What is it with Rightwingers and delusion that they offer "common sense"

[devilgrrl]

solutions... Common sense? I've seen absolutely NOTHING from that side of the aisle that even resembles "common sense"!

[ClassWarrior]

1. Read "Don't Think of an Elephant" by George Lakoff...

You don't have to agree with them to understand them. And the better we understand them, the better we can resist them.

NGU.

[Warpy]

3. If I truly understood them, I'd check myself into a loony bin

All we need to know is that people who sincerely believe the most ridiculous things always believe they are perfectly reasonable.

Take bigots. They hang around with other bigots, discuss their bigotries, nod their heads sagely, and agree with each other that an insane prejudice against blacks, gays, uppity women, Yankees, or any other group is just common sense. They flock together and reinforce the insanity.

The same is true for diehard pubbies. They honestly and sincerely believe their own insanity is just good common sense.

You know, war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength, and Stupid is the legitimately elected president.

[ClassWarrior]

9. The odd thing Lakoff suggests... and it rings true...

...is the idea that Progressives and Cons have different worldviews. But - and here's the odd part - both hold at least some small measure of the other's worldview. So we really can understand them, as wrong as they are.

If you actually want to beat the Cons, and not just call them childish names, it really wouldn't hurt to try to understand.

NGU.

[unpossibles]

2. I wish I knew

they are on the whole, deluded about almost everything I can think of.


It would be ironic if it was discovered that conservatism was the result of a defect in empathy and sense.... </joke>

[jdlh8894]

4. From John Prine

"Common Sense don't make no sense no more"

[rfranklin]

5. "Common Sense" means what they believe is truth, what you...

believe is nonsense. Science has proven that most of what they call "common sense" is right wing mumbo jumbo, such as the "invisible hand of the market." Or private enterprise is always more efficient than government programs (even though Medicare has 2-3% administration costs while private health insurance ranges from 15-33% administrative costs.)

[existentialist]

6. I think that they are afraid to

stretch their minds.


Something inconvenient?: Ignore and ridicule.

Something unfamiliar?: Watch closely and prepare to attack.

Some uncomfortable criticism:? Launch vicious and dishonest attack attack upon its author.

Now isn't all that just "common sense"?

[drm604]

7. They know it's not common sense.

At least the movers and shakers know it. They just hope that if they call it "common sense" often enough others will start to believe that it is.

[eugeneliberal]

8. Maybe because we're not "common"

My ex-husband used to say to me, "You're really smart, but you have no common sense." It's an unintelligent person's reaction to someone who is intelligent and logical. It justifies their own stupidity. They're not ignorant; they have common sense!

In Richard Hofstadter's book "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life," he discusses how during the 1950s right-wing crusade, the rhetoric was the same. "Harvard professors, twisted-thinking intellectuals...in the State Department;" those who are "burdened with Phi Beta Kappa keys and academic honors" but not "equally loaded with honesty and common sense."

[kenny blankenship]

10. as opposed to that "book larnin'"

in other words they proudly offer what would make sense to people with little education, or aptitude for it.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. But, Isn't The Bible A Book

So apparently some "book larnin'" is ok, but other "book larnin'" ain't!
The Professor

[kenny blankenship]

12. But they already know what's in their bible

by checking their gut. An' ever Sunday they do a pitstop with their preacherman and he tells them what's in their gut. An' he lets'em know: their inclinations as a community and God's Will have always been in perfect agreement. From that principle it follows that God's Word backs their position on any given issue 100%. Or 110%, whichever's greater.

If you already know you agree with the Bible, ain't no need to read the damn thing.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. But, The Preacher Read It!

See, that book learnin' is hard to avoid!
The Professor

[kenny blankenship]

14. It's OK for the village headman or witchdoctor to dabble in forbidden art

As long as he keeps telling the tribe that God wants what they want and God hates what they hate.
It never happens that the witchdoctor tells the assembly that a large majority of them are dead wrong about what God wants, or that God does not hate what they hate. Or if he does, the "help wanted" sign will go out front of the Church next morn', after a long night of feasting and the Shaman's sudden disappearance.

[ProfessorGAC]

15. Ah. I Did Not Know That!

See, all these rules pop up and i didn't know anything about them. Thanks for clearing that up!

(Thanks, Kenny. That was fun.)
The Professor

[kenny blankenship]

16. Anytime

Glad to be of help.