is the one print magazine subscription that I will never give up as long as the publication stays in print (as it has managed to do since 1843) and it is a favorite source of good stories to submit here on Hacker News.