Why Culture matters (and why Conservatives have the wrong values)
I started this effort by saying that culture, or values, matter more than economic issues, and that the community is the means of transmitting those values. Moreover, for conservatives, values matter more than economic issues because it helps them develop communities in places where none existed.
However, when liberals talk about values, and conservatives talk about them, they mean two very different things. The problem is that when liberals talk about values, they talk about values in terms that turn conservatives off.
Conservatives talk about values in the same way that liberals talk about dependency theory in economics. For conservatives, there is such a thing as "normal". Normal is a condition of life in which you have a job, you are married, you have kids, you respect your president, your minister, you neighbors, and yourself. You do not take drugs, you pray to God, you help nurture your children, you make money, and you care for your community. When liberals look at these conditions, they don't see "normal". They see "one way" of living, among many other ways. Thus, it is not necessary to have a job, or to be married, or to have kids, or to respect your presidency, or to like your neighbors, or even to like yourself. Moreover, liberals consider drugs to be more normal, and praying to God to be abnormal. Liberals also don't really believe in the concepts of children, money, or community.
That's a lot to say in one paragraph, so let's dissect it. For conservatives, having a job is normal because it helps one earn an income. For liberals, having a job is nice, but more important is being true to yourself. Liberals see the majority of jobs as mere corporate tools to destroy one's spirit. Thus, they think of a job as an abnormal way to live. That's why the biggest liberals are artists. They produce from the source of spirit, and they think all jobs take that production ability away from them.Thus, where conservatives see normalcy, liberals see a condition that is loaded with oppression, depression, and sickness.
For conservatives marriage is normal, especially between a man and a woman, because it helps produce children, and it helps keep you connected with a person you love. In contrast, for liberals, marriage is a tool for oppression, especially because marriage involves compromise. They see marriage as a power relationship, in which two partners - male and female - are always competing for domination. This struggle eventually leads to divorce because the couple either get tired of the competition, or one of them wins the competition and the other decides to leave the marriage. What liberals value is equality in all aspects of life, and they think marriage is based on inequality because of this competition.
For conservatives, having kids is normal because you are trying to preserve and promote the human race. For liberals, kids are more of a byproduct of sex. Since liberals are suspicious of jobs and marriage, they are also suspicious of children because they know that a job is required to support children. Liberals do love kids, but they don't really believe in "nurturing" kids in the way that conservatives do. To nurture is to provide a supportive environment that guides the children into endeavors that will help them be productive members of society who have careers and relationships. Liberals don't really want to guide children because they few guidance as a way to oppress a child's inner talent, especially if the guidance is supposed to push children into areas of live that will destroy their talent, such as jobs and marriage. Thus, liberals treat children as little adults who are independent of the parents, with the ability to make the kinds of decisions that the parents make. Conservatives see children as pure beings who cannot make decisions on their own. This is why liberals tend to send their children to public schools, where they can be exposed to different environments that will help them make decisions, while conservatives send their children to private school in order to provide discipline.
For conservatives, repecting the president, or any leadership role, is normal because you recognize that critical function of leadership in preserving the integrity of society. Liberals, on the other hand, see leadership as victory in dominating others. They really don't believe in leadership per se. They believe in leaders as the best followers of collective decisions. Thus, leaders simply implement groupthink. As a result, leaders must keep a low profile as they implement decisions. If a leader has a high profile, liberals attack the leader because he thinks the leader is taking away the decision-making ability of everyone else.
Conservatives believe in the concept of "normal" because they believe there is a natural order for human affairs, and that as long as people recognize that order, society runs smoothly. Liberals believe the concept of "normal" is artificial because there is no natural order, and that society is not supposed to run smoothly. Instead, there is struggle everywhere, and liberals want to keep the struggle going. The struggle, or tension, exists within oneself, in communities, and in all areas of life. People struggle over their sexual orientation, their economic and political beliefs, they relationships, their families, and so on. Thus, if there is a condition called "normal", in which there is no struggle, liberals think someone is being oppressed and suffering silently.
This is why liberals focus on oppressed minorities, because they believe that, no matter where you look, there is a minority opinion that needs to be heard. When conservatives look at this focus, they call it "elitism", because they think that liberals are simply saying that a particular group should be in charge of things. For conservatives someone must always be in charge, and that person must do his best to recognize the opinion of minorities. Thus, conservatives don't think oppression exists, since the leaders automatically incorporate their opinons into decisions. When they see liberals pointing to "oppression", they think liberals are really trying to replace the leader with some other group. Thus, conservatives automatically think liberals are saying "we are better than you are", because conservatives automatically think in terms of better and worse, leaders and followers.
However, when liberals talk about values, and conservatives talk about them, they mean two very different things. The problem is that when liberals talk about values, they talk about values in terms that turn conservatives off.
Conservatives talk about values in the same way that liberals talk about dependency theory in economics. For conservatives, there is such a thing as "normal". Normal is a condition of life in which you have a job, you are married, you have kids, you respect your president, your minister, you neighbors, and yourself. You do not take drugs, you pray to God, you help nurture your children, you make money, and you care for your community. When liberals look at these conditions, they don't see "normal". They see "one way" of living, among many other ways. Thus, it is not necessary to have a job, or to be married, or to have kids, or to respect your presidency, or to like your neighbors, or even to like yourself. Moreover, liberals consider drugs to be more normal, and praying to God to be abnormal. Liberals also don't really believe in the concepts of children, money, or community.
That's a lot to say in one paragraph, so let's dissect it. For conservatives, having a job is normal because it helps one earn an income. For liberals, having a job is nice, but more important is being true to yourself. Liberals see the majority of jobs as mere corporate tools to destroy one's spirit. Thus, they think of a job as an abnormal way to live. That's why the biggest liberals are artists. They produce from the source of spirit, and they think all jobs take that production ability away from them.Thus, where conservatives see normalcy, liberals see a condition that is loaded with oppression, depression, and sickness.
For conservatives marriage is normal, especially between a man and a woman, because it helps produce children, and it helps keep you connected with a person you love. In contrast, for liberals, marriage is a tool for oppression, especially because marriage involves compromise. They see marriage as a power relationship, in which two partners - male and female - are always competing for domination. This struggle eventually leads to divorce because the couple either get tired of the competition, or one of them wins the competition and the other decides to leave the marriage. What liberals value is equality in all aspects of life, and they think marriage is based on inequality because of this competition.
For conservatives, having kids is normal because you are trying to preserve and promote the human race. For liberals, kids are more of a byproduct of sex. Since liberals are suspicious of jobs and marriage, they are also suspicious of children because they know that a job is required to support children. Liberals do love kids, but they don't really believe in "nurturing" kids in the way that conservatives do. To nurture is to provide a supportive environment that guides the children into endeavors that will help them be productive members of society who have careers and relationships. Liberals don't really want to guide children because they few guidance as a way to oppress a child's inner talent, especially if the guidance is supposed to push children into areas of live that will destroy their talent, such as jobs and marriage. Thus, liberals treat children as little adults who are independent of the parents, with the ability to make the kinds of decisions that the parents make. Conservatives see children as pure beings who cannot make decisions on their own. This is why liberals tend to send their children to public schools, where they can be exposed to different environments that will help them make decisions, while conservatives send their children to private school in order to provide discipline.
For conservatives, repecting the president, or any leadership role, is normal because you recognize that critical function of leadership in preserving the integrity of society. Liberals, on the other hand, see leadership as victory in dominating others. They really don't believe in leadership per se. They believe in leaders as the best followers of collective decisions. Thus, leaders simply implement groupthink. As a result, leaders must keep a low profile as they implement decisions. If a leader has a high profile, liberals attack the leader because he thinks the leader is taking away the decision-making ability of everyone else.
Conservatives believe in the concept of "normal" because they believe there is a natural order for human affairs, and that as long as people recognize that order, society runs smoothly. Liberals believe the concept of "normal" is artificial because there is no natural order, and that society is not supposed to run smoothly. Instead, there is struggle everywhere, and liberals want to keep the struggle going. The struggle, or tension, exists within oneself, in communities, and in all areas of life. People struggle over their sexual orientation, their economic and political beliefs, they relationships, their families, and so on. Thus, if there is a condition called "normal", in which there is no struggle, liberals think someone is being oppressed and suffering silently.
This is why liberals focus on oppressed minorities, because they believe that, no matter where you look, there is a minority opinion that needs to be heard. When conservatives look at this focus, they call it "elitism", because they think that liberals are simply saying that a particular group should be in charge of things. For conservatives someone must always be in charge, and that person must do his best to recognize the opinion of minorities. Thus, conservatives don't think oppression exists, since the leaders automatically incorporate their opinons into decisions. When they see liberals pointing to "oppression", they think liberals are really trying to replace the leader with some other group. Thus, conservatives automatically think liberals are saying "we are better than you are", because conservatives automatically think in terms of better and worse, leaders and followers.
posted by Marriah @ 6:03 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home