On Comedy Central's The Colbert Report last night, Stephen Colbert interviewed conservative commentator and regular centerfold for Bow Tie magazine - George Will. During this discussion, the two engaged in the following back-and-forth:
Colbert: "I'm a conservative, you're a conservative - I don't think anything should ever change."
Will: "That makes you a liberal."
Colbert: "That nothing should ever change? I didn't realize that. ... So why do liberals want things to stay the same?"
Will: "Because whatever exists should continue. In 1935, Social Security - do you drive a 1935 car? ... Do you watch a 1935 television set? But Social Security, liberals believe should go on just as it always has."
That's right, ladies and gentlemen - George Will contends that while conservatives want change, liberals want things to stay the same. No, I don't believe yesterday was opposite day.
First off, I'd like to define the terms "conservative" and "liberal" for Mr. Will.
::clears throat::
Conservative - "disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change."
Liberal - "favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs."
So, allow me to go through this again...
George Will's definition of "conservative": "Someone favoring change."
The actual definition of "conservative": "disposed to preserve the existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change."
George Will's definition of "liberal": "Someone who wants things to stay the same."
The actual definition of "liberal": "favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs."
Moving beyond the technical definitions of the words, how about if we pertain George Will's theory to contemporary issues and see how that pans out, shall we?
Issue: Equal pay for women
Liberals: "We want to close the gender pay gap, so women get paid equally as men for the same job."
Conservatives: "Let's keep things as they are."
George Will: "You're a liberal if you don't think anything should ever change."
Issue: Equal marriage rights for homosexuals
Liberals: "We support gays and lesbians attaining equal marriage rights under the law."
Conservatives: "Let's keep things as they are."
George Will: "You're a liberal if you don't think anything should ever change."
Issue: Marijuana legalization
Liberals: "We support legalizing marijuana, at least for medical purposes, but also for recreational purposes as well."
Conservatives: "Let's keep things as they are."
George Will: "You're a liberal if you don't think anything should ever change."
Issue: Gun control
Liberals: "We support expanding background checks and further regulation to decrease gun violence."
Conservatives: "Let's keep things as they are."
George Will: "You're a liberal if you don't think anything should ever change."
Issues: Taxes
Liberals: "We should close the tax loopholes, so corporations can't get away with avoiding their taxes."
Conservatives: "Let's keep things as they are."
George Will: "You're a liberal if you don't think anything should ever change."
So, according to George Will, conservatives supported the passing of a healthcare reform bill known as Obamacare, even though they didn't. When President Obama yelled out, "Change you can believe in," what he was really saying was, "Let's keep things the way they always have been!" ...and lastly, being a Chicago Cubs die-hard as Mr. Will is, it would be "liberal" for the Chicago Cubs to continue their streak of not winning a World Series title since 1908. George Will's theory is accurate in one instance, though. While liberals want to conserve the environment, conservatives want to destroy it - just like George Will wants to destroy the actual definitions of the terms "conservative" and "liberal."
http://redalertpolitics.com/2014/04/23/george-will-stephen-colbert-liberals-ones-dont-want-change/
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conservative?s=t
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal?s=t
Colbert: "I'm a conservative, you're a conservative - I don't think anything should ever change."
Will: "That makes you a liberal."
Colbert: "That nothing should ever change? I didn't realize that. ... So why do liberals want things to stay the same?"
Will: "Because whatever exists should continue. In 1935, Social Security - do you drive a 1935 car? ... Do you watch a 1935 television set? But Social Security, liberals believe should go on just as it always has."
That's right, ladies and gentlemen - George Will contends that while conservatives want change, liberals want things to stay the same. No, I don't believe yesterday was opposite day.
First off, I'd like to define the terms "conservative" and "liberal" for Mr. Will.
::clears throat::
Conservative - "disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change."
Liberal - "favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs."
So, allow me to go through this again...
George Will's definition of "conservative": "Someone favoring change."
The actual definition of "conservative": "disposed to preserve the existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change."
George Will's definition of "liberal": "Someone who wants things to stay the same."
The actual definition of "liberal": "favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs."
Moving beyond the technical definitions of the words, how about if we pertain George Will's theory to contemporary issues and see how that pans out, shall we?
Issue: Equal pay for women
Liberals: "We want to close the gender pay gap, so women get paid equally as men for the same job."
Conservatives: "Let's keep things as they are."
George Will: "You're a liberal if you don't think anything should ever change."
Issue: Equal marriage rights for homosexuals
Liberals: "We support gays and lesbians attaining equal marriage rights under the law."
Conservatives: "Let's keep things as they are."
George Will: "You're a liberal if you don't think anything should ever change."
Issue: Marijuana legalization
Liberals: "We support legalizing marijuana, at least for medical purposes, but also for recreational purposes as well."
Conservatives: "Let's keep things as they are."
George Will: "You're a liberal if you don't think anything should ever change."
Issue: Gun control
Liberals: "We support expanding background checks and further regulation to decrease gun violence."
Conservatives: "Let's keep things as they are."
George Will: "You're a liberal if you don't think anything should ever change."
Issues: Taxes
Liberals: "We should close the tax loopholes, so corporations can't get away with avoiding their taxes."
Conservatives: "Let's keep things as they are."
George Will: "You're a liberal if you don't think anything should ever change."
So, according to George Will, conservatives supported the passing of a healthcare reform bill known as Obamacare, even though they didn't. When President Obama yelled out, "Change you can believe in," what he was really saying was, "Let's keep things the way they always have been!" ...and lastly, being a Chicago Cubs die-hard as Mr. Will is, it would be "liberal" for the Chicago Cubs to continue their streak of not winning a World Series title since 1908. George Will's theory is accurate in one instance, though. While liberals want to conserve the environment, conservatives want to destroy it - just like George Will wants to destroy the actual definitions of the terms "conservative" and "liberal."
http://redalertpolitics.com/2014/04/23/george-will-stephen-colbert-liberals-ones-dont-want-change/
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conservative?s=t
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal?s=t
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