It may sound like an oxymoron for a person to say they're politically logical (this is often times the case), but it is definitely possible. I'm sure most everyone could point to two positions of another individual and rightfully state that the positions don't line up or mesh well with one another. However, while this may be the case with me on occasion, I try to stay as consistent and logical as possible. I know other people whom are the same way, yet know many whom often times make less sense to me with their political logic and rationale than quantum physics to a pre-schooler (Sheldon Cooper possibly being the lone exception). This is especially the case with extreme right-wing conservatives. Allow me to provide some examples.
Issue: Abortion
Even though the majority of self-described conservatives are anti-abortion (or "pro-life" in their view), they also often times support abstinence-only education and disapprove of contraception coverage on women's employer-based healthcare plans, even though studies (and common sense) show the highest rate of teen pregnancy is in states that teach abstinence-only education and the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies (outside of abstinence), and with that, abortions, is with contraception.
So, let's break this down even further...
The GOP adamantly opposes to abortion.
The GOP opposes comprehensive sex education, which improves the odds of teenagers being more careful about sex and decreases the odds of unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
The GOP opposes contraception coverage on women's employer-based healthcare plans, which also decreases the odds of unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
If they're so opposed to abortion, then I'd recommend supporting comprehensive sex education and contraception coverage on women's employer-based healthcare plans.
Issue: Government power
It's wrong for the government to reach into people's pocketbooks in order to try and improve the roads, bridges, and schools in this country, but it's perfectly fine for the government to prevent women from being able to choose what to do with their bodies and to prevent same-sex couples from marrying. According to the GOP, the government is exercising too much power by reaching into a man's wallet, but that's not the case at all when reaching into a woman's nether-region.
Issue: Guns
The modern-day Republican Party seems to be veering further to the right on this issue than a hybrid of Elmer Fudd and Rambo (yes, Rambo Fudd), and their main argument for decreasing the number of guns laws is, "The more people that have guns, the less people that will be shot and killed by guns."
Yes, just like the more people that own cars, the less people will be driving in them (or getting into accidents in them). If one person drives a car in an area, there is far less probability of him or her getting into an accident than if there were twenty people driving cars in an area. With an increase in the number of vehicles, there too is an increase in the risk and odds of an accident. The same is true for guns. It's simple math.
Issue: Global warming/climate change
While there are exceptions, the GOP tends to believe that climate change is a hoax. Even though studies indicate a rise in temperatures, the melting of polar ice caps and with that sea-levels rising, not to mention an increase in frequency of epically damaging storms, and the fact 97% of climate scientists believe in it, the GOP tends to shrug their shoulders and say, "That doesn't make it true!" Some have even gone to the extent of bringing a snowball into Congress to showcase that since it's snowing, global warming is a myth. Yeah, remember how I mentioned polar ice caps are melting? What do you think that means? Watch what the snowball does in your warm hand. See it now? Very good... It's funny how they tend to harp on not leaving debt for our children, yet don't seem to mind at all about leaving them an unhealthy planet which will only add to the debt.
Issue: Trickle-down economics
Remember the time a business couple won the lottery, and instead of spending the money themselves or saving it, they let it trickle down to all their employees? Me neither. Through this concept and other factors, the party which sounds so gung-ho about freedom and democracy appears to really be in favor of oligarchy.
Issue: Government spending
Many on the right like to label Democrats as "tax and spend liberals." Yeah, why don't you look at the spending records of the past couple of two-term Republican presidents, George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.
Issue: War
By waging war and spreading "democracy," we shall create peace! Yeah, how well has that worked out so far?
Issue: Cops
While the GOP consistently compares President Obama to dictators and adamantly declares he's been abusing his power, when a cop kills an unarmed man, they'll often times state, "Well, he was asking for it. The cop was just doing his job." Right, so if the president does abuse his power, you'll take the rationale of, "Well, he was just doing his job," right?
Issue: Religion
Christians' rights are withering away due to other religious groups garnering equal rights and protections. According to this kind of logic, if a woman made $40,000 a year for the same job as a man that made $50,000, only to see her pay raised to $50,000 while the man's stayed the same, this would mean the man was making less than $50,000, even though he wasn't.
Issue: Discrimination
To discriminate against a group of people is fine, but to prevent such discrimination is discrimination itself! Yeah, about that... Give me one moment while I ask an African-American woman, who was around during their civil rights struggle, if it was just as discriminatory to fight for her to be able to drink from the same water fountain as whites as it was to not allow her to drink from that very water fountain.
Those are just ten issues. I'm sure I could probably come up with ten more, but to be perfectly honest, my head is starting to hurt trying to understand such asinine and/or contradictory rationale. On that note, I'm just going to try and see how it feels to be an extreme right-winger today. I'll start by listening to opinion-oriented radio talk shows and take these people's opinions as facts, because we all know professional fact-checkers are biased due to their... Nevermind, I can't do it. Where's my Advil?
Issue: Abortion
Even though the majority of self-described conservatives are anti-abortion (or "pro-life" in their view), they also often times support abstinence-only education and disapprove of contraception coverage on women's employer-based healthcare plans, even though studies (and common sense) show the highest rate of teen pregnancy is in states that teach abstinence-only education and the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies (outside of abstinence), and with that, abortions, is with contraception.
So, let's break this down even further...
The GOP adamantly opposes to abortion.
The GOP opposes comprehensive sex education, which improves the odds of teenagers being more careful about sex and decreases the odds of unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
The GOP opposes contraception coverage on women's employer-based healthcare plans, which also decreases the odds of unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
If they're so opposed to abortion, then I'd recommend supporting comprehensive sex education and contraception coverage on women's employer-based healthcare plans.
Issue: Government power
It's wrong for the government to reach into people's pocketbooks in order to try and improve the roads, bridges, and schools in this country, but it's perfectly fine for the government to prevent women from being able to choose what to do with their bodies and to prevent same-sex couples from marrying. According to the GOP, the government is exercising too much power by reaching into a man's wallet, but that's not the case at all when reaching into a woman's nether-region.
Issue: Guns
The modern-day Republican Party seems to be veering further to the right on this issue than a hybrid of Elmer Fudd and Rambo (yes, Rambo Fudd), and their main argument for decreasing the number of guns laws is, "The more people that have guns, the less people that will be shot and killed by guns."
Yes, just like the more people that own cars, the less people will be driving in them (or getting into accidents in them). If one person drives a car in an area, there is far less probability of him or her getting into an accident than if there were twenty people driving cars in an area. With an increase in the number of vehicles, there too is an increase in the risk and odds of an accident. The same is true for guns. It's simple math.
Issue: Global warming/climate change
While there are exceptions, the GOP tends to believe that climate change is a hoax. Even though studies indicate a rise in temperatures, the melting of polar ice caps and with that sea-levels rising, not to mention an increase in frequency of epically damaging storms, and the fact 97% of climate scientists believe in it, the GOP tends to shrug their shoulders and say, "That doesn't make it true!" Some have even gone to the extent of bringing a snowball into Congress to showcase that since it's snowing, global warming is a myth. Yeah, remember how I mentioned polar ice caps are melting? What do you think that means? Watch what the snowball does in your warm hand. See it now? Very good... It's funny how they tend to harp on not leaving debt for our children, yet don't seem to mind at all about leaving them an unhealthy planet which will only add to the debt.
Issue: Trickle-down economics
Remember the time a business couple won the lottery, and instead of spending the money themselves or saving it, they let it trickle down to all their employees? Me neither. Through this concept and other factors, the party which sounds so gung-ho about freedom and democracy appears to really be in favor of oligarchy.
Issue: Government spending
Many on the right like to label Democrats as "tax and spend liberals." Yeah, why don't you look at the spending records of the past couple of two-term Republican presidents, George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.
Issue: War
By waging war and spreading "democracy," we shall create peace! Yeah, how well has that worked out so far?
Issue: Cops
While the GOP consistently compares President Obama to dictators and adamantly declares he's been abusing his power, when a cop kills an unarmed man, they'll often times state, "Well, he was asking for it. The cop was just doing his job." Right, so if the president does abuse his power, you'll take the rationale of, "Well, he was just doing his job," right?
Issue: Religion
Christians' rights are withering away due to other religious groups garnering equal rights and protections. According to this kind of logic, if a woman made $40,000 a year for the same job as a man that made $50,000, only to see her pay raised to $50,000 while the man's stayed the same, this would mean the man was making less than $50,000, even though he wasn't.
Issue: Discrimination
To discriminate against a group of people is fine, but to prevent such discrimination is discrimination itself! Yeah, about that... Give me one moment while I ask an African-American woman, who was around during their civil rights struggle, if it was just as discriminatory to fight for her to be able to drink from the same water fountain as whites as it was to not allow her to drink from that very water fountain.
Those are just ten issues. I'm sure I could probably come up with ten more, but to be perfectly honest, my head is starting to hurt trying to understand such asinine and/or contradictory rationale. On that note, I'm just going to try and see how it feels to be an extreme right-winger today. I'll start by listening to opinion-oriented radio talk shows and take these people's opinions as facts, because we all know professional fact-checkers are biased due to their... Nevermind, I can't do it. Where's my Advil?
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