Re: Jindal vs The Volcano

On Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:11:57 -0800, scenario_dave wrote:

The problem that modern conservatives have is that a significant portion
of their base wants simple black and white, right or wrong answers.
There are legitimate reasons for opposing a science bill in a stimulus
package but they can't be stated in a simple good/bad format.

It seems like modern conservatives are stuck arguing at a kindergarten
level because anyone who tries to argue at middle school level or above
is accused of being an elitist. Most conservatives are intellegent
people with legitimate arguements and idea's but anyone who argues any
point with any degree of subtlety will alienate half of them and totally
confuse a small but vocal minority who wants to keep all politics at the
kindergarten level of thought. Just watch Fox tv or listen to Rush and
company for examples.

This is a good example. Saying that a volcano monitoring project is not
appropriate for a stimulus package because it won't have a good enough
multplier effect and wouldn't create enough new jobs to justify spending
the money is a legitimate arguement. The problem is that a significant
minority of conservatives would not understand the argument. It is a lot
easier and simpler to just say it is a waste of money.

The lack of reasoned intellectual argument among current conservative
spokespeople is starting to worry me. I happen to be a liberal, but last
time I checked neither I nor any other liberal was infallible. When a
liberal program fails (and some of them will) I would like there to be a
reasoned alternative, not simply the anti-intellectual reliance on faith
that seems to be all that the modern conservative movement currently has
to offer. As has been noted before, you don't learn anything arguing with
people who agree with you. But you also don't learn anything arguing with
people on the basis of faith. And in private discussions with
conservatives I get nuance, but it seems to be absent in public
discussion. I see the same problems you do - somehow the conservatives
have to resist the luddite tendencies and re-establish a conservative
ethic based on principles rather than worn-out mantras and reactionary
dreams.

Yours,

Bill Morse

.

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