Not All Conservatives Are Greedy
& Not All Liberals Are Dumb
Notwithstanding the fact that every stereotype has a kernel of truth at its core, the evolution of one’s political orientation is more complicated than that. Liberals and Lib-ralls alike, see Conservatives as greedy, in part because some of them are just that. Other Conservatives, while not greedy in the slightest, get painted with the same brush as their less ethical brethren. In fact, one does not even need to be Conservative, in order to be greedy. Thomas Sowell pointed out the hypocrisy when he asked, “Why is it greed to want to keep more of the money you’ve earned but not greed to want to take someone else’s money away from them”. Like so many who were born into poverty and grew up as Democrats, as soon as he learned how the world works, he quite understandably became very conservative in his thinking. As for myself, as one who is both fiscally conservative and socially liberal, but certainly not Lib-rall, to my knowledge no one has ever accused me of being greedy. At the same time, I happen to think that the so-called “Income Gap” is the very fuel that drives the engine of free markets to enable the advancement of the standard of living for every inhabitant of every country that has ever tried it.
Conservatives, on the other hand, are known to often refer to Liberals as just plain dumb because they seem to lack an understanding of some basic economic realities. But they mislabel as “dumb” what is actually “don’t care”, and I venture to say that, driven into the proverbial corner, most Liberals[i]This generality does not apply to Lib-ralls. will actually admit that minimum wage laws, readily available welfare payments, confiscatory taxing, and other such things are actually counter-productive for the Country and for the people they are intended to help. In this case, the stereotype is wrong again because in their hearts they know that Liberal policies generally don’t work to elevate the standard of living; but the process makes them feel so much better, it is worth the sacrifice[ii]Sadly, for many, this takes place on an emotional level beyond their direct control.
Seeing greedy and dumb in the same sentence brings up the subject of politicians. I don’t know any rich or dumb politicians; therefore some might say I don’t know any politicians.
