Thursday, July 17, 2003

decoding compassionate conservatism

i think i have this concept figured out. the essence of "compassionate conservatism" is "once, i get mine, i'll give you some. I won't give you much, but i'll give you some and you should be grateful that i have given you anything." the intent behind the giving is not compassion in the sense of a desire to assist others without any expectation in return. This is decidedly different than say, "regular" compassion as it is predicated on entitlement and privilege. "I ain't giving you squat until i am sure that i am going to have a lot." It is not, "we're all in this together and need to work together so that we can all benefit. You are not better than I am and my giving to you is beneficial to both of us." Rather, it is deceptively, yet definitively selfish at its core. The compassion that emerges from it is an after-thought, not the starting point. "Once i am fixed for life, then i can be compassionate, but before that, you are on your own, buddy and don't come looking to me for anything."

and war is peace, oppression is freedom, and there were WMD's and i believe with every fiber of my being that they will be found. hold your breath on that last one, baby -- that would be the compassionate conservative thing to do.

No comments: