This is an intro to a couple of posts I want to make. One will deal with the problems I think the right has and the other will do the same with the left.
Let me say this up front, both sides DO have problems. Many who have chosen a side and defend it to the death usually can not see those problems. And if they do, there is no way they would ever acknowledge them.
So, I am quite sure I am about to ruffle feathers. And if I succeed in doing that to both sides, I will know that I was fairly unbiased. I say fairly because I do lean one way a little. Not a lot, but no one straddles the line perfectly. If they say they do, they are not being truthful.
Everyone just try to be nice and respectful if you decide you need to rip off a to comment.
The Problem(s) With the Right
I flipped a coin and will begin with the "right". They were heads if you are wondering. For the purpose of this post I am defining the right as the large group of conservatives usually associated with the Republican party here in the US. My statements will not be all encompassing. They will be generalizations and please take them as such. There are some very good conservative folks out there.
This critique will actually be pretty easy for me. I have spent most of my life on this side of the line. I still land there on most issues but not usually as far from the line as I used to. So I know the things that bug me very well.
The first and biggest problem I find is also the one that is the hardest for me to put into words. We all know that conservatives make values and morality a huge part of their platforms. For that reason, I find that most of those associated with the movement think that they have the market cornered on those things and they themselves can do no wrong. This is so far from the truth.
We have watched as many scandals go down in the Republican party as we have the Democrat party. The Republicans gets upset when the media jumps on theirs and not their opponents, but that's because they are the ones trumpeting virtue and values. They deserve the treatment if they are going to be so hypocritical.
Secondly, conservative politicians and their supporters whine and cry about the "liberal elitist rich" while taking care of their own rich buddies. They defend it by giving us the trickle down economic theory or some derivative, but at the end of the day, it really come down to a good ole boy network. And the good ole boys get plenty of help and all the money they save never makes it all the way down the way it's suppose to.
Third, they appear to be completely out of touch with those who are genuinely in need. I'm no socialist, and I know that there are people who take advantage of the system, but I know there are some people out there who do not have a fair shake and can't just pull themselves up by their own boot straps. They truly need the help. I have been in a spot where I and my family needed help from a government program and we were very grateful. Without it, we'd have been in big trouble.
This issue more than any other is the one that makes them come across as mean spirited and uncaring. When you hear conservative radio hosts talk about the people who are getting help they are all lumped in together as lazy dead beats. Nice. They totally deny that race is an issue in many of these cases.
Next, they listen to far right evangelicals much much more than they should. And it causes them to get caught up in debates that waste time and tax payer money. Both could be spent on issues of real importance. I've talked a lot about this and will leave it at that.
Lastly, I believe their stance on life is incomplete. For me it's about more than just stopping abortions. Let's absolutely stop them, but let's see the process through as well. There are some organizations who do a wonderful job with crisis pregnancy, but you never really hear what these politicians talk about policies that would help some of those who would go ahead and have the baby. So the baby just gets left to a terrible life. That's just not enough. The disconnect between pro-life rhetoric and their policies towards the truly disadvantaged is huge.
There are more, I just wanted to hit the ones that make me question the movement as a whole. And these are really simple statements. I may go back and do whole posts on some of these once I have the "left" post finished. It may seem like the answers to the above problems are solved by liberal thinking and policies, but I don't believe they are.
Remember, be nice to one another if you comment. You can rip me to shreds if you want, but be nice to everyone else (please) if you choose to discuss. I'll hit the lefties tomorrow. ;)
Posted at 07:42 PM in Political Commentary | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
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