I once heard Thomas Sowell say that the core principle of progressives is that they think they can create the perfect world here on earth, if only they have the right rules and people to enforce those rules. I never once thought this was true. I was taught young that the world is imperfect because people are imperfect, and learned later in life that contentment was internal, not something given to you.

Are there any former true believer progs out there who can tell me if this is really the core of progressive dogma? Or is it all an act?