There is room in a liberal's world for conservatives, but no room in a conservative's world for liberals.Absofuckinlutely A!
some guy named Gordon Smuder commenting at The Rude Pundit's Facebook page.
Okay, admittedly, there are a lot of liberals who would be fine excluding conservatives. I happen to think that we need both sides in order to get things done, but not go out of control doing it. You'll frequently find that attitude on the Left, but not too often on the Right, especially these days when the inmates are running the GOP's asylum.
9 comments:
I really think that's false. After all, I'm a self-styled moderate but it's BECAUSE I'm conservative and don't feel that either party fits my agendas.
Many of us "moderates" are like that. We have friends and loved ones who can be extremely liberal (I was engaged to an atheist once, and we remain good friends). We are OK with understanding that there is a lot of room in the tent. That doesn't mean we'll agree! ;o)
I don't know, bro. I read this and I think of one of my favorite quotes from Dennis Miller (before he got all full of himself): "I don't get racism. I mean, why hate someone for the color of their skin when, if you really got to know them, you'd find a hundred different reasons to hate them?" I call it the cynic's credo. Seriously, every group everywhere is full of assholes.
@ Saur: Well, yes, I suppose that it's a pretty harsh statement when one considers the general population. On the other hand, when one considers the conservative party, Republicans walk in a pretty tight lockstep. David Brin suggests that due to Republican unity (or intransigence, depending on viewpoint), the effective Congress is now actually the Democratic Caucus, since all the GOP does anymore is act as a veto. Republicans have apparently not only forgotten the function of compromise in a democratic society, but also use the Democrat's ability to compromise against them (and democracy itself - because how different is the inability to compromise from tyranny?)
@ Bro: Man, have you not kept up with the Republicans from your own home state? Both Senators voted against Franken's anti-rape amendment for companies which recieve government monies. What kind of person votes against a measure designed to prevent rape?
Besides, unlike one's race, people decide to join/support the Republican Party (though a lot fewer now). On the other hand, I suppose it does work kind of like racism; you know, "hey, some of my best friends are Republicans (but they're not like, you know, the rest of them)".
If only it were possible to take Bill Maher and mash him up with Dennis Miller. Now that would be a guy worth listening to.
@ Saur (again): Actually, the use of the terms "liberal" and "conservative" when discussing American politics is part of one of the Big Lies* that is fed to us. The GOP hasnt truly been conservative for decades, and if you want to see real liberals (or socialists), go look at Europe a bit closer. The Democrats, at their leftiest, are old-school Republican-lites, while the GOP has become... I dont know what the GOP has become, but if it makes a profit or increases the power for those who already have most of the wealth and power, then it's okay with the GOP, regardless of any effect it may have on anyone or anything else. For the Republican Party, there seems to be one question: Will it make a profit? And one answer: Yes? then do it.
A conservative would understand that there are things more important than money. A lot of things, actually. Republicans, whatever they may say aloud, show by their actions that there is nothing more important to them than money. Nothing.
I realize that our two-party system leaves conservatives (and, honestly, liberals, too) little choice of what party to join, but how much of that is a result of limited options and how much of that is a result of laziness by voters? One of my fears is that the GOP will self-destruct, leaving only a more center-weighted Democratic Party. A one-party system here, whatever party it might be, would be disastrous, and an end to democracy in America.
I'd point out that the above result was what Karl Rove and the Neocons who (still) control the GOP were aiming for when the Bush Era began. Thank God they were too incompetent to pull it off. I only wish the Democratic Party was competent enough to punish them for their attempt.
*Or, if one prefers, "one of the Big Ignorance of Terminologies and The Opportunistic Exploitation Thereof that is fed to us". But "Big Lie" is easier, rhetoric-wise.
Dave, I agree 100%. We see eye to eye.
On a personal note, I find it HIGHLY frustrating. I was a campaign manager and consultant for the Republican Party for 5 campaigns. I worked my butt off and really believed (overall) in the cause at that time (early 90s). But who said that politics is like sausage making? ...It's truly nauseating when you see it done.
As I've said in my Debunking Crystal Healing post, I was brought up to think objectively and I'm excellent at that. In some ways, it's a curse: It made it almost impossible to go along to get along. But it's why I am:
A Republican environmentalist, I believe in the climate change theory, I believe in social spending, I detest Big Business handouts, I believe charity begins at home (so we should stop throwing it away overseas), I am anti illegal immigrant, I am anti-abortion, and pro women's rights.
I am a walking dichotomy.
Um, my point was not about race at all. Rather that was the metaphorical tool to remark that there are assholes in every group, subgroup or category of people, so one shouldn't generalize (as in "There is room in a liberal's world for conservatives, but no room in a conservative's world for liberals"). And yes, I am well aware of exactly how bad the representation from my former state is in the Senate. It seems, though, that at least some of the time, the doctor guy is at least basing his actions on some sort of principle, backwards as I think it may be, as opposed to the dip-shit guy, who just does whatever the party says, usually in the most asinine, moronic way possible.
Yes, every group has its assholes. That doesnt mean we have to elect the assholes. And, one does need to generalize when discussing groups in general, otherwise nothing will be able to be said about anyone, anytime. As in race issues, stereotyping is inappropriate for individuals, but is not necessarily wrong when used as a starting point upon which to build ones information (assuming accuracy of said stereotype - which is where racism gets it wrong; statements such as "all muslims are terrorists" is wrong, but "all muslims pray to Allah several times a day" is not so much).
I personally think the doctor guy is rationalizing, rather than basing, his actions on some sort of principle. Seriously, what kind of "principle" makes it okay for a company that takes taxpayer money to collude in the rape of one of its employees?
As for walking on lock-step, the Republican Party is far less conservative these days than it is Authoritarian, and walking in lock-step is what Authoritarians are all about.
Nope, sorry. I may agree with your reasoning, but tone says just as much as the actual words. You make a show of walking back from the statement after your "absofuckinglutely A" comment, but immediately contradict yourself, and laud your side for being better than the other, but in this case, both sides suck, and there's just no getting around that, anecdotal examples notwithstanding.
Both sides suck, but they suck differently. When forced to choose between suckages, I choose the Democrats suckage, mostly because they are less authoritarian.
And yeah, I said "absofuckinglutely A", and then I did dial it back. I do that all the time, as do many people. I could have deleted the first response and just left the more reasoned one, but I thought showing the process was more honest. And since I did it on my own blog, and I am beholden to no voters or shareholders when I do so, I can express both attitudes. In order. Legitimately. So there.
Nyaah.
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