What Do You Call a Fiscal Progressive and a Social Conservative?
February 7, 2017 at 5:48 am
(This post was last modified: February 7, 2017 at 6:14 am by InquiringMind.)
So, I'm a registered Democrat and I voted for Bernie in the primaries. But I'm harboring a deep dark secret that my progressive friends probably don't suspect: even though I'm quite fiscally progressive, I'm kind of a social conservative, and it's very difficult to talk about.
I'll explain what I mean. And for this discussion, I'm not looking to debate the issues specifically, but rather, I'm trying to figure out what to call myself and what my feelings are.
I'm totally behind economic justice: I say tax the hell out of the billionaires and give poor people a raise. I absolutely believe that it's the government's job to prevent the rich from exploiting the poor. But when it comes to so-called social justice, I struggle. Why do some groups deserve our help and sympathy, but not others? Why do black and latino people deserve pay equity, but autistic people don't? Why do we care more about refugees than homeless veterans? Why is it wrong to favor someone in a hiring decision based on their race, but it's not wrong to favor someone in a hiring decision based on their good looks? And why is it wrong to pay a woman less than man, but it's OK to pay a shorter person less money than a taller person (taller people make more money than shorter people)? "Social Justice" is applied so inconsistently that it makes no sense to me.
I don't believe that women are (or ever were) oppressed by men, because oppressors typically don't go off to die in war or buy diamond rings for the people they oppress. I think that the gender wage gap is a myth, because if companies could get the same work from women as from men for 23% less money, then companies would fire all their men and hire all-women staffs.
I'm in favor of gay marriage, but I think that transgenderism should be considered a disorder, not a variation of "normal." If you have a Y chromosome and male genitals, but you believe you are actually female, then I believe that you should be treated respectfully and with sympathy as someone who has a psychological disorder and is in need of treatment, not as a hero in a grand civil rights battle to overthrow the oppressive "patriarchy."
I support most gun control measures and abortion freedom (freedom, not "rights.") I also support the male abortion, the freedom for a man to sign away all rights and responsibilities to an unborn child, just as a woman has the freedom to abort it.
A social conservative and a fiscal conservative is called a conservative. A social progressive and a fiscal progressive is called a progressive. A social progressive and a fiscal conservative is called a libertarian. What would you call me?
I'll explain what I mean. And for this discussion, I'm not looking to debate the issues specifically, but rather, I'm trying to figure out what to call myself and what my feelings are.
I'm totally behind economic justice: I say tax the hell out of the billionaires and give poor people a raise. I absolutely believe that it's the government's job to prevent the rich from exploiting the poor. But when it comes to so-called social justice, I struggle. Why do some groups deserve our help and sympathy, but not others? Why do black and latino people deserve pay equity, but autistic people don't? Why do we care more about refugees than homeless veterans? Why is it wrong to favor someone in a hiring decision based on their race, but it's not wrong to favor someone in a hiring decision based on their good looks? And why is it wrong to pay a woman less than man, but it's OK to pay a shorter person less money than a taller person (taller people make more money than shorter people)? "Social Justice" is applied so inconsistently that it makes no sense to me.
I don't believe that women are (or ever were) oppressed by men, because oppressors typically don't go off to die in war or buy diamond rings for the people they oppress. I think that the gender wage gap is a myth, because if companies could get the same work from women as from men for 23% less money, then companies would fire all their men and hire all-women staffs.
I'm in favor of gay marriage, but I think that transgenderism should be considered a disorder, not a variation of "normal." If you have a Y chromosome and male genitals, but you believe you are actually female, then I believe that you should be treated respectfully and with sympathy as someone who has a psychological disorder and is in need of treatment, not as a hero in a grand civil rights battle to overthrow the oppressive "patriarchy."
I support most gun control measures and abortion freedom (freedom, not "rights.") I also support the male abortion, the freedom for a man to sign away all rights and responsibilities to an unborn child, just as a woman has the freedom to abort it.
A social conservative and a fiscal conservative is called a conservative. A social progressive and a fiscal progressive is called a progressive. A social progressive and a fiscal conservative is called a libertarian. What would you call me?
