BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Republican Party "I can't believe my best friend is a Republican"

Taffy Brodesser-Akner unloads about her best friend being a Republican. [Emphasis in the following excerpt is mine, as it reflects my experience with liberals.]

EXCERPT: Janet's willingness to associate with so many liberal friends . . . makes her a better and more interesting person. She has her beliefs challenged constantly. She is more well-read and educated in her politics than most of the liberals I know. Too many liberals I know are lazy, they have a belief system that consists of making fun of Glenn Beck and watching "The Daily Show." Shouldn't their beliefs be challenged, too?
I can't believe my best friend is a Republican

Hi Linda Sue,

Would you please be more specific about your experience with liberals and specifically about their "belief systems" as that is really a broad statement as is without substantiation.

Linda Sue said:[Emphasis in the following excerpt is mine, as it reflects my experience with liberals
Too many liberals I know are lazy, they have a belief system that consists of making fun of Glenn Beck and watching "The Daily Show."

On this forum, you can look back at posts in the topic "Kristol Wants Qaddafi Outsted" and see that when I asked certain responders for evidence of their claims, they would simply offer more vague generalities, and then one person declared me "hostile" and refused to answer when I asked her where in my posts was I hostile.

In a discussion about NPR's liberal bias, I placed a poll that demonstrated the heavily left-leaning audience that supports NRP. A poster claimed that the poll was not accurate and when I asked for explanaion, the person said that no matter what he said in favor of NRP, I would not accept it because I was biased against NRP. He will never know that for sure because he would not offer any explanation.

A personal example is with my niece. She made the claim that the Bush administration ignored science. When I pointed out to her an article that showed that spending for research under the Bush adnmin actually increased 30-40% above the Clinton admin, according to his science advisor, John H. Marburger, she said, oh he's just a Republican religious fanatic who would say anything to support Bush. So I pointed her another article that reported Marburger had been a life-long Democrat. I never heard another word from her.

Similar situation with my sister. She claimed that 72% of Americans wanted single-payer health-care. I asked her for the poll that showed such a number; she never provided it.

My sister owns a small business, pay fishing lakes. We were discussing the theory that the public option would put insurance companies out of business. I asked her if she would be able to remain in business if a business exactly like hers went in up the road but did not charge customers. She responded by pointing out that there were reservoirs and rivers that are free. But then I pointed out that they are not the same, because while they do charge a license fee, they do not offer all the comforts that her business does. She fell silent again.

You might remember that the writer of that article is herself a liberal, and she is the one who confessed the liberal mindset. She is merely showing that she realized that when people associate only with people who think exactly the way they do, they never have to produce support for their claims. They just get on merrily with mocking their opponents without substantiating that what they are mocking deserves to be mocked. This kind of "belief system" is closed and does not allow in any opposing views.

Hope this clears up my remark for you. Thanks for asking.

Whether or not someone is liberal might be simply a point of view. Here's what I mean...

I have friends from many different circles. One of those circles is my Christian friends. Some of them consider me to be very liberal on various issues. I believe abortion should stay legal because I believe there are valid reasons for abortion. However, I would never choose to have an abortion myself.

On the other hand, I have other friends who find me very conservative. I go to church regularly, believe sex is for marriage only, have so-called strict rules for my girls, etc.

So whether I am conservative or liberal depends on your personal point of view.

Now, as to whether or not liberal people are lazy as a general rule. I don't think so. I'm sure there are lazy liberals just as I am sure there are conservatives who are just as lazy.

I can tell you that whatever it is you decide to label me with, liberal or conservative, you definitely cannot call me lazy.

This is more an answer, I know it was asked of Linda Sue, but from my own experience, specifically dealing with liberal experience...whew, there is so much really, honestly.

The area I'm now living, is filled with liberals. Lost the home and such so we're in gov/ housing. Just a fact. So the laziness, making fun of conservatives, Glenn Beck, etc. Here's examples.

This is a pure and truthful accounting I happened to witness. A black worker at the restaurant my husband works, wasn't manning her station. A white person had to correct this, because basically it was a dinner rush. She was wondering here, there. My husband was shaking his head like what on earth.

Politely she was asked to go back to her station, without regard. After the 5th or 6th time, people were pssd. She took to the front and started shouting, "It's because I black!!!"

No, it was because she wasn't doing her job and her hours were cut.

Her attitude, no matter, she only has to work so many hours to collect gov't benefits. She's not fired, but she's now in the ghost shifts where people aren't apt to have to deal with her. Now she feels it's becuase she's black that she doesn't get this or that. Again, not from what I observed. She stunk as an employee and because she's black, feel the world should fall down all around her while she does what she feels and when.

Another liberal, "laziness," again, a person on gov't benefits was scheduled to work at the restaurant and actually, NO JOKE, asked to leave early, because she "NEVER" misses an episode of "The Biggest Loser."

Really???

after more than a few hours of her whining every flippin 15 min. Management said, "If you'll stock your station (which is her job) which she hadn't done for 4 hours, you can go home."

She finally worked, which was worth it just to see it in action, the motivation I mean. But, she only worked hard enough to go home early,. Basically, just to get what she felt was important to her, a TV show?

Yet another example... Liberal "Miss Chickadee" is what I call her. Calls in saying she won't be in for her shift/close.

Why management asks? "Cause I don't got gas money."

Management offers not only to pick her up but give her $10.00 extra in cash to get home, via taxi, because she closed.

Her answer:

"No. I'm just calling in."

This person's housing is paid and she's on food asistance. She's only required to work 20 hrs. to have those benefits.

Has anyone heard of "Atlas Shrugs", where all the hard working intelligent people follow John Galt a leader and actually start a profitalbe and thriving community?

The term or title "Atlas Shrugs" comes into focus during a period in the book where the rest of the community outside of galt, feels entitlement.

Why work or do what you don't want to do, blow it off, when everything, for the time being is provided by something else.

Thanks for sharing an intriguing article!

I am probably too liberal/progressive to suit most Green Party members. And I have friends with such diverse views, I can relate to this article.

I hope to get time to respond to this topic this evening. It may have potential to illuminate some things for those with opposing points of view.

Cheers!

You make good point, Jeanne--one reason that facts and supporting evidence are so critcal when attempting to establish that one's point of view is correct.

Whether an individual's predominent political stance is liberal or conservative depends on more than two issues. For example, under which party is one registered to vote? For which party does one regularly vote? Which politicians does one admire? Does one believe that the government should have power over every aspect of a citizen's life? What is one's position on foreign policy? Economic policy? National defense? And a host of other issues, including the social and religious ones you mentioned.


The context of Brodesser-Akner's article suggests that she was referring to the liberals she knows personally and that by "lazy" she meant not willing to have their views challenged.

I'm sure if I looked around hard enough I could find some "lazy conservatives". However, I generally don't hang around lazy people in general.

I have definitely run across lazy people in general, but whether or not they are liberal or conservative - I couldn't say.

To tag liberals as lazy would be similar to tagging conservatives as racist. Personally, I like to take each person as an individual and work from there - not tag them with generalizations.

I so agree with you, Jeanne. I get upset when I hear someone put a generalized label on people because of their affiliations.

Maybe she would rather refer to them as lazy, because that way she can put them down and make her self feel superior.

labelling any group as "this" or "that" is ridiculous, every group of people are made up of individuals - making broad statements like "Liberals are lazy" actually counteracts and makes this woman seem small minded and stupid.

I wouldn't then say, however, that all republicans are small minded and stupid though. As this would work against me.

But Taffy was not "generalizing"; she is a liberal herself. She was referring to the liberals she knows personally. She wrote, "Too many liberals I know are lazy, they have a belief system that consists of making fun of Glenn Beck and watching 'The Daily Show.' Shouldn't their beliefs be challenged, too?"

As you can see, she was not referring to physical sloth, but to her liberal friends' unwillingness to confront challenges to their beliefs.

Linda Sue said:[Emphasis in the following excerpt is mine, as it reflects my experience with liberals
Too many liberals I know are lazy, they have a belief system that consists of making fun of Glenn Beck and watching "The Daily Show."

Hi Linda Sue,

Since this is your forum and since this was your post you chose to include/quote and since this was your "emphasis," aren't you the one with a biased agenda that "put a generalized label on people because of their affiliations."

Dear Les,

This is not my forum.



Lke Taffy, I did specify my experience. Therefore, I obviously was not painting all liberals with same brush, just the ones with whom I have experience. And I think you must have missed the post that responded to your earlier concern about this issue. Here is it again:

Les, you asked:

And I responded:

Again I hope this clears up my remark for you. Thanks for asking.