Note to self: Do not try and kid around with SDML.
Hahaha! Easy, big fella - I was just asking a question. I thought my quip was funny (I'll try harder next time).
Frankly, I didn't think about it. Now that you ask I do think there is a greater emotional component in liberalism. Do I think all liberals are overly emotional girly men? No.
Interesting. I'm not sure I would agree. My take is that liberals allow emotion to color their solutions to social ills ("We must feed the children!"), while conservatives allow emotion to color their solutions to...social ills ("We must protect the children!"). Liberals spend WAY to much money on failed solutions to (mostly)
real problems, while conservatives used to not spend it, but now spend as much as liberals, on solutions to
perceived problems (i.e. - anything that seems like it might destroy that which they see as "traditional").
Now, there can be arguments made for traditionalism. But don't fool yourself - it is reasoned after the fact, with emotion being the prime mover. You know...just like liberals arguing for "equality".
If agreeing with Tex when I believe that he is right makes me a bad guy then so be it. The truth is more important to me than being liked.
I agree 100%. However, in this case (as in many cases), he is mistaken. Conservatism is no less emotional than modern liberalism (just look at the conservatives who justify positions less on reason and more on the bible, for example). Further, while I am unabashedly libertarian (as everyone here but Tex knows), I don't delude myself into thinking the fundamental precepts of classic liberalism or modern libertarianism are wholly devoid of emotional factors or completely based on logic. It just isn't so.
The difference between libertarianism and the current duopoly is that libertarianism is an internally consistent philosophy while the others are not. However, the Greens can likely say the same.
BIGTEX has NEVER so much as intimated that one should not be compassionate.
BIGTEX has NEVER so much as intimated that one should not be caring.
BIGTEX would NEVER, however, let his emotions alone determine a particular course of action.
Logic and reason should be the guideposts by which we arrive at important conclusions.
Now there is some ground on which Tex and I can agree. I might also add that this is a much better statement than the opening statement, especially with regards to the snippet "...let his emotions
alone...", indicating the reality that emotionalism itself is not the culprit. Only when emotionalism over-rides all else.