This week has had something in common with pretty much EVERY week since 1/20/09: Just when we think Rush Limbaugh can't stoop any lower or Glen Beck can't possibly get any more insane, the Right once again prooves us wrong, and shames us for underestimating them so. At first, I was thinking that the lies, spin, slander and insanity that's come out in the past week (too much to even elaborate on - check out MMFA, and pick ANY ITEM at random for a perfect example) was somehow unique, somehow WORSE than it's ever been. THEN I realized just how often it was that I've felt that way over the past 18 months!
So to help anyone out who just can't understand it anymore, I've identified four degrees of conservative reasoning. Four levels that can help you gauge the exact level of insanity we've reached on any given issue or discussion...
Level One: Bill O’Rielly / John Boehner - Mitch McConnell
Person A tries to argue a conservative position. Person B refutes their argument with facts, research, evidence, reason and logic.
The liberal concludes that person A is wrong.
The conservative concludes that person B is liberal.
Level Two: Sean Hannity / Trent Lott - Tom DeLay
Person A, in attempting to defend the conservative position, is caught in a demonstrable lie by person B.
The liberal concludes that, as the argument was predicated on a falsehood, person A must be wrong.
The conservative concludes that since person A is conservative, person B must be wrong.
Level Three: Rush Limbaugh / James Inhofe - Jim Bunning
Person B further presents person A with strong, scientific evidence that his (conservative) position is wrong.
The liberal concludes that the conservative position is weak because it’s not supported by evidence
The conservative concludes that the evidence is weak, since it doesn’t support the conservative position.
Level 4: Glenn Beck / Michelle Bachman - Sarah Palin
Person A continues to spout falsehoods and starts displaying hypocritical, faux outrage over non-stories, made up allegations and paranoid nonsense. Person B continues to demonstrate that each point, in turn is becoming increasingly desperate and absurd.
The liberal wonders why anyone is still listening to person A.
The conservative wonders why person B hates his country so much.
good one!
ReplyDeleteDick Armey offers level two (lied about minimum wage by inventing character based on Flowers for Algernon) and reasons like three (claimed that liberals can't perform partial derivatives, so much for Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman, etc.).
ReplyDeleteLOL that was great! Its so true
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. I am fascinated by the conservative mind, too. Are you familiar with UVA psychologist Jonathan Haidt? I highly recommend his TED Talk on the different moral outlooks of liberals and conservatives.
ReplyDeletehttp://tedafrica.org/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html
Briefly, conservatives place a higher value on ingroup loyalty, deference to authority, and issues of purity and sanctity than do liberals.
I think your assessment on the levels of conservative reasoning are both simplistic and accurate, easy for anybody to understand (unless of course you are a conservative)...
ReplyDeleteNiceguy...
ReplyDelete...you nailed it!
okiepoli
And we all thought "misunderestimate" wasn't a real word!
ReplyDeleteWell done!
ReplyDeleteI want to thank everyone who's come by, read this, commented, given a rating, clicked on an ad (kidding!) It really looks like this struck a chord, at least compared to some of the other stuff I've been writing about. Of course, the day I posted it, I shamelessly hyped like like hell over on MMFA, and I'm sur etaht helped (s, Thank to Glenn Beck for being such an ass that day!) but good or bad, I'm happy to see that this many people are responding to it. The three "What a load's" tell me I got it right every bit as much as the 16 "Great Stuff's" so I really appreciate everyone taking the time to drop a note (or click the box, LOL). Usually I'm psyched just to get 2 or 3 comments and 2 or 3 ratings, so I appreciate everyone's... APPRECIATION! LOL
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your comments.
I love it when I find a site to bookmark! Hope you don't mind if I link to you often.
ReplyDeleteJoe,
ReplyDeleteNot at all! Please DO!
Welcome and thanks for your comment.
Keep up the good work, Niceguy Eddie!
ReplyDeleteHiya! I sure hope you don't mind that I linked and reprinted this post over at delawareliberal.net.
ReplyDeleteIt is so well put and frighteningly timeless. I'm always looking for you at MMFA. Please keep up with the intelligent thoughts! I'm less of a union thug because of you!
Since you linked to this today, Eddie, I'll respond. Some of these folks haven't been back, I'm sorry to say. I think they'ed have enjoyed William. BTW, it took me a while, but I finally found time to respond on the "I'll make this easy" thread, #'s 191-2. Too late, I guess, because it's been up a few days, and no one's responded. Check it out. I think you'll find the NY Times article I linked to very powerful.
ReplyDelete