The Difference Between Liberals and Conservatives

I have been troubled for a while, trying to understand the great political divide in America.  What, I asked myself, is the fundamental difference between Liberals and Conservatives?

I think I have figured it out and it boils down to two simple ideas.  Liberals are concerned about the way things are, and want change.  Conservatives are worried about the way things might be, and want to maintain the status quo.     

Liberals are concerned about things like economic disparity, racial inequity, food insecurity and homelessness.   Those on the right are worried that the growing leftward movement in America will ultimately lead to gun control, socialism and minorities displacing the White power structure.

For Republicans, the status quo is good.  For the most part, they are comfortable and don’t want change.   Whites have had the upper hand in America since the country began, so why would they possibly want change?  How privileged a life must you have lived that you are terrified or concerned about all the could-be’s and what if’s?   To be a Conservative, you must be comfortable enough that you have the time to worry about what might happen.  

In contrast, the Liberals are worrying about immediate problems; how to pay the electric bill, the car payment, the rent or medical care, or not getting arrested while driving/walking/playing/working or shopping while Black.  I’m not saying all White Conservatives are rich or privileged, but no matter their economic situation they can all say “At least I’m not one of them there Negroes.” Hell, even Candace Owens and Clarence Thomas say that.

That’s why most whites, and especially Christian fundamentalists are historically Republicans/Conservatives and blacks are Democrats/Liberals.   

Christianity used to preach that blessed are the meek, that we should love our neighbor, are our brother’s keeper, and blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Christians used to believe in a gospel of forgiveness, but now are all too quick to condemn, because the teaching of right-wing Christianity has changed.  The new Christianity is the gospel of prosperity.  Wealth and privilege are now conflated with godliness and religiosity.

The prosperity gospel has no substance; is based solely on feelings.   It feels good to make and hoard money, so believe in it.   It feels good to believe that White Conservatives are supposed to be successful while the brown-skinned minorities should be happy with the leftovers, so believe in it.   Your average Conservative won’t give money to a homeless person because they might spend it on drugs.  All this while they wash down their Xanax with a Starbucks coffee on the way to their Botox injection. 

I think this is why so many so many so-called Christian Americans are attracted to the right-wing and their endless conspiracy theories.  Since they make them feel good, they don’t need evidence.   In fact, the absence of evidence is evidence. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.  They are able to align themselves with obvious falsehoods because they’re already prone to believe in things unseen.   The belief in a kindly grey-bearded white man in the sky is not so different than believing in a God-like, all knowing, all powerful orange despot in the White House.

Christianity and conspiracy theories both require the suspension of disbelief; the willingness of believer to accept the premise of a fiction, even if it is fantastic or impossible. However, suspension of disbelief is a do ut des: the believer agrees to suspend their judgment in exchange for the promise of a future reward; in the case of the right wing, the intangible, ethereal, impossible “Make America Great Again”.

The problem is that Trump acolytes are like a child fed a steady diet of Doritos, M&Ms and Orange soda pop. They were addicted to their orange leader, and the out-of-control child demands to be fed the same diet in increasing portions. Just as we saw on January 6, after they were forced to eat their vegetables, they had no problem throwing a temper tantrum that almost destroyed this country.

Do we now force this child to sit up and eat his green beans, or indulge him yet again and fill his sippy cup with soda pop, knowing that he will grow up to be a self-indulgant, self-serving repugnant monster who is willing to sabotage and sacrifice America to get what he wants?

Sooner or later, we will have to deal with the little bastard.