Why are liberals so ignorant?

Answer 1

This has been expressed far more eloquently by other, more skilled writers, but this is my humble and awkward attempt to explain.

Liberals tend to be people who believe themselves to be smarter than the rest of the population. Some liberals are in fact very brilliant people, which makes their intolerant and smug behavior all the more puzzling. But the basic characteristic of Liberals that makes them such hateful and arrogant people is their core belief that they are the smartest people around, and certainly much more intelligent than anyone who disagrees with them

Further, many Liberals also tend to believe they are not "Liberal" or left-leaning at all! Most seem to honestly believe that their views are centrist and moderate, because they believe their views to be rational, reasonable, based on logic - and worse - MORALLY SUPERIOR to opposing viewpoints.

As such, armed with the confidence that they are smarter than you, and their views are not only correct, but also the ONLY morally acceptable positions, they naturally believe that anyone who disagrees is not only stupid, but also morally flawed! (you know the labels: racist, closed minded, hate-mongering, etc., etc., etc.).

That leads to the pattern of discussion you hear on every network newscast, and see on the editorial pages of most major newspapers. If you are oppose abortion its not REALLY because you value human life, its because you hate women. If you oppose illegal Immigration its not because of any legitimate concern over unemployment, the economy, crime, or the cost of government benefits delivered to illegals - its just because you are a racist and you hate Hispanic people.

As to naivete, it springs from the same set of self-affirming beliefs. Again, a Liberal believes him/herself to be smarter than the rest of the population, and is equally assured that their opinions are the ONLY logical, reasonable and morally acceptable opinions possible. The inevitable result being that they cannot admit or accept REALITY - even when the policies they favor prove to be flawed. If a Liberal policy fails, its ONLY due to "sabotage" by the stupid, morally degenerate conservatives who can't understand the Liberal position.

For example, Liberals will tell you that welfare didn't create a permanent underclass of citizens who remain perpetually dependent on the government - those problems were solely due to racism. Social Security isn't bankrupt because its based on an unsustainable, actuarial unsound model - its failing because of "evil Republicans".

Answer 2

Becasuse people who are unintelligent generally don't have the capacity to realize they aren't, in fact, intelligent. So they presume they are correct, intelligent, and right, when in fact, they aren't.

Answer 3

Politics is not down to intelligence but personal preference. I am not sure how you categorise the term liberal or dumb? You can have liberal-socialist, liberal-conservatives or any mix of liberal you could care to mention. For instance Liberals in the 1920's wanted the removal of tariffs and quotas and free trade. That today would be seen as a right-wing economic position. In Britain, Liberals have traditionally occupied a central ground between conservatism and socialism. So the term Liberal is very confusing. If you look at the positions of the Libertarian Party of the US, they oppose Federal governance, liberal gun laws etc many of these positions would place them at the far right of the Republican Party. But their positions on many social issues put them at the far left of the Democratic Party. So they are Liberal but occupy positions that are extreme Republican and Democrat. Simarly, both Republicans and Democrats hold what are essentially liberal positions at the same time. The term 'liberal' should mean freedom. Whatever that freedom, whether it is economic, social or domestic is again open to intereptation. Afterall the term liberty is derived from liberal. Liberty is a founding facet of the USA, we were even given a statue to commemorate our liberty. It would seem that the terms liberal, conservative, socialist, communist or whatever are very broad terms which are not fully explained or understood. Now the term dumb is open to similar vagueries. You could measure this by IQ or by ability. It can also mean one who is unable to speak.

Answer 4

Liberals are ignorant because most of them are a)young b)base their voting soley on Moral issues rather than more in-depth issues such as the economy or fiscal policies.

AnswerLiberals are not Ignorant, but i believe you meant,"why are conservatives ignorant"

THere is yeat another question to be asked, which is why, on this message board, are there 2 questions that assume that liberalism is either idiotic ir ignorant. In fact, it is a very bright and viable position to take. I am a republican, and find that quite often, a true liberal can defeat every stance i take through logic and without assumption or bias.

so the real questionisn't why are conservatives or liberals ignorant, but why do conservatives apply useless and arbitrary labels that they have no basis to back up?

Social conservatism has driven this nation into the ground, by the way. every other developed nation in the world (I use that term loosely, but it applies) does not argue over evolution in schools, abortion, etc. real conservatism, in fact, only looks at fiscal policy and the role of the federal government as an oversight committee, commander of the armed forces, and an attribute to assist the role of the states in aiding the citizenry. In fact, the founders of this nation wrote the constitution, although thtey were staunch social conservatives themselves, with the expressed intent to keep social conservatism out of the governemnt. all of those stances are personal choices in a secular governemtn.

so back to my poin, why do conservatives assume that liberals are ignorant when it is they who have taken every part of this nation and demolished the bright future it may have. seriously, no sex ed in schools? great, lets keep our youth ignorant, uneducated, and not tell them the alternatives to unprotected sex. Not to say that a parent souldn't be doing this anyways, but just face it, most don't. sorry, that one gets me heated. let's stop educating our children. real smart.

Liberals are ignorant because (as seen above), most cant spell. Liberals want the government to be the perpetual parent to everybody at every age. They do not believe in personal responsibility and wish the govt. to solve all problems. We conservatives believe sex ed should be taught when the time is right (and that's not 1st grade libs.)

Liberals would have god removed from everything and have him replaced with the mighty govt. Have you been to the DMV lately....the government runs it...and not very efficiently. Libs would have taxpayers bailout irresponsible (unionized) companies and let them continue losing money. Liberals are ignorant for so many other reasons but I do not have the month it would take to list them all.

A Totally Different (and valid) Answer:

Liberals and conservative, two opposite ends of a scale and combined are a minority of all. You can sit in each of your corners and squabble over what constitutes 'fact', the rest of us see a wider picture with far more perspective. Those that slap labels on people and decide who and what they are deserve each other. To the rest of us, liberals and conservative are like gnats at a picnic.

Answer 5

Democrats and liberals are not ignorant. Far from it!

Take the economic meltdown of 2007. Any liberal worth his salt will tell you the same thing about what largely caused it: what we allowed the banking community to do. In 1999, the Republicans repealed the Glass-Steagall Act of 1934's separation of investment banks from casino banks. In 2000, the Republicans repealed any sort of regulation whatsoever on credit derivatives, and in 2007 the Republicans repealed the "uptick rule" that requires a short sale be made at, or above, the last price for the stock on the exchange it trades on. (This last one is important because if you really want to put a company out of business quick, borrow 150,000 shares of its stock and sell it at three or four dollars below the last trade price.) Republicans and conservatives will tell you the meltdown happened because taxes were too high and people bought houses they couldn't afford, NOT because Washington Mutual retranched toxic mortgages until they triggered the worst bank run in the history of mankind.

Answer 6

They have no interest in cooperating. "Facts" are a dirty little word that get's in the way of their agenda.

One thing that amuses me the most is how visceral and emotional people become when you present

another way of observing something. I find the so-called "open-minded" , open-hearted" liberal person, more and more, these days to be exactly the opposite of those values. That, in fact, they are

more than often mean-spirited and filled with hate. And for me to even present another point of view

makes ME the hate-monger!

It is practically impossible to have a meaningful exchange with these types.

To me it seems like logic is completely dismissed from the premises.

It's like they're sticking their fingers in their ears and blathering, "LALALALA, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Hardly, an atmosphere that is conducive to a productive conversation.

I'm not saying I'm anywhere close to mastering the art of logic and understanding. Far from it!

In fact, part of the reasons, (not all of them) that I put out the conservative point of view is to gather other people's point of view so that I can be better informed, inspired and educated.

There are very few and in between people that I can have a rewarding and meaningful conversation with about the virtues of Conservatism and the actual definition of "compassion."

A Totally Different (and valid) Answer:

Liberals and conservative, two opposite ends of a scale and combined are a minority of all. You can sit in each of your corners and squabble over what constitutes 'fact', the rest of us see a wider picture with far more perspective. Those that slap labels on people and decide who and what they are deserve each other. To the rest of us, liberals and conservative are like gnats at a picnic.