Venting on this clash of political perspectives between friends has helped me grapple with this interpersonal relationship issue. If this person and I had not been friends for so long, we could not have such bonds in these times.
He wants us to respect each others beliefs, and I will let that stand.
But, come to think of it, I have no idea what his/their "beliefs" are, other than the typical right wing talking points they repeat.
Or is that just a cover for their inability or unwillingness to think for themselves?
Is that what they really believe? Do they think liberals have no values or sense of responsibility? Do they really think liberals hate this country and our freedom?
How can they claim to oppose “big government” and at the same time surrender our privacy rights? How can they demonize taxes and still want a vast imperial military presence around the world? Is it their desire to revert our society to medieval theocracy?
They seem to dig in and not want to open up about what they really think. Maybe they simply believe that liberals are to blame for all the evil in the world.
Their beliefs are personal, and they are uncomfortable with any questions about them.
Too bad we can't ask them without their getting defensive, belligerent, or evasive.
We can really only know what they are against.
By their support of the Republican Party we can presume they are against most of the progress made through the last century.
They have blocked or reversed a middle class standard of living, civil liberties, collective bargaining rights, pensions, open government, separation of church and state, health care rights, workplace safety standards, environmental standards, regulation of big business, reproductive rights, corporate and government accountability, public access to legal representation, public education, the fairness doctrine in media, negotiable prescription prices for Medicare, and a minimum wage. That’s just mentioning a few off the top of my head.
As I saw on a bumper sticker, "Just what are conservatives conserving?"
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8 comments:
well said dave. many people have said to me over the past 2 or 3 years since i started blogging- that i should learn to understand the opposition. my reply has been- i have tried but they don't give me much to work with. it is very difficult for me to try and understand a group who hates me because i am not a part of it. usually no other reason than that because they don't care to learn anything about people who don't share all of their convictions. i would be more than happy to sit down or chat with folks from 'the opposite side' to really have a heart to heart- but most are unwilling and perhaps unable to connect with people in that way.
i won't stand passively by and be understanding of other's belief set when it is so very obviously causing the destruction of this country and the rest of the planet. believe all you want- stay out of decision making. the right isn't good at it.
Dave
As usual I have to agree with you! You really have to wonder not what their beliefs are but how they believe such obvious lies and to the detriment of all of us and the world!
My brother just got back from seeing our nephew and his wife. He told me they thought Sarah was "wonderful", and asked him what he thought of her. He told them he didn't like people who want to ban books. They responded saying they never heard anything about that.
"Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again."
I feel your pain Dave.
Lately though, some of those folks are beginning to question their beliefs. Bill O'Reilly seems to be flip flopping on the free market, upset about CEOs going to $1,000 a day spas on the bailout money.
Over the weekend, I met some young men that were saying they would vote for Sarah Palin. I asked if they'd let her balance and manage their checkbooks, they said, "Hell No!" I asked, would you like her to make decisions regarding their taxes or health insurance and they said, "Hell No!" So I asked, but you'd like her to make these decisions if elected, right?
One said, "Maybe I've changed my mind..."
I guess that's the big difference between the camps. Our side is at least curious about their perspective. Their side simply dismisses ours as liberal, therefore wrong.
The primary characteristics of right wing conservatism are authoritarianism, fundamentalism, anger and greed. All of these have the ability to short-circuit humanity's natural gift of curiosity.
Dave--
I'm honestly starting to believe it's some form of genetic mutation. Even when presented with the facts, they disregard them.
I stopped by hoping to see some debate analysis.
We can really only know what they are against.
Absolutely correct!!!! Conservatives define themselves by negatives, not by positives... this is what's wrong with their whole philosophy.
Dave--
Congratulations! You made the Front Page......Again.
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