Know Your Values

[multi]

You've said that progressives should never use the phrase "war on terror" — why?
There are two reasons for that. Let's start with "terror." Terror is a general state, and it's internal to a person. Terror is not the person we're fighting, the "terrorist." The word terror activates your fear, and fear activates the strict father model, which is what conservatives want. The "war on terror" is not about stopping you from being afraid, it's about making you afraid.

Conservatives have branded liberals, and the liberals let them get away with it: the "liberal elite," the "latte liberals," the "limousine liberals." The funny thing is that conservatives are the elite. The whole idea of conservative doctrine is that some people are better than others, that some people deserve more. To conservatives, if you're poor it's because you deserve it, you're not disciplined enough to get ahead. Conservative doctrine requires that there be an elite: the people who thrive in the free market have more money, and they should. Progressives say, "No, that's not fair. Maybe some should have more money, but no one should live in poverty. Everybody who works deserves to have a reasonable standard of living for their work." These are ideas that are progressive or liberal ideas, and progressives aren't getting them out there enough.

What progressives are promoting is not elite at all. Progressives ought to be talking about the conservative elite. They shouldn't be complaining about "tax cuts for the rich," they should be complaining about "tax cuts for the conservative elite," because that's who's getting them.

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[albed]

Where can I find this conservative doctrine saying some people are better?

Sounds like liberals are trying to rewrite their own doctrine to include conservatives.

If anyone thinks they're better than others it's those Hollywood stars in their limos, designer clothes and jewelry.

I often think of Liz Taylor's commercial telling the little people to give some of their money to help the poor while she has enough jewelry on her fat carcass to feed half of Africa.

[Mazer]

To conservatives, if you're poor it's because you deserve it, you're not disciplined enough to get ahead. Conservative doctrine requires that there be an elite: the people who thrive in the free market have more money, and they should.

Is he telling me that since I'm poor I should be a liberal?

Progressives say, "No, that's not fair. Maybe some should have more money, but no one should live in poverty. Everybody who works deserves to have a reasonable standard of living for their work."

That makes some sense, but only to people who work hard (or smart) for a living. The beauty of a free market is that people earn exactly what they are worth according to the effort they put into their lives. The flaw I see in both conservative and liberal thinking is that they assign value to people in dollar amounts, but that is only one part of it. Money is rewarded for some kinds of work, but other things that people do are rewarding in and of themselves and are invaluable. A person's ability to use his talents and skills to make a profit are important for survival, and that should come first, but lets not judge people solely on that basis.