Liberal vs. Conservative

The end of my previous post reminded me about this article I was reading (one of several) about the inherent differences between conservatives and liberals. How safe you feel in your world influences where you fit on the spectrum. Conservatives feel less safe, on the whole, which helps explain why I am overrun by them at work. They also have different moral standards, which should not be a surprise. What I did not know, however, is that there are five basic "moral triggers:" harm, fairness, loyalty, authority, and purity. Liberals only "care" about harm and fairness, whereas conservatives "care" about all five.

First of all, I think "care" is the wrong word--I think both sides "emphasize" different things. Secondly, does paying more attention to all five automatically make conservatives more moral? Personally, I don't think so, because I think those last three moral triggers tend to be rather shady. In fact, they are sometimes known as "dark morals" (click the "fundamental differences..." link in the article). There are too many variables involved in loyalty, authority, and purity to make staunch rules out of them. For example, the Nazis were loyal to Hitler's authority, but most people would agree that they weren't "right." Catholic priests are loyal to the pope, but...well, I should have made my point already.

This explains a lot, for me. For starters, now I can pinpoint why I am so baffled by Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. They seem to glorify those "dark morals" as they relate to white America, specifically. Being white and straight does not automatically make me better than those who aren't, though, just as being American doesn't automatically make me better than people in other countries. I like to think I'm more of a citizen of the world, even if that makes me some kind of traitor.

It also helps me understand why Bill Clinton could be impeached while Bush could be reelected. Lying about an affair is worse than...lying about the case for a war, to some people? I guess this means that purity can trump fairness (and arguably, harm). Okay, I don't quite get it, but I do get that your take on it depends on what you value most. I prefer a President that screws up his personal life more than his country. Now, if Bill Clinton was my own father, I would probably side with conservatives. See the difference? Call me a relativist, or just plain liberal, but black & white produce many shades of gray.

I know conservatives and liberals have different world views and I guess we can't just "get along," per se; however, that doesn't mean we can't compromise, either. I am extremely frustrated with the political process. If conservatives would stop pouting and refusing to cooperate, they might actually be useful to both parties. (God forbid they help the other side with anything, though.) Healthy conflict and compromise tend to produce the most good for the most people, right?! I mean, Congress should involve give and take just as relationships do--if you're not giving, you can't complain about not getting anything back! On some level, I suppose it's always been this way, but I think both parties have been especially childish lately (some more than others). Tonight's "theology at the bottleworks" happens to be on the conservative/liberal divide in this country, so I am especially excited!