Insulting Everyone, Now That's Elitist

I was forwarded an interesting article today on "Why People Vote Republican". The general idea was that this psychologist was examining how "elitist" liberals don't get why people vote Republican. And if they would just figure out that Republicans understand something liberals don't - that people need a way to see themselves as part of a bonded group - they might start winning elections. I gather that the author was trying to show that he can value the perspectives of both ends of a spectrum. He made sure to call out liberals on their elitism for not seeing the good ole Republican way, while he seems to support the liberal agenda.

I'm a liberal, I suppose, and I thought the article was insulting to people of all stripes. As a liberal, it's not that I don't see the need to have a tribal identity, it's that I think anyone who wants to participate should be included, regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, sexuality, etc.

And I know Republicans who are more about fiscal responsibility and keeping government out of our private lives, than they are about identifying with a religious moral code.

The difference between myself and the Republicans I know tends to be that I think government should have services to protect the most vulnerable amongst us, because humans tend to be so self-oriented they will not give up their desires for the sake of others whom they do not know. We can detach and be unconcerned about the suffering of anyone who is not known to us personally. The farther away, the less their suffering is meaningful to us. It's the size of our population that urges me to think government has a role, as the vulnerable tend to get segregated into groupings where they're stuck together without the resources to help themselves. I see it as a social contract to keep us operating at our best so that we keep our tribe as functional as possible.

I could go on, but I think that's really the big difference between most liberals and most conservatives. The religious fundamentalists on the right are fringe and the communists on the left are, as well. Yet, sociologist, psychologists, political pundits, etc want to define us in the extremes. Oh, well. Maybe it's not liberals who are elitists, maybe it's sociologists, psychologists and political pundits. You know, that old projection thing. They couldn't possibly be doing that, could they?