The Conservative worldview is the cause of almost all human conflict

[ProfessorPlum]

Decision making and governance by progressives and liberals is driven by two main considerations

1. Do as little harm to people as possible and/or do as much good for as many people as possible

2. Treat people equally as much as possible

Most people would agree that these two tenets are the basis for a good moral code.

Conservatives, however, treat these two rules with little *asterisks next to them. The footnote says *applies to the 'right' people only.

What constitutes the 'right' people? Well, it can change depending on the situation, but they use Hierarchy, Ingroup, and Purity to determine who can be harmed and treated unfairly with impunity.

Dirty hippies, brown people, mentally ill people, etc., fail the purity test. Poor people, minorities, immigrants, etc. fail the Heirarchy test. Limosine liberals, social justice warriors, Democrats, etc. fail the Ingroup test.

Ingroup is especially interesting and elastic. If one is an evangelical protestant, Outgroup can apply to atheists, or non-monotheists, or non-judeochristians, or jews, or Catholics, or mainstream protestants, or evangelical Christians of the wrong sect, etc. It can be made to expand or contract depending on the situation. And Ingroup can incorporate Hierarchy and Purity - people below us on the hierarchy, or impure people, are surely in the Outgroup.

And so, Outgroup people can be harmed and treated unfairly (in the eyes of a conservative) with no moral problem. A black person is killed by a white cop? The victim is down the hierarchy ladder (in their eyes) both by their race and their authority, so no harm done. A white woman is harassed by her male boss at work? It would matter, except she is lower in status and gender (in their eyes). Brown, non-Christian people are blown up by white, Christian, Americans? There is no question of injustice there.

Interestingly, this makes conservatives WAY more guilty of "situational ethics" than progressives/liberals (though that is the projection they are always throwing at liberals). Because to them it doesn't matter just what the situation is, the identities of the players also really matters to them. It's why they can cry when their leaders are held to account for crimes, but viciously attack people in their Outgroup for much smaller offenses. It's why IOKIYAR. It's why progressives are much more likely to say "well, if our leader did it, then there should be consequences".

This frame that some people matter and others don't runs through our corporate media, as well, which are plutocratic dictatorships, after all.

Conflict arises from injustice. Injustice arises from the conservative worldview. And that is what keeps the human race at each others throats, for now and all eternity, world without end, amen.

[Dawson Leery]

1. k/r

[Wounded Bear]

2. People are naturally tribal in nature...

They will congregate and cooperate with like minded people and yes, people who "look" like themselves.

Progressives try to overcome these ingrained character traits. They will try to ameliorate differences and protect people from those who do violence based on them. Progressives tend to consider feelings of "superiority" based on ethnic/racial differences to be indicators of character deficiency or even mental illness.

Conservatives, and especially the extremists that are driving the dialog currently, tend to expound on and exploit these character traits. While they may not actively encourage violence, they are often more tolerant of violence based on ethnic differences as it "proves" their theories. To them, everything tends to he hierarchical, so it is natural to assume one race/ethnicity is superior to another.

[ProfessorPlum]

3. that's right

they see the world as one big ladder, with God on top and then the angels, then themselves, then white men, then other races, then women, then academics and scientists, then Jewish Hollywood, then animals, then Satan. And everyone on a higher rung is free to shit down upon the beings below them, who should in the conservative scheme, thank them for the privilege.

[hurple]

4. Very very good post

Well thought out and reasoned.

I've mead similar arguments when "debating" differences in worldview with "christian" friends, but never so thoughtfully. I'll be printing this and saving it for future reference.

[ProfessorPlum]

5. kick for It's OK If You're A Democrat