What Conservatives Really Want by George Lakoff

[Almira]

Posted: 2/21/11 at 11:46pm

What Conservatives Really Want by George Lakoff

Interesting read. Here is an excerpt:

Conservatives believe in individual responsibility alone, not social responsibility. They don't think government should help its citizens. That is, they don't think citizens should help each other. The part of government they want to cut is not the military (we have 174 bases around the world), not government subsidies to corporations, not the aspect of government that fits their worldview. They want to cut the part that helps people. Why? Because that violates individual responsibility.

But where does that view of individual responsibility alone come from?

The way to understand the conservative moral system is to consider a strict father family. The father is The Decider, the ultimate moral authority in the family. His authority must not be challenged. His job is to protect the family, to support the family (by winning competitions in the marketplace), and to teach his kids right from wrong by disciplining them physically when they do wrong. The use of force is necessary and required. Only then will children develop the internal discipline to become moral beings. And only with such discipline will they be able to prosper. And what of people who are not prosperous? They don't have discipline, and without discipline they cannot be moral, so they deserve their poverty. The good people are hence the prosperous people. Helping others takes away their discipline, and hence makes them both unable to prosper on their own and function morally.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/what-conservatives-really_b_825504.html

[nygrl232]

Posted: 2/22/11 at 9:23am

If they just change their name to "type A competitive people who want everything their way because they're controlling and fearful and obsessive" then that might be a little more understandable. They're not coming from a 'moral' standpoint, just an egoic one.

And if you see a conservative on the side of the road with a flat tire, or hanging off a cliff by one hand like in the comic book movies, or just having a bad day, let him or her deal with the situation alone. It'd be immoral to help.