Gus DiZerega
2 min readFeb 21, 2017

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Generalizations on matters like this are almost always serious over simplifications, but since you want to play that game, I will as well.

Conservatives, some of them, are great people when they can empathize with them. They have enormous difficulties when others are different. We all have that problem to some degree, but conservatives have it more than liberals which is why compared to liberals conservatives have trouble with people of different religions, ethnic groups, or races. And often vote for people who urge treating them badly and when in power pass laws doing so.

For example, gay marriage first felt strange to many liberals, but as we had to confront the fact that marriage today is as much or more for love than family, the argument against it became weaker. On balance, liberals first accepted marriage for gays. Most Americans now do. The conservatives least able to empathize with people unlike themselves still oppose it even though who someone else marries has zero impact on who they marry.

You demean liberals. A great many not only happily pay the same taxes you complain of, they believe that a wealthy society should, as a society, help others. You disagree obviously. But the issue is not helping or not, it is different methods of doing so. Many liberals believe the greater income you receive reflects not only your talents, it also reflects your opportunities such aswho you know, and just plain luck. The wiser conservatives and classical liberals, like Hayek and Friedman, agree, by the way.

I write as someone who gives extensively to groups like Heifer and donates free time and energy to helping those with health issues- and have done both for years.

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