Political differences are funny things. Especially when examined by people like Dennis Prager, who treats said differences as a doctor would psychological trauma in his latest for the National Review. Citing a couple polls that he doesn't link and a two-year-old book, Prager presents his new finding: conservatives, quite naturally, are happier than liberals.
Then, rather than asking a liberal for a response, he conjures one:
Liberals respond this way: "If we're unhappier, it's because we are more upset than conservatives over the plight of those less fortunate than ourselves."
Pivoting off this invention, the column is fascinating in one particular respect. Prager's gig as a conservative radio host and syndicated columnist has no doubt given him exposure to any number of opinions from any number of Americans, but he tries to employ supposedly data-driven studies (who knows, since he doesn't link them) in the service of rhetoric that isn't based on anything but his own political assumptions and prejudices. Witness his concern for African-Americans, and our happiness:
It makes perfect sense that a black American who is essentially happy is going to be less attracted to the Left. Anyone who has interacted with black conservatives rarely encounters an angry, unhappy person.
Why?
Because the liberal view on race is that America is a racist society. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, a black American must abandon liberalism in order to be a happy individual. It is very hard, if not impossible, to be a happy person while believing that society is out to hurt you. So, the unhappy black person will gravitate to liberalism and liberalism will in turn make him more unhappy by reinforcing his view that he is a victim.
He could've made his point so much more efficiently by simply writing Black + Liberalism = President Obama = ANGRY! = BOO! Perhaps that would've lacked the sophistication Prager's argument clearly possesses.
There's more, but Prager's take isn't even original: essentially, this same column was written four years ago by George F. Will in the Washington Post. Maybe I can write this post again in 2014. Wonder if I'll still be this unhappy and angry then.
(Image: Huey Freeman of "The Boondocks".)
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Say what?!?! Jamail, I read your intro 3 times and my brain still hurts trying to make any kind of sense out of anything other than the Boondock cartoon.
Apologies. Jamail, YOU make sense. Mr. Prager and ilk don't.
I say we Tea Partiers FORCE the LIBERAL LYING media and politicians to NOT TELL LIES any more! 1) The media uses US airwaves, so they shouldn't be allowed to LIE to people to get them to vote for liberal socialists when we all know it's AGAINST their own best interests and those of the country! National Security! You can't yell FIRE in a crowded theater! or HIJACK on a plane! 2) Politicians are OUR employees. How many times would YOU allow YOUR employees to LIE TO YOU? They LIE to make money, right? JUST like Liberal MEDIA! So- We apply the Truth-In-Advertising Laws to THEM! When they are CAUGHT lying by a citizen who calls or emails in WHY they are lying, then the first one gets $25! The LIAR is FINED $10,000 & cautioned NOT to repeat that PROVEN lie and if he does, the fine DOUBLES each time! Then we use part of the money to ADVERTISE that person's or media-show's fines each time they are on the air or making speeches, and how many times they've been caught in a lie! We pay off the debt, get MORE tax cuts, fund a GREAT WALL between the US and Mexico, and buy lots of lottery tickets!
America, where you DIE if you lie! (political or media death)
That would mean that Fox News and most of the repub party, ESPECIALLY the Tea Party component, would be broke or dead. Birthers? Huge liars, so cross them off the list. Those that claim Obama is a muslim? Liars too. Those that claim the government has taken over health care and has death panels? Some of the worst liars of all.
Han G Thesobs
Your conservative Faux Noise machine would be off by the end of the month if you had your way. Faux News pushes a lie or innuendo at least once a day.
I know why I"M an angry liberal...it's because of the entirely unwarranted credence that many in our country today give to views like Mr. Prager's.
Thomas Sowell and Larry Elder seem pretty angry and unhappy to me. But I guess there's Michael Steele. He seems like a friendly guy.
Dennis Prager's show is still on the air? Huh.
It is typical of folks like Prager to use as "logical arguments" the invented thoughts, feelings, and rationales that they project onto "liberals."
As for conservatives being "happier", all I can say is ignorance is bliss.
Prager 's article reminds me of Ayn Rand talking to the House Unamerican Activities Committee
http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/texts/huac.html
Bullcrap article is bullcrap. Nuff said.
Yes, Clarence Thomas seems so happy and carefree. Not at all like an embittered wretch wielding power with an endless thirst for revenge and retribution against all those who wronged him. Which seems to have been everyone.
so the teaparty temper tantrums were really joyous !?
My thoughts exactly. Anyone can manipulate words and feelings to work for them.
yes we know, your manipulating of words is noted and dismissed.
Want to know why Conservatives are happier.
Its very simple.... Ignorance is bliss!
Of course conservatives are happy. They can do and say all they want, illegal or not, and STILL they end up winning elections. How can you not be happy if you are a Senator from Nevada, have an affair with a staffer, pay hush money to her and her husband to keep it quiet, and STILL be a Senator? How can you not be happy if you are a Senator from Louisiana, spend money on hookers, get named by a notorious madam as one of her customers, and STILL win re-election by a big margin while you see a dem governor do the same in NY and be forced to resign? How can you not be happy when you eliminate New Deal regulations on the finance sector, watch them trash the economy, and then see voter anger be directed at dems for the whole mess? How can you not be happy when you stack the Supreme Court with conservatives, and then see that court select a repub president for you, and give corporations free reign to contribute oodles of bucks to campaigns, most of which go to you?
With all that and more going for you, how can you NOT be happy if you are a conservative? Screw up as much as you like, and you're teflon!
It's good to be a conservative.
Screw-up all day.
Party all night.
Which party was Bluto Blutarsky a member of?
LOL!
The odd part is that to me they all look the opposite of a Smiley Face. Their mouths droop down instead of tilting up. I can usually tell a Conservative just by looking at their faces. They all look sour. Mitch McConnell, John Bonehead, and all the rest. Lindsay Graham and Huckabee not so much. McCain looks really mean to me.
I usually hit it right 75% of the time. My only claim to fame!
People of color don't buy into this crap though the Right just keeps on trying and trying. It's really laughable how they underestimate African-Americans, in particular. It would be infuriating if it wasn't so funny.
Black liberal who happens to be happy over here!
And here! :)
I think the key to his findings are on the second page of his opinion piece. He says he gave a speech about the need to appear happy even when you are not- conservatives loved it, liberals did not (so he says). Perhaps conservatives are just more concerned with keeping up appearances while liberals are more concerned with truth.
That's probably true. People drawn to the right are generally more conformist than others.
And that reminds me of something. Going back before the midterms when TRMS went to Delaware and Rachel tried and failed to get an interview with O'Donnell, she did get an interview with the local head of the Young Republicans (or whatever that college group is called). I was struck by the postures of the two when they sat on on some concrete steps. The guy was sitting ramrod straight, knees together, hands resting on his knees and elbows firmly against the sides of his body; while Rachel was sort of sprawled across the steps like a person.
So who's really the happier overall? The one who is under some compulsion to keep everything in order and is always on the alert, or someone who can relax even while doing their job?
Dear Rachel Maddaw,
please could you talk in your next show about gays and lesbian who are again discriminated against by the United Nations and Arab and African nations.
many thanks
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_un_gays
"
During action on the draft resolution on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the Committee engaged in a debate over and ultimately approved by a vote of 79 in favour to 70 against with 17 abstentions an amendment removing “sexual orientation” as one of the discriminatory reasons that killings had been committed and warranted investigation.
paragraph 5
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2010/gashc3997.doc.htm
Hello. I think what you're looking for is covered here:
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/22/5511339-lgbt-not-welcome-here
If you follow Rachel's blog enough, you'll see that not everything
that's in it is on her show, and not everything that is on her
show is in her blog. It's just like high school and college lectures.
You have to read the book, and pay attention to the lectures.
It would be nice if Rachel had time for more stuff, but
she's limited to 40 some minutes a day.
I am a liberal. My grandfather a conservative. He said to me one day, "No body is happy." I replied, "I am happy." He dismissively stated, "Well you're stupid." You can't win. :)
This is the happiest I've ever been being a liberal. This personal happiness comes from people like Rachel and Keith who cut right to the truth. To view clear intellect without contamination, verbal pollution and without sabotage is refreshing for me to the core of my soul. Lets keep it free from separation and illusions.
Horse walks into a bar and the bar tender says, " Why the long face?"
He keeps winning by a noselength, and now the other horses call him Pinocchio?
Here's what Iggy Pop says (satirically) on the topic of happy conservatives:
I like my beer
I like my bread
I love my girl
I love my head
I'm in the clear man
I'm in the dear
Because I'm a conservative
I'm a conservative
I really am
Ohyeslam
And it would mean so much to me
If you would only be like me
Yes it could mean so much to me
- I.P. "I'm a Conservative"
"The believer is happy but the doubter is wise." I'm sure that's true. I'm sure it's also true that people who engage in rationalization to justify anything they want are happier just from believing their own BS.
A conservative making seemingly factual statements based on nothing in order to scare/trick people into believing them...imagine that!
Reminds me of a line from one of my favorite TV shows:
"So ... Dawn's in trouble. Must be Tuesday."
Yeah, I love Dennis Prager. Earlier this month, I wrote about how he's a closet progressive:
http://www.michaelrobertmiles.com/blogs/2010/11/closet-progressivism/
http://www.michaelrobertmiles.com/blogs/2010/11/my-response-to-dennis-prager/
The new Right is very entertaining.
People are suffering in the US, people are losing their homes, jobs, incomes for a lot of regular people are stagnant, so of course conservatives are happy, especially if they are not also suffering similarly.
But raise the topic of federal taxes, and the use of taxes to help ordinary people in need, especially minority people in need and watch how unhappy conservatives are about that.
Of course, liberals are angry! Conservatives tend to be happy because they don't know any better.. and Fox news tells them that they are not only RIGHT, but correct! And .. we.. know.. better! We have been to "Defunction Junction"! Getting a 2/3rds majority to pass legislation to make this a better country.. would make me a happy camper.
Perhaps it because...
(1) I care when people are put after profits.
(2) I care when fracking toxifies water holes.
(3) I care about the persecution is dealt to
the GBLT community, done by none other that the
religious right, the ones who are always balking
about being persecuted.
(4) I give a damn when elected officials toy
with the idea that gays and lesbians shouldn't
be able to teach.
(5) I give a damn when gays and lesbians are
not able to openly serve their country.
(6) I give a damn about sweatshops, and crap like
the e-waste fiasco in places like Africa.
Less government will only makes these problems
worse.
NOTE: I'm not sure of the status of #6.
It hit the news, some years ago, but I can't say
either way if it has ended or not.
In my experience, it's been the conservatives (irrespective of race) who are the most grumpy and unhappy and irate.
That's part of the problem - liberals are actually kind of mellow, and mellow=ineffective these days.
you're right liberals are more mellow, it 's the bi-product of only being able to use half the brain.
Ah, gb sr, why do you troll? Does it make you happy?
Nice one, m.