A RECENT QUORA posed the question, “Why is there such animosity between liberals and conservatives in the United States?” A Tom Wetzel offered an intelligent comment that opened with this statement: “It’s ironic in a certain way. Both Democrats and Republicans espouse forms of liberal ideology that are intensely pro-capitalist.”
This is, of course, true, although few in either party either realize it or give it much thought when they do. There follows a host of other comments, most of them thoughtful and articulate. So I can congenially steer you in the direction of that thread if you are interested.
It is a testament to the condition of our democracy that our own president uses words infamously spoken by Josef Stalin to describe his enemies.
I have a more personal take on the question: Some time ago, a young married couple took over management of the apartments in which I lived. They were both very “conservative” (in the reactionary sense of the term), of some Protestant orthodoxy that made them think that Catholics weren’t Christians, and active proselytizers.
As it’s rather easy (and accurate) to assume that I am left-of-liberal, the young man did so and broached a conversation with me. He sincerely wanted to know why I was “a librull.”
I thought for a moment then told him this: “It’s simple—when my people are in complete control of things, you can do whatever you want. When your people are in complete control of things, I have do whatever you want.”
FEATURED IMAGE: Cartoon by Mauricio Parra of what may be bubbling under the surface with about 60,000,000 of my fellow Americans. As soon-to-be-former Rep*blican Senator Jeff Flake stated:
“It is a testament to the condition of our democracy that our own president uses words infamously spoken by Josef Stalin to describe his enemies. It bears noting that so fraught with malice was the phrase enemy of the people, that even Nikita Khrushchev forbade its use, telling the Soviet Communist Party that the phrase had been introduced by Stalin for the purpose of annihilating such individuals who disagreed with the supreme leader..”