Do Conservatives lack Freewill

[midcan5]

Is it possible to lack freewill: the basic idea that conscious analysis guides your decisions. I think it is certainly worth our consideration. It may just be that conservatives lack the capacity, both genetically and culturally to exhibit freewill. This interplay of genes and culture make them easily susceptible to the influence of ideas that oppose change or revision. Most cognitive processes never reach consciousness, thus if you are conservative, thought would require an awareness you are not capable of. Given the widespread power of their media today, you witness an opposition to change repeated over and over again. No rational discussion is possible when you have the answer already. The final question becomes, are conservatives then a threat to a dynamic, open, democratic society?

See 'The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy' Albert O. Hirschman

 

[Stephanie]

lol, that's what a lot of people ask about you liberals/lefties

you all seem to march in lockstep with the party and regurgitate everything they say...

 

[CrusaderFrank]

The last Democrat to try to go against the Party was Joe Lieberman and he went from VP Candidate to Disappeared

 

[Trajan]

Is it possible to lack freewill: the basic idea that conscious analysis guides your decisions. I think it is certainly worth our consideration. It may just be that conservatives lack the capacity, both genetically and culturally to exhibit freewill. This interplay of genes and culture make them easily susceptible to the influence of ideas that oppose change or revision. Most cognitive processes never reach consciousness, thus if you are conservative, thought would require an awareness you are not capable of. Given the widespread power of their media today, you witness an opposition to change repeated over and over again. No rational discussion is possible when you have the answer already. The final question becomes, are conservatives then a threat to a dynamic, open, democratic society?

See 'The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy' Albert O. Hirschman

genes? oh, so its in the dna, right, got it

freewill? so pelosi marching just about every blue dog over a cliff certainly was freewill alright....jesus, do you read what you post?

 

[Stephanie]

The last Democrat to try to go against the Party was Joe Lieberman and he went from VP Candidate to Disappeared

yep, they get rid of anyone who doesn't toe the line...

they are like slave masters and their base are their SLAVES...that is sad

 

[Trajan]

The last Democrat to try to go against the Party was Joe Lieberman and he went from VP Candidate to Disappeared

no no, difference of opinion that doesn't reflect the party line isn't freewill, its in Joes genes....

 

[Metzor]

The problem is that liberals are arrogant and stupid enough to believe that everything they think is pure gold. And everyone that disagrees with them lacks freewill, or is a racist.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Is it possible to lack freewill: the basic idea that conscious analysis guides your decisions. I think it is certainly worth our consideration. It may just be that conservatives lack the capacity, both genetically and culturally to exhibit freewill. This interplay of genes and culture make them easily susceptible to the influence of ideas that oppose change or revision. Most cognitive processes never reach consciousness, thus if you are conservative, thought would require an awareness you are not capable of. Given the widespread power of their media today, you witness an opposition to change repeated over and over again. No rational discussion is possible when you have the answer already. The final question becomes, are conservatives then a threat to a dynamic, open, democratic society?

See 'The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy' Albert O. Hirschman

That would be consistent with the propensity of most conservatives to adhere blindly to partisan doctrine and dogma, particularly when the facts prove that conservative doctrine and dogma are indeed wrong.

 

[Stephanie]

Is it possible to lack freewill: the basic idea that conscious analysis guides your decisions. I think it is certainly worth our consideration. It may just be that conservatives lack the capacity, both genetically and culturally to exhibit freewill. This interplay of genes and culture make them easily susceptible to the influence of ideas that oppose change or revision. Most cognitive processes never reach consciousness, thus if you are conservative, thought would require an awareness you are not capable of. Given the widespread power of their media today, you witness an opposition to change repeated over and over again. No rational discussion is possible when you have the answer already. The final question becomes, are conservatives then a threat to a dynamic, open, democratic society?

See 'The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy' Albert O. Hirschman

That would be consistent with the propensity of most conservatives to adhere blindly to partisan doctrine and dogma, particularly when the facts prove that conservative doctrine and dogma are indeed wrong.

lol, coming from one of the most partisan people for the Democrats...what a hoot

 

[CrusaderFrank]

I love USMB because its puts to rest the myth of Liberal intellectual superiority

 

[Trajan]

Is it possible to lack freewill: the basic idea that conscious analysis guides your decisions. I think it is certainly worth our consideration. It may just be that conservatives lack the capacity, both genetically and culturally to exhibit freewill. This interplay of genes and culture make them easily susceptible to the influence of ideas that oppose change or revision. Most cognitive processes never reach consciousness, thus if you are conservative, thought would require an awareness you are not capable of. Given the widespread power of their media today, you witness an opposition to change repeated over and over again. No rational discussion is possible when you have the answer already. The final question becomes, are conservatives then a threat to a dynamic, open, democratic society?

See 'The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy' Albert O. Hirschman

That would be consistent with the propensity of most conservatives to adhere blindly to partisan doctrine and dogma, particularly when the facts prove that conservative doctrine and dogma are indeed wrong.

right, like, oh the 40 hour work week taking a dive? or obama directing the OPM to change the meaning of "not withstanding" so they can have their cake and eat it to to avoid the harshest terms of obamacare for Congress and their staffers?

Or support for a public education system that spends as much as an elite school costs per student, BUT then submarines funds for vouchers for minority students for the sake of...what again? you mean like that?

 

[daveman]

The final question becomes, are conservatives then a threat to a dynamic, open, democratic society?

ANYONE who doesn't agree with the progressive agenda is a threat to the progressive agenda.

Your objection is not that we can't think for ourselves. It's that we don't think exactly like you.

 

[daveman]

That would be consistent with the propensity of most conservatives to adhere blindly to partisan doctrine and dogma, particularly when the facts prove that conservative doctrine and dogma are indeed wrong.

You misspelled "progressive doctrine and dogma".

 

[midcan5]

My mention of the Hirschman's book was for historical reasons, Hirschman does criticize contemporary liberals for the same repetitive sloganism and solutions. But conservatives have practiced ostrich thinking for three hundred years. The lack of freewill exhibited by conservatives is evident in our congress and especially in their media channels. My point is on another level than even the historical, it is more about their culture. Today when you listen to any conservative talking head or representative, they all say the same things. The same things. How is that possible if they are conscious, freedom loving individuals, it's not possible. It would only be possible if some receiver were implanted in their head. That hopefully is not the case so one must look to their culture. Sometimes though labels fit poorly, picking and choosing a single exception as some noted above, does not prove much. I have posted several broad satiric comments on the right, it is only the right's puppet like behavior that allows that to be possible. My signature contains two. Conservatives can deny reality but their constant repeating of the same slogans, the same empty ideas, shows clearly no freewill is present. Remember the ten hands rising, if you doubt that.

 

[daveman]

My mention of the Hirschman's book was for historical reasons, Hirschman does criticize contemporary liberals for the same repetitive sloganism and solutions. But conservatives have practiced ostrich thinking for three hundred years. The lack of freewill exhibited by conservatives is evident in our congress and especially in their media channels. My point is on another level than even the historical, it is more about their culture. Today when you listen to any conservative talking head or representative, they all say the same things. The same things. How is that possible if they are conscious, freedom loving individuals, it's not possible. It would only be possible if some receiver were implanted in their head. That hopefully is not the case so one must look to their culture. Sometimes though labels fit poorly, picking and choosing a single exception as some noted above, does not prove much. I have posted several broad satiric comments on the right, it is only the right's puppet like behavior that allows that to be possible. My signature contains two. Conservatives can deny reality but their constant repeating of the same slogans, the same empty ideas, shows clearly no freewill is present. Remember the ten hands rising, if you doubt that.

What in the world ever convinced you you're an intelligent person?

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

Is it possible to lack freewill: the basic idea that conscious analysis guides your decisions. I think it is certainly worth our consideration. It may just be that conservatives lack the capacity, both genetically and culturally to exhibit freewill. This interplay of genes and culture make them easily susceptible to the influence of ideas that oppose change or revision. Most cognitive processes never reach consciousness, thus if you are conservative, thought would require an awareness you are not capable of. Given the widespread power of their media today, you witness an opposition to change repeated over and over again. No rational discussion is possible when you have the answer already. The final question becomes, are conservatives then a threat to a dynamic, open, democratic society?

See 'The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy' Albert O. Hirschman

This is kind of a funny post. You criticize conservatives for not being open to new ideas because they already feel they have the right answers and are opposed to change. Essentially, your criticism is that assuming other ideas are wrong because you've already got the correct ones is intellectually wrong.

In doing so, however, you're making the unspoken assumption that the broad base of ideas that opposes yours is clearly wrong, so people who adhere to those ideas must have something wrong with them. Essentially, after criticizing conservatives for thinking they've got the right ideas and dismissing those ideas that disagree, you've dismissed their entire philosophical camp for disagreeing with your obviously superior ideas.

Unless, of course, you're honestly under the impression that what "conservatives" all want is for everything to freeze as it is. In that case you're not a hypocrite, just really dishonest or really unobservant.

Am I the only guy that finds these kinds of posts fuckin hilarious? God damn partisans.

 

[midcan5]

Whenever conservative republicans mention freedom think of those ten hands. The Regressive Antidote - If Conservatism Is The Ideology of Freedom, I'm The Queen of England

What in the world ever convinced you you're an intelligent person?

Convinced? Did I say that? Maybe my ideas are really dumb, your task is to prove that.

This is kind of a funny post. You criticize conservatives for not being open to new ideas because they already feel they have the right answers and are opposed to change. Essentially, your criticism is that assuming other ideas are wrong because you've already got the correct ones is intellectually wrong.....

Am I the only guy that finds these kinds of posts fuckin hilarious? God damn partisans.

Great post, I like that you reacted to it, laughter is always a good thing. But that is the same partisan answer liberals / progressives / social democrats / economic humanists / radical conservatives, would get to ideas that challenge your idea of the status quo. I assume you are a conservative, a full blooded American conservative, one of those freedom loving Americans.

"The focus here is on ignorance or doubt or uncertainty as something that is made, maintained, and manipulated by means of certain arts and sciences, The idea is one that easily lends itself to paranoia: namely, that certain people don't want you to know certain things, or will actively work to organize doubt or uncertainty or misinformation to help maintain (your) ignorance. They know, and may or may not want you to know they know, but you are not to be privy to the secret. This is an idea insufficiently explored by philosophers, that ignorance should not be viewed as a simple omission or gap, but rather as an active production. Ignorance can be an actively engineered part of a deliberate plan. I'll begin with trade secrets, moving from there in the next three sections to tobacco agnotology, military secrecy, and the example of ignorance making (or maintenance) as moral resistance." Robert N. Proctor 'Agnotology'

 

[Stephanie]

isn't it wonderful, more hate for people from the left...

the left believe they are the most enlightened people to walk the earth

 

[midcan5]

isn't it wonderful, more hate for people from the left...

the left believe they are the most enlightened people to walk the earth

'Hate?' I hear that word used often by conservatives, do you ever wonder why?

"So consider: elderly people of limited means in the United States who are dependent on Medicare for their basic well-being—there are tens of millions of them—are rather clearly “vulnerable people.” Why, then, is it not equally problematic when a powerful congressman, Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, advocates effectively eliminating the program that benefits these vulnerable people, indeed, keeps them alive? “Hatred,” after all, is not the issue as Waldron says, and no one, I assume, thinks Rep. Ryan “hates” the elderly or the poor. He may simply be stupid, or in thrall to an ideology, or defective in empathetic capacity, or beholden to special interests; whatever the explanation, it is clear that his proposals, if enacted, would eventually result in elderly people in need being unable to afford essential healthcare." Brian Leiter review of 'The Harm in Hate Speech' by Jeremy Waldron, Waldron on the Regulation of Hate Speech by Brian Leiter :: SSRN

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

Whenever conservative republicans mention freedom think of those ten hands. The Regressive Antidote - If Conservatism Is The Ideology of Freedom, I'm The Queen of England

What in the world ever convinced you you're an intelligent person?

Convinced? Did I say that? Maybe my ideas are really dumb, your task is to prove that.

This is kind of a funny post. You criticize conservatives for not being open to new ideas because they already feel they have the right answers and are opposed to change. Essentially, your criticism is that assuming other ideas are wrong because you've already got the correct ones is intellectually wrong.....

Am I the only guy that finds these kinds of posts fuckin hilarious? God damn partisans.

Great post, I like that you reacted to it, laughter is always a good thing. But that is the same partisan answer liberals / progressives / social democrats / economic humanists / radical conservatives, would get to ideas that challenge your idea of the status quo. I assume you are a conservative, a full blooded American conservative, one of those freedom loving Americans.

"The focus here is on ignorance or doubt or uncertainty as something that is made, maintained, and manipulated by means of certain arts and sciences, The idea is one that easily lends itself to paranoia: namely, that certain people don't want you to know certain things, or will actively work to organize doubt or uncertainty or misinformation to help maintain (your) ignorance. They know, and may or may not want you to know they know, but you are not to be privy to the secret. This is an idea insufficiently explored by philosophers, that ignorance should not be viewed as a simple omission or gap, but rather as an active production. Ignorance can be an actively engineered part of a deliberate plan. I'll begin with trade secrets, moving from there in the next three sections to tobacco agnotology, military secrecy, and the example of ignorance making (or maintenance) as moral resistance." Robert N. Proctor 'Agnotology'

Not by the standards that are typically used to describe conservatives, no. I'd call myself an agnostic libertarian.

As such, no, that's not the same kind of answer that someone would get for challenging my ideas of the status quo. I wouldn't assume they were stupid or mentally defective for not agreeing with my philosophy. I would weigh their ideas out against my own knowledge, moral/philosophical outlook, and logical ability and decide whether or not I feel those ideas hold water. My response would either be, "thanks, I never looked at it that way," or, more often, "I disagree because. . . " followed by a list of particular reasons why I believe their idea was incorrect or at least philosophically disagreeable to my outlook.

I don't like when people resort to excuses to shut down arguments without actually addressing the argument, and I'm not nearly hypocritical enough to do that myself.