When my conservative friends post "United did no wrong..." arguments...

[mreilly]

... you just know it's from a political "corporations can do no wrong" mentality and has NOTHING to do with logic, common sense or decency. It's like a neon sign hanging over their heads: "I AM WRITING THIS BECAUSE I AM A RIGHT WINGER AND I AM TERRIFIED PEOPLE MAY WANT TO HOLD CORPORATIONS ACCOUNTABLE."

You know, like making them pay fair wages.

Like making them insure their employees.

Like making them adhere to labor laws.

Like making them comply with safety regulations.

Like making them obey environmental laws.

... all that sort of thing which conservatives feel is just so unfair because business should be allowed to do WHATEVER IT WANTS.

Oh, but God forbid they be laid off or need help, right!

It's literally gotten to the point I cannot and will not take seriously any argument they make - even in seemingly non-political realms - because they always manage to base it upon politics. Fucking ALWAYS.

Oh, and the people bashing the victims past or splitting hairs over who the security people worked for can get fucked. Simply put, the guy was injured being dragged off the plane and these people are more concerned their political agenda might suffer.

[maxsolomon]

1. authoritarians want to obey authorities

the kind of people who think breaking and entering warrants summary execution by the homeowner.

[Ken Burch]

2. Weirdly enough, we saw that response from some non-conservatives here.

It's as though the very idea of questioning any institution's authority was an invitation to mob rule and chaos-as though authority is sacred simply because it IS authority.

You'd think they would remember that every progressive change that ever happened in this country was caused by someone defying someone else's authority.

[Iggo]

3. That neon sign actually says this: "People who aren't like me might get a benefit I don't get."

That's why I don't have any right-wing friends.

[regnaD kciN]

4. It may be more than that. I wrote about it elsewhere...

...the first part was a quote from Fr. James Martin:

"When we watch the video of the event something in us says, 'That’s not right'. Pay attention to that feeling. It is our conscience speaking."

What concerns me are the many, many people I've read over the past couple of days who do NOT have that reaction; who react with near-glee that "that idiot got what he deserved" and that "I bet next time he'll learn to obey orders quietly." Virtually every time, that sentiment has come from a white male. Racism? Possibly. But also, beyond capitalism, a culture where far too many (and especially far too many males) are brought up under a family culture of "if you don't obey everything daddy orders without a word of complaint, you're going to get a whippin', and you have only yourself to blame," and who, now grown, want to make sure others show the same sort of "respect" for authority?

[mreilly]

5. I really think that's accurate

... the people I refer to who have whole-heartedly endorsed United all have the same mindset.

what kills me about conservatives, though - ALL OF THEM - is that if this happened to them they'd be outraged.

I'll take my Aunt (X) who is a primary proponent of right-wing crap on FB. Her son was just married in Texas last year. If she had been on the flight and United tried to bump her she would have flatly refused, saying she HAD to get to Texas. Rehearsal dinner, flower preparation, time with family - you know, priorities every bit as important as treating your patients.

If they dragged her out (which I doubt they would since she's a 60+ year old white female) I just KNOW she would be threatening lawsuits and putting it all over social media. I know it and I suspect deep-down so does she. She wouldn't be saying that "United was within their rights to drag me off the plane!" or "The people dragging me didn't work for United so it's not their fault!" She certainly wouldn't be insisting that: "My face was dripping blood but it was really all my fault since I didn't listen!"

As always with these people, it's the hypocrisy. Not so much the knee-jerk "Protect our political agenda above all else and no matter what" mindset. The constant, constant, unending attempts to get other people to live by standards they don't feel they have to adhere to when the chips are down.

[Horse with no Name]

6. Surprisingly my conservative friends are as upset as I am

The only apologies I have seen are here.

[pnwmom]

8. Exactly. I'm surprised at the number of UA defenders here. nt

[kairos12]

7. According to Rmoney--"Corporations are people my friends." We have to live with it.