Why the Right is Wrong (And Will Always be Wrong)

[pampango]

6. ...the lack of concern for consequences, and the lack of understanding of our complex world.

Both of these types of people (some among the Right fall into both categories) are not fully in touch with the real world. This explains two phenomena: the lack of concern for consequences, and the lack of understanding of our complex world. They just don’t (and won’t) see reality because they aren’t invested in it. Indeed, they oftentimes don’t even believe in it.

Our nation needs people who can and do think long-term, with a strategic mindset. Our leaders must not flinch from the complicated and difficult challenges we face.

As long as the Right insists on not thinking past the next profit statement or prayer meeting, they cannot be trusted to run things.

In a previous thread I referred to this as the right's use of

'partial logic' in which there is a nugget of common sense, but the evidence and real world experience show that the nugget does not actually explain what really happens.

'Partial logic' has become a specialty of republicans. This "rich flee high taxes" myth reminds me of Boehner's "partial logic" that raising the minimum wage will increase unemployment because 'if you raise the cost of employment, you will get less of it'. It contains a nugget of common sense (in general if the price of something is higher you get less of it) but studies and real world evidence show that raising the minimum wage does not actually increase unemployment. Another 'fail' for partial logic.

'Partial logic' works well for republicans because it enables them to ignore facts and the history of what actually happens (when you raise the minimum wage or taxes on the rich), but appeals to the emotion of 'the rich will flee' or 'unemployment will increase'.

The author in this OP does a good job of clarifying that it is not so much that the right is incapable of understanding our 'complicated and difficult' world. They simply choose not to ignore it since doing so fits their world view. No amount of studies or evidence is going to convince republicans of the reality of climate change or the wisdom of raising the minimum wage or taxes on the rich because none of that is consistent with their world view which revolves around "the next profit statement or prayer meeting".