Friday, December 24, 2010

The difference between liberals and conservatives

One of the big differences between liberals and conservatives is their perception of the working poor and the just plain poverty stricken. While conservatives tend to sneer at them as stupid and/or lazy, liberals largely empathize with their plight and understand that not everyone is lucky enough to be born into upper middle class families. Liberals also realize that being poor is very hard work and in today's world, there just aren't that many opportunities to break out of poverty.

SoBeale finds the perfect illustration of this phenomenon.

[More posts daily at the Detroit News.]

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15 Comments:

Anonymous Ruth said...

Looked at in another way, I believe the wingnuts fear that but for pure accident they would be in the same fix as the needy, so they distance themselves by aspersions against the character of those Just Like Them except for the $$.

and I still get a sad feeling about the year I slipped and chipped my elbow going out to hand a small gift of $$ to my paper delivery person, and my financial consultant boss was just horrified at the thought that service people were an object of giving/generosity.

8:30:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The "big Difference" between Progressives and Conservatives is that Conservatives donate more of their own income, and tend to donate to those that are in real need..families that are in danger of losing their home, homeless shelters, Religious based charities. etc...

"Tipping" for performing a service that is paid for (your source's example)is at a different, less critical nature

Thanks for polluting the Holiday season with another strawman rant about "conservatives" and "Liberals"

9:29:00 AM  
Anonymous Ruth said...

Guess we can depend on your sort for that "polluting the Holiday season" with the spirit of hatred. merry xmas.

9:53:00 AM  
Blogger Litzz11@yahoo.com said...

The "big Difference" between Progressives and Conservatives is that Conservatives donate more of their own income...

Oh what a bunch of nonsense. It's a myth that conservatives like to trot out every year based on some flawed study that a neocon think tank did a few years back. Tell it to Bill & Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet.

Truthfully there's no way to know anyone's politics when charitable donations are made. But conservatives keep telling themselves this because they're politics so lacks in compassion and empathy.

It's nonsense, but keep telling yourselves you're better than everyone else. It might help with that little conservative inferiority complex you guys keep flogging.

10:14:00 AM  
Blogger Litzz11@yahoo.com said...

Ooops ... "THEIR politics" not "they're" ... more coffee, please!

10:16:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

BS. I got out of poverty by walking away from it. Liberal policies breed poverty. $6 trillion spent on the war on poverty got us what? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Ms. Spencer, you have absolutely no clue as to what you are talking about (as usual).

1:51:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ruth:

You have the most useless occupation on the planet and you call others wing nuts? You're nuts if you believe that you contribute to the betterment of this country.

1:53:00 PM  
Anonymous Ruth said...

You're funny, anon. Of course, the war on poverty reduced the number of those going hungry, improved health and education and made the country wealthier. The end of it brought on financial disaster. My occupation is 'retired' after over thirty years of paying taxes, though during the decade preceding the one we're now in those were monumentally wasted on war and welfare for the rich.

Peace on earth and good will toward men to you, too.

3:22:00 PM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

I'm retired too - have been for ten years, but of course I have made some hefty contributions from a family trust. . .

I would hate to contradict our friend with his conjectures but Gates and the other people who give out billions aren't conservatives and I've given more than the Walton family in some years - but hey we have to remember this isn't about our universe but the parallel one they live in.

The very stupid are different from you and me, as Fitzy would have said if he had said it.

6:04:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"The very stupid are different from you and me, as Fitzy would have said if he had said it."

Once again, an arrogant, pathetic commentary from a elitist snob. Hope you received a new gun for Christmas. You'll need to recharge your missing manhood for another year you petty, insignificant little worm.

2:06:00 PM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

Apparently I'm significant enough to send you into a hysterical and incoherent frenzy about manhood and guns every time I post a word.

10:25:00 PM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

Oh yes, and by the way, this will be your last post here.

10:26:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Southern Beale wrote in part "Oh what a bunch of nonsense. It's a myth that conservatives like to trot out every year based on some flawed study that a neocon think tank did a few years back. "
You mean this book? (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/conservatives_more_liberal_giv.html)
It was generated by a professor at Syracuse University, using public data. Feel free to show where his data, analysis, or methodology is flawed.
I look forward to your credibly cited, data supported rebuttal

-tdc

8:46:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ruth wrote in part " Guess we can depend on your sort for that "polluting the Holiday season" with the spirit of hatred. merry xmas."
I would recommend you take you comment up with Ms Spencer. She is one advancing the quaint notion that the "conservatives" are not generous .(and "liberals" are)
- And merry Christmas to you and yours
---------
Ruth "Of course, the war on poverty reduced the number of those going hungry, improved health and education and made the country wealthier. The end of it brought on financial disaster."
The poverty rate has fluctuated between 10-15%, pretty much in sync with the economic cycles.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_poverty_rate_timeline.gif) In addition there has been no "end" on this "war", as social spending (incl SS) is the largest part of the Federal budget. If that is what you consider "success" I'd hate to see failure
---------
Ruth "My occupation is 'retired' after over thirty years of paying taxes,"
Count your blessings. I have been employed since 1974, and am still 5-10 years away from retirement. Hope your pension is fully funded.

-tdc

8:55:00 AM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

It's hard for me to understand the depth of anger here, but of course the protest is designed to be able to go nowhere. Most arguments phrased as "liberal vs conservative" are like that since the definitions are moving targets and this one is not only no different, but larded with tautological observations.

No doubt people like Bloomberg are able to give more and get a greater tax benefit from giving more and thus many do give more but I think you have to keep in mind that the lions' share of "conservative" contributions in recent years are bequests from the estates of the ultra wealthy. Billionaires, with notable exceptions, tend to be somewhat "conservative" if I may use that rather meaningless term one last time.

If we use a more reliable term like Republican rather than the shifty and nebulous one "Conservative" it may be that more tycoons are Republican than Democrat but does that reflect any particular generosity? If it does, does that generosity stem from personal economic benefit or a genuine compassion for the poor and suffering and unfortunate?

Leona "only little people pay taxes" Helmsley left billions. What ordinary bleeding heart liberal can match the generosity of a dead witch? This is, sorry to say, a rigged argument - one of those closing rooms where car salesmen and amateur Republican rhetoricians beat hell out of people.

So sure, one can bluff and bluster about scientific analysis as a distraction, but in my opinion, this is a proposition designed to be argued endlessly and an invitation to bloviation -- one that seems to have been answered.

The original statement that it's part of Conservative nature to blame economic suffering on the habits of the sufferer seems beyond argument to me and I think that perception would be shared by anyone who has read the conservative commentary of the last century. Has anyone ever used the term "bleeding heart conservative?"

That's where this started and that's where it should end because these operatives can and will keep it up forever and have no interest in seeing anyone's point of view any more than the guy down at the Toyota dealer has any interest in hearing about the better features of a Chevrolet.

9:45:00 AM  

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