I would like to take the time to expound on my last letter regarding conservative political theory. In it, I stated that almost all conservative policy is derived in some way or another from the issues of responsibility and accountability. I should have gone into more depth. These are the buzzwords that conservatives use to defend their stances on issues. They use these appealing terms to create public support. In reality, their definitions of these words skew from the vernacular. In some cases, this stems from a “no second chance” mindset. Neoconservatives immediately condemn people who have made mistakes in life and end up on the street. They don’t deserve a second chance, according to those on the right. Even the homeless who have been on the street for their entire lives are grouped into this arena of “you did it to yourself.” Half of the homeless population consists of children, yet republicans still chant for welfare cuts.
A level playing field is another idea masked by accountability. Women and minorities are underpaid and discriminated against consistently in our culture, yet conservatives ignore these issues. Why? It doesn’t benefit the bottom line, and it doesn’t affect their voting base (white males). It is everyone for himself in the eyes of the Republican party, and that’s not healthy for society. A couple quotes I consistently hear from republicans are “cry me a river” and “you can’t go through life with an open hand.” I’m not seeing much compassion in these compassionate conservatives. Callous individualism is the real implication of conservative “responsibility and accountability,” the philosophy that republicans hold so close.
Jonathan Allen
Biology senior