The problem is that Conservatives don't have ENOUGH control

[Protagoras]

*blink*

*blink*

That was my stunned response to the OP subject when it was announced to me by a "Conservative" associate.

He's one of those under the radar racist who demands total control of his wife and who talks very loudly about his faith but who can't actually speak coherently about the bible etc. So I'd call him a pretty typical fundiecon in that respect.

And he was griping about a variety of issues wrong with the world. I mentioned to him how I couldn't understand how we had all these problems since, according to him, the solutions were all in republican hands and Clenis was gone etc...What more do you want? I asked him...you have the Congress, the WH, and the vast majority of justices.

His response without missing a beat "Conservatives don't have enough control". Apparently even a few democrats voicing neutered opinions have some kind of magical effect that can gum up the works of the most overpowered and noble republican force. Bush would have passed all kinds of sweeping changes (er...?) BUT he can't because the democrats in congress and the "activist" judges who snuck in or were appointed by Clinton have all sabotaged him for the last 5 years. What we need is to get rid of THEM then the republicans can finally move forward.

So I asked, after I finished remembering how to breath, "isn't that kind of one party rule anti-democratic? Don't you need some balance somewhere to protect against corruption?"

To which he responded "It's the liberals who are the ones screwing it up. I don't trust any politician but a republican is always better than a liberal" (notice the label vs the position?).

Since I was crunched for time and it wasn't an appropriate place to have my head explode or to try and establish some coherent LD debate rules etc...I just said..."Wow, that's an interesting position, I'll have to think about that and get back to you".

But honestly I don't think I can wrap my mind around it all...I mean pointing out the counter examples, the incoherence, the inconsistencies etc would SEEM easy...but to see someone stand there and say something like that in all seriousness...knowing how far back one would have to go to BEGIN spelling out how screwed up it all is...I suddenly find myself wondering if it's really possible. I feel like someone being asked to deprogram an active cult member...because that's how it sounds to me. Total, sycophantic and psychopathic adherence to a position in defiance of ALL evidence or reason.

I'm sure this guy used to say "If only we could take back Congress"...the he said "If only we could control the courts"...then "If only we could impeach Clinton"..."If only Bush could beat Gore"....

And I fear a mind that is literally incapable of seeing an alternative way.

I find myself doubting the ability to EVER find a common ground...or even ground where we don't have to have absolute conflict.

And I find myself wondering how many more are like him...I suspect waaaaaay too many.

[applegrove]

1. Backing up the theory that conservative followers are people who

need control over their environments to feel whole. Don't know if it is true. But that is one theory.

[EstimatedProphet]

2. Scary

What will it take to break through that amount of stupidity?
For god's sake, people don't have the right to feel that way! It's schizophrenic!

[Protagoras]

6. Yes Virginia, there really are Brown Shirts among us.

That is, I suspect, why we lose sometimes...because we can't really believe that our opposition really rejects so much of our fundamental belief in means vs ends...in fairness and honesty over power and control. I looked at this person today and really FELT for the first time, that he would, if ordered, smile while he shot me in the back of the head while I was lined up against a wall. And afterwards he'd sleep well believing deep down that he had somehow served a noble cause.

I want to say he's crazy. But the more I reflect on him and the general tone of our political discourse...I think "nope" he's actually far more normal than I want to admit. A sizable segment of our species doesn't think the way we do. And where we try and err on the side of respect and caution...they think we're fools for that and believe that eliminating us and ruling with an iron fist is the "RIGHT" way to do things.

I'm really feeling creeped out...and I am really "getting" why FOX Hatespew is so successful. And I utterly reject the idea that we should avoid drawing NAZI comparisons...I don't think it's SIMILAR thinking...I think it's the SAME thinking.

I wish today's experience had left me feeling enlightened, but instead it seems to have just made me feel bleak.

[punpirate]

3. Some people are...

... natural-born fascists.

Remember what Reagan said: "Facts are stupid things."

[mrcheerful]

4. And they say evolution is false?

Heres a prime example of de-evolution, sadly as kids get smarter the dumber we adults seem to be to them. Kids hear these adults and shake their heads saying I'm not voting sheesh why should I the grown ups are stupid.

[BattyDem]

8. Exactly! Evolution may be a "question" for some ...

but people like this guy prove that de-evolution is a fact of human existence, LOL!

[Acryliccalico]

5. Don't they realize that if there is always

conservatism then that can only lead to one person (alive) owning EVERYTHING!!! How crazy are these people? :kick:

[Liberal In Texas]

7. Let me guess. He listens to RW radio and watches FOX news...a lot.

And he dosen't read.

[Protagoras]

9. That's not a guess...

That's an absolute certainty.

In fact in the past when I've offered him various neutral pieces of literature (The Federalist papers for instance) to read he's always begged out saying "I don't read much" or "I don't have time to read much" etc. And he has to watch Fox because all the other networks are so horribly liberally biased. And yes...he listens to Limbaugh.

This isn't a joke. This is his life. And he seems to have a decent sized circle of friends and associates at church and his work etc who appear to agree with him. He is not alone.

[Liberal In Texas]

11. It reminds me of Fahrenheit 451where the people had so lost the ability

to read, when the did, they read picture books, like comics without words.

I don't care if people read trash novels, at least when they start reading, they start using their powers of critical thinking. When people start thinking critically, they start to question the propaganda being spoon fed to them.

Most all the people I know who "don't read much" voted for *. In can't think of one person I know that is a regular reader that did. And what is frightening is that we are becoming more and more like the world of F451 everyday. Fewer and fewer of us read books.

[sendero]

10. I can't even talk..

... to people like that. I would have told him to his face that he is a moronic douchebag who is virtually indistinguishable from a Nazi.

And I'd hope he'd take a swing at me so I could kick his ass or die trying.

[Lexingtonian]

12. Yep, that's the political radical Right for ya.

What they really want is to be able to stop the passage of time altogether. Or everyone other than themselves to die off.

What's wrong about 'liberals' is that they say stuff that sticks in Right wing nutters heads which they can't refute or fully discount. 'Liberals' destroy their wishful thinking about being God, hurt their enormous, all-encompassing, egos.

Yep, every one of them is one too many. They hate all other minds- they have contempt for the stupid and jealousy/hatred of the intelligent relative to themselves. They even hate and fear themselves for being such hollow, nihilistic, fools and not Gods.

It's all about the universe revolving around themselves- and even that would not be enough, if they managed to pull it off.