LAST TIME, WE FINISHED working our way through the first half of a "conservative" propaganda email which outlined a conversation between a "conservative" father and a "liberal" daughter.
The daughter thought that people who worked hard for American prosperity ought to be allowed to hold on to some of it.
The father thought that freeloaders and scam artists ought to get to live incredibly well off of other people's hard work.
The author wanted us to agree with the father.
The email now continues to part 2—a list of propositions about the nature of "conservatives" and "liberals":
If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test!
(Notice the propaganda technique—the hidden assumption that everyone can be reduced to two categories, and that you are either on one "side of the fence" or the other on all issues.
This is another example of the "conservative" author's disrespect for the American citizen: we couldn't possibly just think for ourselves on each individual issue—we have to just pick a side and stick to it whether it makes sense or not.)
If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.
(Actually, no serious American has ever tried to get all guns outlawed.
There are lots of people who think we should attempt to keep them from being used irresponsibly, or by untrained children or criminals or the mentally ill, and there are certain kinds of guns which some people think should have tighter controls than others.
But that's a far cry from the claim in the email—which was invented by "conservative" lobbyists for the gun companies.)
If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.
(Obviously there's been no big liberal movement to ban all meat products for everyone, even though there are probably plenty of liberal vegetarians.
On the other hand, "conservatives" who don't want to marry a gay do want to stop all gays from marrying, and "conservatives" who don't need an abortion do want to stop all women from having any choice in the matter.
Even if you consider yourself a no-quotes conservative, you have to admit that I'm telling the truth here: there are those on the right would like to make abortion illegal, even for those who don't believe it's wrong, and who would like to ban gay marriage—a far cry from simply not having an abortion, or not marrying a gay.
So do me, and yourself, a favor: don't buy into propaganda that says "liberals" want to force their worldview on everyone else, but "conservatives" don't.)
If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.
(Actually, a liberal who is down-and-out thinks about how to better his [or her] situation, just like a conservative does. We aren't all that different when it comes to providing for our families.
True liberals, and true conservatives, who see anyone else down-and-out because of events beyond their control—like this recession—try to figure out how we can all work together to help them get back on their feet, and contributing, again.
This is not a political issue that comes between true Americans.
We all think people should try to take care of themselves; we all think we have a responsibility to help those who can't help themselves.
The "conservative" propagandists would like us to believe that every government program only helps the undeserving and the lazy, but that simply is not the case.
Most government programs [Social Security, Medicare, food inspection, roads, unemployment insurance, police, etc.] help the middle class, the hard-working poor, and those who find themselves in temporary hardship.)
But the email doesn't stop there.
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