Liberals vs. Conservatives

I have found that those who profess to be of the Liberal persuasion are often highly educated and think of themselves as intellectuals.  Those of the Conservative persuasion, on the other hand, are often business oriented and frequently have foregone advanced degrees.  What does that tell us?

There are a number of ways to look at this particular issue.  The best, I think, would be to look at the exceptions to the rule.  Are there those who are highly educated and considered "intellectual" who have a distinctly Conservative bent?  I think the answer is yes and names such as William F. Buckley, Jr. and Anne Coulter come to mind.  How about those who are less educated but have a Liberal bent?  Union members come to mind.

Let's look again at the first case -- Liberals with higher education and intellectual delusions.  When you dig into the background of many of these individuals you find either an angst rooted in guilt for the crimes of previous generations or, a "victimhood" mentality that is rooted in alleged grievances over past events in their lives.  There are still others who are merely cynical politicians who would dupe the ignorant because it is much easier than attempting to fool someone more knowledgeable.

What about the "typical" Conservative?  It appears to me they are usually business oriented and focused on "getting ahead" in this world financially.  They are primarily of the persuasion that less government is better.

Now, for the exceptions.  Highly educated Conservatives typically are those with no axe to grind.  They don't view themselves as guilty for their own "crimes against humanity" or for the alleged "crimes" of their predecessors.  They have a healthy self-image and feel that they alone control their destiny.

Liberals with less education, such as many Union members often see themselves as being the "little" guy against Big Business.  However, their collective bargaining is a tool that ruins many small businesses and favors Big Business.  Small businesses cannot afford the high wages demanded or the special privileges negotiated by Union members so, they don't survive.  Interesting isn't it?  The very vehicle created by "labor" to combat big business favors Big Business....

What does all of this amount to?  Liberals vs. Conservatives is more about feeling powerless vs. desiring empowerment.  I choose to empower myself.

Another way to look at this is in the philosophical beliefs of the individual.  This is often expressed in the form of religion.  I think there is a higher percentage of those with strong religious belief -- i.e. Judeo-Christian beliefs -- that fall into the Conservative category.  These are usually voters with strong social issue orientation such as anti-abortion, etc.

On the other hand, many Liberal voters are focused on anti-Judeo-Christian agendas.  They favor homosexuality, abortion, etc.  They hide those particular agendas behind a cloak of standing for the oppressed.  Their fervent issues-oriented philosophy is spectacularly bigoted against those who do not believe as they do, but have traditional values.  I find it extremely interesting that those who are first to cry out about race or other bigotry are often the most bigoted in their beliefs.

Conservatives are often labeled with the well-deserved self-righteous label.  They focus on legalism rather than the reality of life.  Liberals are often labeled with being "anti" traditional values.  This is well-deserved as well because their focus is typically solely on themselves.  I realize that Liberals will not agree with this assessment, but, I believe it nonetheless.  Their core agenda is focused on a specific issue such as homosexuality or abortion.  They profess to defend the oppressed because they feel that they are oppressed.  Liberalism encompasses the fringe elements that wish to band together.  They do not represent the majority, merely a coalition of minorities.

Is there a middle ground?  I doubt it.  We have an extreme bi-modality in beliefs in this country today that is a result of moral relativism.  There are those who believe in an absolute standard of truth and those who do not.  Between those two extremes there is no middle ground.