Stupid Things Conservatives Say part 1

       There was a recently circulated litany of amazingly misguided and naïve statements from a self-proclaimed conservative lamenting all the “things he’d become” in the eyes of others because of his political beliefs. Of course, he finishes by blaming all this on the Obama Administration. They demand attention and further examination. To address the entire thing would be a day’s work, so I’ll respond to two or three daily until I’ve either finished or have puked. For consistency across the project I’ll just head the entries “Stupid Things Conservatives Say”

                

“I used to think I was just a regular guy, but I was born white, which now, whether I like it or not, makes me a racist and responsible for slavery.”

        Aww, c’mon, you do like it, admit it. You’ll feel better. If you actually believe that pigment confers anything but skin color, you are far worse off than simply racist. You have a mental defect and are biologically illiterate. Attitudes, good or bad, regarding race are learned.  No one has ever suggested to you or anyone else that simply by being born Caucasian, anyone is a racist. Have some Caucasians treated persons of color badly, historically? Yep. Are you one of them? Therein lies the actuality of whether or not you’re a racist.

        Unfortunately, for you, the way you pose the statement answers my question. No living person of color has ever said the living white persons are responsible for slavery. They might, however, cite the attitude of racial superiority currently held by some highly placed members of the current administration, as continued proof that racial attitudes which led to America’s slavery disaster still exist.   Your statement comes from some ugly portion of your psyche which finds self-victimization to be a justification for the bias you apparently do hold. You use the phrase “whether I like it or not.” One who judges individuals as they are rather than as they look wouldn’t make such a statement, or even more to the point, wouldn’t feel the need to.

        The larger picture is that what you say is a stereotype with which you label the entirety of humanity who might not share your biases.  You justify being the angry white guy by transferring your unwarranted assumptions to others who you then feel justified in derogating.

        If I have an instinctive dislike or irrational fear of cats, no person of sound mind would label all cats “evil” or “dangerous” even though that’s how I, phobic as I would have to be, regard them. Most rational folks would understand that the problem isn’t cats, it’s me. The distorted mental perspective is mine. That’s a pretty fair analogy regarding your attitude toward race. The mental issue is yours, and that of those like you. And to be factual, which of course, you haven’t been, there are those of color who also see the world through the distorted lens of preconception and bias. Like you, their biases are products of acculturation, not birth. Both you and they are the anomalies. Both make life more trying for people of good will.

“I am a fiscal and moral conservative, which by today’s standards makes me a fascist because I plan and support myself”

“I went to HS, got a degree and have held a job and am here not because I earned it but because I had advantaged(sic), (Being White-Male).”

        These two are semi redundant, except that the first makes it quite clear that you have no real idea what a fascist is/was but is simply another of those “trigger words” you have heard somewhere. So this can be a learning experience for you, here’s the actual definition of “Fascism”:

  “Fascism is a form of radical authoritarian nationalism, characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition and control of industry and commerce, which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe.”

        None of the characteristics you so nobly ascribe to yourself actually fit the definition, do they (I hope)? And yet, as a self-proclaimed conservative, this definition might well trigger an “AHa moment,” because the man you elected to the presidency is running very close to this model in many ways. Let me be more precise, here; if you do support some of Trump’s policies, such as favoring wealthy industrialists and business high rollers at the expense of the rest of us, then, as Jeff Foxworthy might say, “you might be a philosophical Fascist.”  That said, the use of the phrase “moral conservative” seems radically out of place. There is absolutely no relationship between any of the aspects of fascism and morality. Nazism was fascism personified, was Hitler “Moral?” Harvey Weinstein went to college, got a degree, planned and supported himself, as did Donald Trump. Moral men? Hardly. In like manner, there are far too many poor, devout moral people who are barely able to support themselves. Feeling superior, are we?

        As for the second part, your return to your apparent fascination with being “White-Male” the real issue isn’t whether you earned it, but whether you had the opportunity to “earn it” and were hired to “earn it” because of your pigmentation. Today, it’s probably not as big an issue as you’d like it to be to justify your self-pity, although still unfortunately a factor in the workplace and education, but historically, yep.

         I see what you did here, you are obviously aware the historically and I mean recent history, as in the last 30-40 years, there was significant and widespread racial and gender discrimination in hiring, advancement and pay in many aspects of American business. Depending on your age, you may well be or have been a beneficiary of such a race/gender “head start.” Many like you were. Rather, however, than recognize the injustice for what it was and vow to do better, you imply that you just were “better.” How nice for you.

       So, you are well off, comfortable, educated and ....bitter? Poor you.