Two quotes I heard yesterday, from the same conservative

[ComerPerro]

First one, about the whole wiretapping mess:

"I don't care if the government listens in. I have nothing to hide."


And, the second, spoke by the same person, as an answer to my question: I thought conservatives hated the government, anyway"

"Well, conservatives hate Big Government."




so, there you have it.

Conservatives hate the intangible "Big Government", but don't mind when the very large (and increasingly larger) Federal Government spys on them and might be monitoring every phone conversation they have...


How, exactly, does that work?

I believe Orwell described it best when he called it "doublethink"

[bryant69]

1. It is an interesting puzzle

Some conservatives are aware of the conflict; but even those mostly reationalize it away by suggesting that we (the hated liberals) would be even worse.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[ComerPerro]

2. No one can honestly hold all the "conservative" beliefs at the same time

[bryant69]

4. That's a fair point

[YOY]

3. It's really a small cute little government that listens in!!!

It's a sweet little plush covered government that brings you magical faerie dust wishes of slashing welfare and destroying thine enemies!!!

Let da sweet widdle fuzzy wizzy neocon government wisten in! They onlwy hurt da bad people!

[ComerPerro]

5. LOL. And, besides, what happens when they decide he has something to hide

[YOY]

7. Good patriots never have anything to hide! What are you thinking?

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

Dahling, not goosestepping with the neocons? That is sooooo '84...get with the times!

[atommom]

6. I've heard the "nothing to hide" answer before.

I said, "Well, then you won't mind if the next president is a Democrat and decides to just keep doing it..." :evilgrin:

I'm amazed I haven't been kicked out of the family yet.

[ComerPerro]

10. LOL

No kidding.

[atommom]

16. If you really want to burn bridges, start with "When Hillary is President"

;)

[ComerPerro]

18. LMAO

[zbdent]

8. They're truly unable to have two competing thoughts in their brains

at the same time. It's like a light switch. Either it's on, or it's off.

However, they really do make dimmer switches. Off - Repuke. On, with varying intensity, Dems/liberals. (dimmer switch as a metaphor for "knowledge")

[Armstead]

9. Perhaps it's a simple lack of imagination

That contradiction is totally baffling. But perhaps there is a simple explanation for people who think tht way.

It might just be a simple lack of imagination. They adoppt a political/ideological/partisan position, and then believe they have to go along with whatever the leaders of that movement say and do.

They don't want to think for themselves, or can't think for themselves. Thus if the right wing rails against "big government" at the same time they are building a huge government with Big Brother power, that's okay because their "leaders" say so.

So to them, it seems totally consistent to hold two opposite opinions at the same time. Just so long as Bush and their fundy prechers say "Black is white and white is black" it's okay to them. Easier to accept that than to actually try to exercise that organ called the logical brain or the imagination.

[ComerPerro]

13. Well, that's why I don't believe in "conservatives"

They don't believe anything they say or claim to value.

Its just talking points to make them feel good.


"I'm for controlled spending" - yeah right

"I support a small government that values state's rights" - sure, that's why Bush keeps making it bigger and bigger.

"The government should stay out of people's lives" - but spying on American citizens and tearing down privacy rights is ok?

"The constitution is a sacred document" - yeah. Its that pesky Bill of Rights that I can't stand.

"The 2nd Amendment is the most important of all" - what good is it to carry a gun if you can't speak your mind or worship your own god in your own way?

"The government shouldn't meddle in the practices of businesses, I believe in the free market" - The why does the Government give corporations huge tax breaks? Why do the taxpayers have to bail out failing companies? Shouldn't they have to stand on their own, as the free market dictates?

[Greyhound]

11. Hey, 60 years of brainwashing is very effective. n/t

[oldcoot]

17. Do you think that brainwashing hurts?

I think that would be one of the questions I would like to ask one of these conservatives. After all, they should know.

[lpbk2713]

12. They all say they have nothing to hide

until they get caught. Ask DeLay.

[No Exit]

14. A question for this "conservative"

So, okay then, you wouldn't mind if a President Hillary Clinton could listen in to your conversations (w/o warrant or probable cause), because you have nothing to hide, right?

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. doublethink and simple brains

It's a mental disaster waiting to happen.