Your thoughts on how/why caring thinking people are not progressives?

[efhmc]

How can one possibly be a person that cares and thinks and still be a repuke. It is beyond my scope of vision.

[kayell]

1. Media brainwashing, religious brainwashing or....

they are not as caring and thinking as they portray themselves.

[efhmc]

2. But I personally (don't you) know people that are kind and if they do not

have the best brains, they are at least smart, carry forth the banner of small mindedness and repetitive pettiness.

[walldude]

3. I also vote for brainwashing

Try this. For one week watch nothing but Faux news and listen to noone but right-wing commentators. You'll think that everything bad said about Bush is a viscious lie and if Kerry is elected the world will end 3 days later.

[efhmc]

7. Well, I see your point but I must tell you that I live in a very

conservative state (Texas) and community and that the daily fare of life even without watching any media is very right wing. All of us are bombarded with this stuff from a cultural, personal level. Yet the whole thing seems small and stupid and silly to me. Why not to others? Where are the morals and brains of middle America?

[kayell]

5. That's why I listed the brainwashing options first, since I think they are

more common.

[efhmc]

8. I find that most people are so into what others think and feel that they

are afraid to admit or to see their own feelings and ideas. I think fear drives them all and that is what rove and company has drilled into and is able to produce massive amounts of empathy for the *idiot and company that is "protecting" them.

[shamrock]

4. from my experience

Abortion and gay rights are two biggies. Also most of them still believe that Saddam was behind 911 and we need to get them before they get us. I'm amazed at the number of so-called "good people" who say about Iraq that we should just kill them all. Mention the innocent civilians, and children, and it's 'oh-well' that's war. Makes me sick. If I try to explain that Saddam wasn't connected to 911, or that to be pro-choice doesn't mean pro-abortion, or that you can support the rights of gays as citizens without being pro-gay........the conversation ends.

[kayell]

6. "good people" who say about Iraq that we should just kill them all

are a clear cut example of my third option. Ie. not as caring and thinking as they portray themselves.

These are often people who can be "good and kind" to people they see as like themselves, but draw the line at "others" from different cultures, or different races, or who have a sexuality they don't approve of. They often manage to fool themselves and so can be rather convincing unless you actually watch how they behave.

[Kanary]

9. Let's also include, in your list, those who have animosity for poor folk

And, there are plenty of that breed.

They act so nice, etc., but there is a heart of stone inside.

Pah.

Kanary
ps..... by the way, that can show up in "libruls", too.

[kayell]

15. A very good example in my 3rd category

I'm sure I didn't cover even a fraction of the subcategories. The number of lines that some people can draw between themselves and others is probably infinite, and it is often to the advantage of the powers that be that there be lots of division.

The group that disdains the poor unfortunately often shows up in organizations that are designed to "help" the poor but instead treat them with patronizing paternalism. They wear a do-gooder mask to cover their own need to prove their superiority.

These kinds of libruls are a plague indeed.

This often overlaps into the brainwashing categories too, since our advertiser driven media is so bent on instilling the idea of possesions as a measure of a persons worth.

And in recent years a lot of "christians" have abandoned everything the person they worship had to say about poverty and embraced supply side jesus instead. "God wants you to succeed!" So if you don't, you obviously must not be doing enough to win his favor.

[efhmc]

18. That very human, what I want,/desire idea of Christ's message is so

skewed and wrong. It is the direct opposite of the message of inclusion and all encompassing love that was Christ's message. Leave it to humans to screw up the deepest, most perfect idea for loving one another that was ever produced.

[efhmc]

12. How can any human who has any real thought process for kindness and

spirituality (Call it Christianity or Judaism or whatever) express this feeling? I think it is because that this administration had granted them the right to be evil for so called good. They can hate and wish that others are dead and it is alright because they are really not humans, they are _____ (fill in the blank with the enemy of the day)and therefore that makes it okay.

[skooooo]

10. Fundies I know...

...are quick to call people in the abstract racist, hateful names, BUT if an individual came to them for help they'd do anything in the world for them.

I don't get it either, but there seems to be a sort of partitioning off of their thoughts. For example, they hate "welfare", but when you ask them what society should do about individuals who are borderline retarded, hurt in accidents, etc. etc., they qualify their distaste for welfare by saying, "well of COURSE society should help THOSE people."

By and large, I don't think these people are bad, or would choose to do bad things to others. They've been brainwashed into thinking that anyone who needs help must be lazy. Now there ARE lazy people who should get off their ass and get a job, but by and large I think a small minority people would CHOOSE to live in squalor if they have other choices.

[efhmc]

14. The term "brainwashed:" is just

many people's way of taking the easy way. They think, "That is the mass thought so it must be the right thought." even though in their hearts they know that is not and never has been right.

[skooooo]

19. Not sure I follow what you're saying...

I see what you mean about kind of the status quo -- "people on welfare are lazy, so I hate welfare." But the brainwashed part?

Nevermind, sorry I went back and read the exchange and understand.

[DrWeird]

11. They're not really caring and thinking.

nt

[efhmc]

16. Mostly you are probably right in your assessment but I am thinking of

those that I know personally who are, if not smart, are at least not dumb, and many are very, very kind.

[greblc]

13. (A Vengeful) God,Guns and Money

[efhmc]

17. A great deal of truth in that thought.

[enki23]

20. simple. they're bad at thinking, and they have badly misplaced priorities

.