Have U.S. conservatives have always been this selfish and heartless?

[C Moon]

Watching the Michigan "protests" (and the lack of empathy from both them and RW elected officials) and compiling that with what they are doing in the senate now (that nut in the WH is a whole other topic), made me wonder this.

I now believe they've always hid away their selfish/heartless side, and pull it out when they feel comfortable; then, they hide it again when they realize how they look.

My feeling is that conservatives are not nice people: when there's something to get, it's all about them; and SOME will dole out whatever is leftover...but even then, they'll do it to serve themselves.

Conservatives are TERRIBLE people.

[stopbush]

1. Yes

[gibraltar72]

2. No they've always been "compassionate"?

[C Moon]

17. Ha ha! That one took me a few minutes!

[gibraltar72]

26. I remember stuff.

[SoonerPride]

3. Yes.

[idziak4ever1234]

4. The whole party collectively lost their minds.

[unblock]

5. you mean like the people who cheered when the national guard killed kids at kent state?

or conservatives who have hated and attacked and enslaved and killed and mistreated minorities and women since well before our country was even founded?


the only thing that's changed is that they had been socially forced to go into a kind of hiding for a while, now they're enjoying the license donnie is giving them to be open about their shameful views and behaviors.

[Ohiogal]

7. unblock

Well put.

[liberalmuse]

6. All throughout my lifetime.

And I'm old.

[BlueJac]

8. I would say it has been slowly building,

Trump and his BS has ignited it to full blown!

[we can do it]

9. Yes.

[asiliveandbreathe]

10. If I may..this quote from Harry "the buck stops with me" Truman

“Republicans approve of the American farmer, but they are willing to help him go broke.
They stand four-square for the American home--but not for housing.

They are strong for labor--but they are stronger for restricting labor's rights. They favor minimum wage--the smaller the minimum wage the better.
They endorse educational opportunity for all--but they won't spend money for teachers or for schools.
They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine--for people who can afford them.

They consider electrical power a great blessing--but only when the private power companies get their rake-off.
They think American standard of living is a fine thing--so long as it doesn't spread to all the people.
And admire of Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it.”
― Harry S. Truman

How far back would you like to go?? -

[C Moon]

11. I love this, thanks!

[hatrack]

13. And a bookend from Dwight Eisenhower

“Should any political party attempt to abolish social security unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group of course that believes you can do these things. Among them are a few other Texas oil millionaires and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.”

Ah, if only they were still as small in number as in Ike's day.

[asiliveandbreathe]

24. Thanks for that..and in Ikes day they didn't have Citizens United..n/t

[tblue37]

31. Well, at least they're still stupid. nt

[smirkymonkey]

23. +1000

[jberryhill]

12. Yes

At least since the re-alignment which followed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

[Aristus]

14. Yes.

During the Gilded Age of the 1870's, the age of the robber barons, someone interviewed one of the lesser-known titans of industry, who was still obscenely wealthy. He was anti-union, anti-worker, anti-tax, anti-regulation, anti-everything a decent person would support.

When asked to justify this outlook, he replied: "It's our world! God knows how we got it. But we aim to keep it!"

[C Moon]

15. Wow.

[JHB]

16. Yes. This is just one of those times they feel free to wave their junk around...

...instead of wearing clothes to make a display of decency.

In decades past these were the Birchers, paranoid conspiracy nuts. Before that their like was the 2nd wave Klan, who up North were more concerned with hating immigrants and "foreign religions" (Catholics and Jews).

Go back to the 1850s, you've got the Know Nothings.

The may not all be bullies, but a lot of them are the sort that gets a vicarious thrill watching a bully in action. "Yeah, get 'im, Butch!"

[StarryNite]

18. Yes

[ooky]

19. As long as I can remember.

And I'm no spring chicken.

[Bengus81]

21. Sure...look what Hoover did from late 1929-1932. NOTHING

Just repeat the phrase--The business of America is BUSINESS.

[Bettie]

22. They have always been this way but

they always tried to maintain a veneer of humanity.

Trump gives them explicit permission to be the ugliest, most repugnant versions of themselves.

And they love not having to pretend to be decent. They seem like they feel free.

And we know now who and what they are. Never forget that. Never.

[kairos12]

25. Always. It's a character thing.

[Initech]

27. Yes, but this pandemic has brought out the absolute worst in them.

They've literally turned into a death cult since Coronavirus came along . I've seen some pretty reckless behavior from them in the last 15 years, but they've truly gone off the deep end this year. If Trump said "drink the Kool Aid", they'd drink it.

[lastlib]

28. John Kenneth Galbraith:

(yeah, they've always been that way.......goes back hundreds of years.)

[Hekate]

29. It's taken them 40 years to get where we are today. Since Reagan, for sure.

I remember a different and better party, but now we have the Cult of Trump.

[Blue_true]

30. Yes. nt