Explain This To Me Like I'm A Complete Idiot, Part 16: "Exceptional", just like everyone else? [View all]

[HughBeaumont]

Real quick:

Conservatives have two philosophies when it comes to economic success:

"Not all men are created equal, despite what the Declaration of Independence tells you."

"Anyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps, learn to take risks and succeed on their own!"

OK. So, what's the message here?

"Most of you are going to be cogs while a few of you are going to be exceptionally successful. But if you fail at being a cog (or, more likely, your role as a cog has been forcibly removed), then the solution is to be individually exceptional, good luck."??

In one breath, they're telling me that someone like Carly Fiorina is more worthy than thou and we suck; but, despite the fact that we suck, the solution is for us to be innovative risk takers (like Carly, lolz), which apparently requires special vaguely-stated skills and mysterious intangibles to see through?

Gee, thanks. I never thought of that before.

If "anyone can be successful", how's come so few people are? Does it revolve around traits that the successful know of and for us to never find out about?

And if wealthy conservatives truly wanted everyone to be successful, then how would that square with statement number one? How would that phenomena make them "exceptional"?

Explain this to me like I'm a complete idiot because I don't get it.