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It seems to me that too many people (especially here in the blogosphere) paint their political opposites with broad strokes and stereotype them to the point of caricature.
Left wingers see right wingers as either gun toting, bible thumping, undereducated, redneck morons or unfeeling wealthy fat cats who care about nothing but money.
Right wingers see left wingers as either hedonistic anarchists or limp wristed, bleeding heart, moonbats who want to turn America into a pinko paradise.
Although there are people out there who fit the above descriptions, most do not. I am at times guilty of this type of thinking myself, but I try to guard against it and make an honest effort to understand the people who disagree with me, which I think is fairly rare. Most people hang on to their delusions and misperceptions as if their lives depended on them. Why? What makes each side so unintelligible to the other?
I have a theory that I've kicked around in my head for a while. It has to do with the way the human mind works. The human brain is divided into two hemispheres. The left hemisphere is responsible for analytical and logical thought processes while the right hemisphere is more intuitive and creative. Although all people use each side it is well known that most people favor one hemisphere over the other. Could this explain political persuasion?
In other words: those who need to know what the cold hard facts are like businessmen (who tend to be conservative) might lean heavily on the analytical ability of the left hemisphere while people who tend to be liberal like musicians and actors rely on the creative ability of the right hemisphere. Could this explain why each side percieves it's political opposite as coming from another planet?
What do you think leads to this kind of stereotypical thinking?
I would suggest that emotions reinforced by stereotype are much easier than thoughts based on observation. There is also the human tendency toward group cohesion that discourages individual expression or action. This is encouraged by individuals that like to be leaders and to whom the leadership and unquestioned group admiration are far more important than fact.
These characteristics are held in common by both sides of any cultural or political debate.
Some of us are so against business collusion and monopoly we are considered left wing radicals because of our adherence to the basic principles of free markets attended by individuals free of any physical or economic coercion. I, for example, advocate government ownership of electrical energy facilities because they are “natural” monopolies because duplication of facilities is clearly a waste of effort. These systems are clearly outside of any kind of competitive market and are inappropriate for the market based business sector. Health care is another example of a natural monopoly that can be better served by a government owned system instead of a non competitive privately owned system.
I would add to that that most partisans from either side are driven by emotion and not thought and that they're like talking with a 12 year old. This forum, largely due to internet demographics, has more of the right version than the left and it's so sad to see grown adults who aren't that smart, didn't do well in school and yet who feel so strongly that their opinions are correct.
You then challenge them on facts and they throw a hissy fit. It's more than a little pathetic. The same things happens when dealing with those on fright left, but again, there's fewer of those folks on here.
I would add to that that most partisans from either side are driven by emotion and not thought and that they're like talking with a 12 year old. This forum, largely due to internet demographics, has more of the right version than the left and it's so sad to see grown adults who aren't that smart, didn't do well in school and yet who feel so strongly that their opinions are correct.
You then challenge them on facts and they throw a hissy fit. It's more than a little pathetic. The same things happens when dealing with those on fright left, but again, there's fewer of those folks on here.
I've noticed that too, a lot of knee-jerk emotional responses and it does seem like there are more right wingers than left here on City Data.
I would add to that that most partisans from either side are driven by emotion and not thought and that they're like talking with a 12 year old. This forum, largely due to internet demographics, has more of the right version than the left and it's so sad to see grown adults who aren't that smart, didn't do well in school and yet who feel so strongly that their opinions are correct.
You then challenge them on facts and they throw a hissy fit. It's more than a little pathetic. The same things happens when dealing with those on fright left, but again, there's fewer of those folks on here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zekester
I've noticed that too, a lot of knee-jerk emotional responses and it does seem like there are more right wingers than left here on City Data.
I agree and it has quite a bit to with intelligence levels as well. You can see this with right wing outlets like fox, they play to the most basic of human emotions with hate and fear. For the most part the right attracts those with low intelligence levels as it's "easy" to be a republican. All you have to do is love everyone with an (R) next to their name and bash everyone else.
I think we went down the wrong road when the advertisers and demagogues realized the "fear is the mind killer" and that dead minds are easier to influence. Fear kills reason and always has. This applies to both sides of politics and to all commerce.
Just look at the Casey Anthony trial as an example of fear over reason and anger over sympathy.
I agree and it has quite a bit to with intelligence levels as well. You can see this with right wing outlets like fox, they play to the most basic of human emotions with hate and fear. For the most part the right attracts those with low intelligence levels as it's "easy" to be a republican. All you have to do is love everyone with an (R) next to their name and bash everyone else.
Get over yourself and the supposed "high intelligence" of Democrats. Would those be all of the dropouts in the large cities who haven't graduated from high school that vote Democrat to keep the freebies flowing? Or maybe it's all of those Democrat teen mothers with no baby daddies and no future. Who are the biggest drug burnouts? Republicans? I don't think so. Are gang bangers Republicans? But the biggest proof you aren't so smart is that you want the government to make all of your decisions for you.
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On Tuesday’s “Hardball” on MSNBC, host Chris Matthews called the Republican Party “the Wahhabis of American government.” Nancy Pelosi called Tea Party people, "astroturf." Bill Clinton called them "teabaggers." Bill Maher called Sarah Palin a "Dumb Tw*t." Harry Reid called President Bush a loser. Ed Schultz called Laura Ingraham a "****".
Get over yourself and the supposed "high intelligence" of Democrats. Would those be all of the dropouts in the large cities who haven't graduated from high school that vote Democrat to keep the freebies flowing? Or maybe it's all of those Democrat teen mothers with no baby daddies and no future. Who are the biggest drug burnouts? Republicans? I don't think so. Are gang bangers Republicans? But the biggest proof you aren't so smart is that you want the government to make all of your decisions for you.
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On Tuesday’s “Hardball” on MSNBC, host Chris Matthews called the Republican Party “the Wahhabis of American government.” Nancy Pelosi called Tea Party people, "astroturf." Bill Clinton called them "teabaggers." Bill Maher called Sarah Palin a "Dumb Tw*t." Harry Reid called President Bush a loser. Ed Schultz called Laura Ingraham a "****".
We call you "socialists" and you embrace it.
Sometimes the charicature is true. Case in point...see above.
Conservatives tend to be like the sports fan who overreacts to every sportcaster criticism and umpiring decision. They also resemble the older sports fan who thinks the ballplayers were better "back in the day".
Liberals are never happy because utopia is still around the corner.
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