In the absence of reasoned debate it’s always tons of fun to just resort to good old name calling.  In fact, who am I kidding, that’s way more fun than pesky reasoned debate.

 

Liberal idiots

The most common pejorative* comment thrown at liberals is that they are “idiots.”  Presumably if they would just wake up and smell the coffee they would realize that there are tons of moochers out there and all the do goody stuff is just handing hard-earned riches over to the moochers.

Now it’s true you can make some valid racially-based backed-by-data observations.  But there is a backstory.  The object of the generalization (aka stereotype) has often been stigmatized for “looking different” or in some cases actually formally recognized as lesser human beings or not even actual human beings.  They’ve been treated that way since the dawn of time.  But since the law was formally changed 50 or so years ago, we should assume they could have gotten their stuff together by now, right?

Not so fast, Sherlock.  50 years is pretty dinky in comparison with the preceding centuries.  And even though the laws were changed, that didn’t mean attitudes changed overnight.  So the liberal point of view here is actually taking into account some of the history behind things, and some of the ongoing reality as well.

Cruel conservatives

I once heard a complex argument from a conservative about how the government forcing them to help the poor was depriving them of their Christian right to decide on their own to help.  Well, that’s a pretty noble idea, but the fact is we tried that and it didn’t work.  The poor never received near enough help and kids starved and people suffered.

The government socials program have been the biggest factor in lifting millions of poor and/or older citizens out of destitute poverty.

Still the conservative like to criticize anything that helps someone while disregarding the amount of help our taxes give to the rich and to the corporations who, as it turns out, are also quite avid takers.

Add to this that conservatives also tend to be rather obsessively “pro-birth” while then withholding any sort of aid after that which might benefit the child and I think we have some pretty good ingredients in place to justify the word “cruel.”

Forrest Gump

Using the old “fact checking” meme, there’s not any great data for the “idiots” term but there are plenty of examples which support the use of the word “cruel.” And even if there is some grain of truth to the “idiots” moniker, I’d still rather be called an idiot than be called cruel any day.  Sticks and stones and all that…

 

*a word expressing contempt or disapproval