Carefree Conservatives, Stressed Liberals?
A recent study has reiterated the findings of previous ones: conservatives are happier than liberals.I hope this is not true, because the reasons given for conservative joy are not flattering. Basically, the studies say conservatives adopt the "What, Me Worry?" Albert E. Neuman approach to life.
In short, the idea is that conservatives are less able to see points of view other than their own; are better able to rationalize social and economic injustice as matters of little concern; and have little empathy for those on the margins of society. Their logic is simplistic, devoid of nuance, and they deny the existence of problems beyond the scope of conservative solutions.
By contrast, liberals are tortured by the ability to see 15 sides to every argument, view every issue as complex, and can find no justification for the radical social and economic inequality rampant in society. In addition, they not only don't see simple answers, they can barely see any answers at all to the massive problems of oil depletion, climate change, and escalating demands for food and energy by emerging giants such as China and India.
Although reading conservative authors such as the highly self-satisfied Bill Kristol and liberal writers such as the tormented Nicholas Kristof (both regular columnists for the New York Times) would support these easy stereotypes, I have to reject them, at least in part. After all, I am a liberal.
More than that, I am a liberal in a part of the country where approval for George W. Bush is still pushing 80%, which despite my supposed ability to see all sides of an issue, is baffling to me. I have lots of opportunities to see the most radical of conservatives up close, and on a daily basis.
The conservatives I know are not callous. They may not seek systemic answers to issues of poverty and oppression, but they are deeply involved in answers on an individual level. They are the volunteers at the feeding programs, the cold night shelters, and the transitional housing programs. They won't donate money, but they will gladly share food, clothes, toothpaste, blankets, and books - and on a fairly grand scale.
They don't accept the hawkish reasoning for the Iraq war either, and are divided as to whether or not the US should have gone in five years ago, and/or should get out now. Most think that oil, not Islam or terrorism, was the primary reason for the attack against Iraq, and that oil, not national security, is why we remain.
Quite a few have real concerns about the erosion of civil liberties witnessed over the last six years, although they do tilt to the "necessary evil" justification. As for me, I'm all the way in the "abominable attack on the Constitution" camp. Perhaps this is an example where my thought is simplistic, and conservative opinion is complex.
Finally, for all of us, liberals and conservatives alike, our world views have far less to do with our degree of happiness than our personal circumstances. A conservative whose job is endangered and whose wife has cancer is just as stressed as a liberal would be in the same circumstances. A liberal whose child is graduating from medical school with top honors and no debt is every bit as jubilant as the conservative in the next seat.
It is the culmination of all these things: how the events and people in our lives shape us, how our faith molds us, that gives us more points in common that political labels give us differences. Most politicians know that, but they exploit our differences anyway as a cheap and easy way to inflame citizens into the voting booth.
This year we have three candidates for President, two of whom are hard at work playing the game by the usual rules. Clinton is condescending: I know you have problems - let me fix them for you. McCain is insensitive: all I need to do is repeat "tax cuts" an infinite number of times, and no one will notice they only go to my donor base. Obama is different. He talks to us as adults, and not stereotypes. He is willing to call a gas tax holiday a gimmick, and explain in detail why gas prices need to be addressed with both short and long-term solutions.
Hopefully, it will be the kind of nuance even a conservative can love.
posted by Lenore Wilson @ 4:14 PM
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