172. Moogie: “No no no Sheesh … you have it all bassackwards. Your brains are NOT open. They are closed. They are unteachable.”
I think both kinds of brains are resistant to a change of opinion. That’s why nobody ever “wins” these kinds of discussions. Besides apparent differences in brain development stages, I’ve also noticed these differences:
liberals -> collectivists; conservatives -> individualists
liberals -> “according to merits of case”; conservatives -> “rule of law”
I don’t think either way of thinking is superior in terms of survival of the species. I do think that individualists dominated in America at its beginnings and for a long time thereafter. Most people that immigrated here were looking at a chance to gain freedom, libery, and seek the “American Dream”. I’m sorry to say but it’s seems like the more recent immigrants (since FDR maybe?, I don’t know) seek Welfare and to change America into a version of the country they left.
I am a conservative. I have some liberal friends that I like very much, even though their views sometimes boggle my mind. I consider myself a complete, individual unit with its own Book of Hoyle. I think I’m fairly tolerant but must admit I’ve heard myself saying, “If you really like or think “whatever”, then why don’t you just move to Cuba (or Venezuela or Europe or Canada or China or…. ). I just think it’s really cool that we’ve always had a very distinct national character (most personal freedom, free markets, and yes, most capitalism). It’s just more fun being exceptional. I don’t want to just blend in to the world’s mediocre socialist countries. Actually, it’s kind of depressing. Maybe I’ll go back over to the discussion on Palin’s looks… hehe
