The Real Conservative Problem
The problem with conservatives isn't the everyday conservatives themselves; it's the people they listen to. Conservative leaders, in their vilification of liberals, tell so many lies about what liberals are supposed to believe, support, say, do, etc., that the everyday conservatives end up hating a fictional enemy. If what the pundits said about liberals was true, I'd be a hardcore conservative.
If liberals were so terrible, these pundits and politicians would have no reason to lie at all. They could just recite facts and let them stand for themselves. Instead they take part in character assassination and avoid speaking about actual issues. They make blanket statements that have no basis in fact. What's worse is that many of them cloak their rhetoric in a pseudo-Christian guise to act as if God is somehow on their side (even though the Bible basically tells them to pray quietly and stay out of politics).
Virtually all of the lies that are told about liberals are easily shattered with the barest attempt at rationality and reason. The facts stand for themselves, yet so much mud is slung that the facts are like gems buried under several feet of mud. The facts are there, and are obvious and clear, but unfortunately one must dig through all the crap that is spewed in order to bring them to light. When one digs a handful of it away, the pundits are expert at piling on even more crap, or more often, will distract and divert away from the digging.
Conservatives are told that liberals hate the troops. How can this possibly be since so many of their children are soldiers that are dying in Iraq ? Cindy Sheehan obviously had so much love for her son that she decided she would not rest until she had some straight answers from those who sent him to die. I don't know what the ratio is of children of conservatives vs. children of liberals that are dying in Iraq , and it's really quite irrelevant. Liberals obviously don't hate their own children, and any criticism of the war is a plea to save their lives.
Conservatives are told that liberals hate America . When one criticizes someone or something, it's usually because they wish to see an improvement. America isn't perfect. Every person in this country knows this. If it were, there would be no issues to discuss. Plus, most of the criticisms are aimed specifically at the Bush administration, which is not America . Think of America like a brother who has made some questionable decisions that endanger even themselves. Would it not be worse to say nothing?
Conservatives are told that liberals think that there should be no rules and that “anything goes” should be the rule. If this were true, they wouldn't be rallying against so many things. They'd have no problem with anything anyone does. Since they are so keen to protest everything under the sun, this is obviously incorrect. Usually the “anything goes” phrase is spewed when it comes to consensual acts. Well, how can anyone be considered an adult if they can't decide what to do to and with themselves and each other, provided they do not interfere with anyone's freewill? If adults want to look at porn, smoke pot, play all kinds of videogames, be non-Christian, or other such things, what does it really matter as long as there are no children involved and they do no harm? This is a far cry from the belief that everyone should be able to do what they want. If they did, they'd often interfere with people's freewill. Crimes against consensual acts are a specific interference of freewill and treat adults as mindless children. Liberals don't think that anything should go; they believe that people should be adults, and as such, be accountable for their own actions. Furthermore, they should be able to make their own decisions about things that affect no one but themselves.
Conservatives are told that liberals support terrorists. Liberals lost just as many loved ones on 9/11 as did conservatives. No one supports terrorists unless they are terrorists themselves or are at gunpoint. Usually, conservatives are told this when liberals seek to clarify issues concerning military spending and military actions, as well as various issues such as torture, the Patriot Act, etc. More often than not, liberals are seeking to strike a balance between effective policy and retention of civil rights and freedoms. The government is good at going too far, and the Bush administration has showed its lack of good judgment time and again. Unfortunately, conservatives have been lied into believing that no one should question Bush. Our founding fathers would and did assert differently. In fact, it is our patriotic duty to keep the government in check, and the Republicans of old believed in this very strongly in the past. Now, there is more hateful propaganda aimed at fellow Americans than at terrorists.
One could go on and on about the lies that are told, however, I've made my point. If liberals and conservatives alike would stop listening to pundits, politicians and evangelists, we would most likely get along just fine. We'd still disagree about many things, but we wouldn't be blindly attacking each other, parroting talking points, or believing in heaps of lies. It would be nice if conservatives would hold those to whom they listen to a higher standard and require of them that they discuss things rationally and factually rather than lay blame and make sweeping generalizations. Getting them to admit when they are wrong once in a while rather than changing the subject would be nice too.
Yes, generalizations also come from the left. However, let's keep in mind who is in control right now and who has the loudest voices. Should not the loudest voices be the most truthful and the most accountable?
- Omnithought