Thom Hartmann on Why Liberals Can't Be Disciplined

[rusty quoin]

Thom Hartmann was a guest over at FDL earlier today, where he was asked this question.

“Why can’t liberals be disciplined?”

The conservative world view is essentially hierarchical, paternalistic, top-down, follow-the leader. This comes out of their belief that people are essentially evil (original sin, etc.) and that the purpose of “leaders” and institutions like government and church are there to constrain the evil impulses of people. Thus when a “good person” leader is found, they want to lead.

The liberal worldview - first articulated in the 1600s by Locke and Rosseau and the 1700s by Jefferson and Madison, is that people are essentially good and therefore can be trusted to self-governance. Therefore the purpose of these institutions isn’t to restrain us, but to empower us to achive our greatest potential, and help out the helpless.

The consequence of that is that liberals don’t follow leaders well. Reed and Peolosi are trying to herd cats. And, truth be told, if suddenly dems were to all whip themselves into shape, they’d no longer be the kind of people we want to vote for.

Will Rogers was right…

http://firedoglake.com/2008/02/02/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-thom-hartmann-and-%e2%80%9ccracking-the-code%e2%80%9d/

[Deja Q]

1. So he's acknowledging all conservatives are evil?

The liberals are wrong; our government doesn't appear to be able to be self-governed right now...

Thom on drugs when he wrote that? Reality can comply AND thwart BOTH conservative and liberal viewpoints, depending on the situation.

[Demeter]

2. Liberals Are Self-Disciplined.

And they have standards. They will follow, join forces with those who match their standards.

Reid and Pelosi do not meet even minimum standards as Democrats, let alone liberals.

There's a big difference between being sheep (herded, sheared, and slaughtered for the sacrifice and the feast) who flock to the authoritarian religions and the authoritarian GOP, and being a liberal.

A liberal contributes a rational, trained mind and all experience. Sheep contribute everything but.

[melody]

4. Precisely

My husband and I are both non-drinkers, non-drug-users and have been faithfully married for thirty years. We're both liberals.

Every "conservative" I have ever known has a past littered with (at least) borderline sociopathy, behavior disorders, drug and
alcohol abuse, etc, etc. They need someone else to tell them how to live. Ergo, they keep testing the fascist Omnipodaddy in
their heads. Liberals can control ourselves.

[Swamp Rat]

3. No, Reed and Pelosi are scaredy cats.

So-called "liberals" (Americans) need to become lion tamers in order to wrest control of our government from idiots, sociopaths and thieves.

[rwheeler31]

5. I agree Conservatives want to control because they fear the evil

other. Liberals want to bring out the good in people to make everything better.

[VP505]

6. Reid, Pelosi and their colleagues have allowed

their priorities to shift away from their constituents, "we the people" who elected them, they are more interested in appeasing the moneyed interests that keep them powerful and influential. They see no need to do anything other than throw us peasants a few crumbs occasionally to make us think they care.