Why do conservatives on most forums seem less knowledgeable? (1 Viewer)

[ethanUNC]

I am a conservative myself, and I often feel a little embarrassed to admit it. If you ever see someone denying global warming or evolution, or saying that the world is 6000 years old you know its going to be a conservative (at least in my experience). Additionally, conservatives seem much more prone to fallacious arguments and misinformation.

I do have a genuine question (I'm not just voicing my opinion). Assuming this is true (and it seems to be in my experience), what are some possible reasons behind this? If you ever talk to a highly educated person, you know that there is a 90% chance he wont be conservative.

 

[Neomalthusian]

I am a conservative myself, and I often feel a little embarrassed to admit it. If you ever see someone denying global warming or evolution, or saying that the world is 6000 years old you know its going to be a conservative (at least in my experience). Additionally, conservatives seem much more prone to fallacious arguments and misinformation.

I do have a genuine question (I'm not just voicing my opinion). Assuming this is true (and it seems to be in my experience), what are some possible reasons behind this? If you ever talk to a highly educated person, you know that there is a 90% chance he wont be conservative.

You are just voicing your opinion, apparently. If you're going to throw around approximated statistics and generalizations, you should probably cite something objective while you're at it.

I don't notice conservatives being less knowledgable. I see partisans being less knowledgable, in that they will even reject knowledge if it doesn't support their agenda. Some religious partisan rightwing conservatives come off as very dogmatic and ignorant. Some left wing people are very young and idealistic and ignorant (e.g. college students who have just started developing political opinions).

We could make subjective generalizations about both groups, but for you to introduce a thread based on your subjective impression that conservatives have some majority stakehold on ignorance, and not provide objective support of these comments, well, that sort of risks putting you right there with them.

 

[WCH]

I am a conservative myself, and I often feel a little embarrassed to admit it. If you ever see someone denying global warming or evolution, or saying that the world is 6000 years old you know its going to be a conservative (at least in my experience). Additionally, conservatives seem much more prone to fallacious arguments and misinformation.

I do have a genuine question (I'm not just voicing my opinion). Assuming this is true (and it seems to be in my experience), what are some possible reasons behind this? If you ever talk to a highly educated person, you know that there is a 90% chance he wont be conservative.

I would imagine Conservatives are generally religious but, only the evangelical ones would believe the Earth is only 6000 years old or think evolution was bunk.
The GW scare is nothing but a political scam to get your hard earned dollars.

Oh, those 'highly intelligent' people are generally FOS academe.

 

[Paschendale]

Pretty much this is why.



The facts of almost any political situation suggest the left wing position, be it on poverty and welfare, voter ID, this shutdown, and science. The argument from the right wing relies on things that aren't true being true, like a widespread group of people abusing welfare and choosing to live on it or widespread fraudulent voting.

Why does it seem like right wingers are less knowledgeable? Because right wing positions are based on ignoring knowledge.

 

[ocean515]

I am a conservative myself, and I often feel a little embarrassed to admit it. If you ever see someone denying global warming or evolution, or saying that the world is 6000 years old you know its going to be a conservative (at least in my experience). Additionally, conservatives seem much more prone to fallacious arguments and misinformation.

I do have a genuine question (I'm not just voicing my opinion). Assuming this is true (and it seems to be in my experience), what are some possible reasons behind this? If you ever talk to a highly educated person, you know that there is a 90% chance he wont be conservative.

:lamo

On the other hand, whenever one read a post like yours, it's hysterical to think how stupid they must be to think people buy it.

 

[Fiddytree]

I could have discussed how many recent populist conservatives are generally anti-intellectual, but I feel the need to state that you could find anti-scientific, fallacious rhetoric in many different arenas. William Jennings Bryan occupied a political space in which he was against many conservatives in the Democratic and Republican parties, and yet fought tooth and nail to ensure that evolution in public education was removed from consideration. You can find fallacious arguments everywhere, regardless of political ideology. Folks that love Rachel Maddow participate in promoting ridiculous arguments in a similar way as those that love Limbaugh or Beck.

 

[CriticalThought]

I am a conservative myself, and I often feel a little embarrassed to admit it. If you ever see someone denying global warming or evolution, or saying that the world is 6000 years old you know its going to be a conservative (at least in my experience). Additionally, conservatives seem much more prone to fallacious arguments and misinformation.

I do have a genuine question (I'm not just voicing my opinion). Assuming this is true (and it seems to be in my experience), what are some possible reasons behind this? If you ever talk to a highly educated person, you know that there is a 90% chance he wont be conservative.

There are plenty of dumb liberals. I think smart conservatives are less vocal. A lot of people on both sides just parrot what they hear from the media and pundits.

 

[Deuce]

I am a conservative myself, and I often feel a little embarrassed to admit it. If you ever see someone denying global warming or evolution, or saying that the world is 6000 years old you know its going to be a conservative (at least in my experience). Additionally, conservatives seem much more prone to fallacious arguments and misinformation.

I do have a genuine question (I'm not just voicing my opinion). Assuming this is true (and it seems to be in my experience), what are some possible reasons behind this? If you ever talk to a highly educated person, you know that there is a 90% chance he wont be conservative.

I think a relatively small demographic of conservative voters happens to be the religious fundamentalist sort, because these people have been deliberately courted by the GOP. This is the source of the anti-science crowd, the sort of people who have been told all their lives that science was trying to destroy faith in God, or something. Sadly, this demographic seems to be expanding. Or maybe it's just that modern communications allows them to be louder, more obnoxious, and more organized than before.

The "highly educated = 90% liberal" is outright incorrect. Higher education generally goes with higher income levels, and higher income levels tend to skew more conservative.

 

[Fiddytree]

Pretty much this is why.

View attachment 67154565

The facts of almost any political situation suggest the left wing position, be it on poverty and welfare, voter ID, this shutdown, and science. The argument from the right wing relies on things that aren't true being true, like a widespread group of people abusing welfare and choosing to live on it or widespread fraudulent voting.

Why does it seem like right wingers are less knowledgeable? Because right wing positions are based on ignoring knowledge.

So the nuclear freeze movement held a viable, scientifically, and politically reliable solution to nuclear weapons-and those that stood opposed were just ignoring knowledge?

Let's not get ridiculous here.

 

[sangha]

I am a conservative myself, and I often feel a little embarrassed to admit it. If you ever see someone denying global warming or evolution, or saying that the world is 6000 years old you know its going to be a conservative (at least in my experience). Additionally, conservatives seem much more prone to fallacious arguments and misinformation.

I do have a genuine question (I'm not just voicing my opinion). Assuming this is true (and it seems to be in my experience), what are some possible reasons behind this? If you ever talk to a highly educated person, you know that there is a 90% chance he wont be conservative.

Because conservatism is based on the absurd notion that instead of making decisions on the basis of evidence, we should base our decisions on what we've always done, even if it's not working.

 

[Diogenes]

I could have discussed how many recent populist conservatives are generally anti-intellectual, but I feel the need to state that you could find anti-scientific, fallacious rhetoric in many different arenas. William Jennings Bryan occupied a political space in which he was against many conservatives in the Democratic and Republican parties, and yet fought tooth and nail to ensure that evolution in public education was removed from consideration. You can find fallacious arguments everywhere, regardless of political ideology. Folks that love Rachel Maddow participate in promoting ridiculous arguments in a similar way as those that love Limbaugh or Beck.

Very well said! :applaud

 

[ARealConservative]

I am a conservative myself, and I often feel a little embarrassed to admit it. If you ever see someone denying global warming or evolution, or saying that the world is 6000 years old you know its going to be a conservative (at least in my experience). Additionally, conservatives seem much more prone to fallacious arguments and misinformation.

I do have a genuine question (I'm not just voicing my opinion). Assuming this is true (and it seems to be in my experience), what are some possible reasons behind this? If you ever talk to a highly educated person, you know that there is a 90% chance he wont be conservative.

spend some time in the economic discussions and you will quickly feel the opposite.

 

[ethanUNC]

I think a relatively small demographic of conservative voters happens to be the religious fundamentalist sort, because these people have been deliberately courted by the GOP. This is the source of the anti-science crowd, the sort of people who have been told all their lives that science was trying to destroy faith in God, or something. Sadly, this demographic seems to be expanding. Or maybe it's just that modern communications allows them to be louder, more obnoxious, and more organized than before.

The "highly educated = 90% liberal" is outright incorrect. Higher education generally goes with higher income levels, and higher income levels tend to skew more conservative.

Highly educated =\= bachelors degrees and professional degrees like MBAs. Think PhDs. All of them are liberals.

 

[Neomalthusian]

The facts of almost any political situation suggest the left wing position, be it on poverty and welfare, voter ID, this shutdown, and science... (?)

Go ahead, finish your sentence.

The argument from the right wing relies on things that aren't true being true, like a widespread group of people abusing welfare and choosing to live on it or widespread fraudulent voting.

There is no singular argument from the right wing (or from the left wing). Both wings make generalizations. The ones who don't support them are weak. Neither wing has a majority stakehold on this.

Because right wing positions are based on ignoring knowledge.

No, partisan positions are based on ignoring knowledge.

 

[ethanUNC]

spend some time in the economic discussions and you will quickly feel the opposite.

Economics is probably conservatives' weakest area. Libertarianism is incorrect; it is rejected by all academic economists

 

[Diogenes]

Highly educated =\= bachelors degrees and professional degrees like MBAs. Think PhDs. All of them are liberals.

Be careful not to confuse "educated" with merely "schooled." Some of the most helpless and misinformed people I've ever met had PhD degrees. On the other hand I have met some very well educated people who didn't finish high school; and Eric Hoffer was, IMO, one of the most astute political philosophers of the 20th century.

 

[Neomalthusian]

Economics is probably conservatives' weakest area. Libertarianism is incorrect; it is rejected by all academic economists

So what is it that makes you conservative?

The widespread acceptance of demand-side economics nowadays does not prove its detractors to be intellectually weak. It simply proves that it is the prevailing theory of the day. Many, many economics experts were balking at the possibility of a housing bubble in the mid-2000s, for example. Keynesian economists avoid the thought of reining in spending when times ARE actually good, even though they sell their theories that way when times are bad. Many academic economists followed Greenspan's lead in assuming financial markets required very little regulation, even though he ALSO voiced concern about the risks inherent to derivatives in the early 2000s.

Economists are all over the map. They flip flop their commentaries when it's convenient for them. If you look back over the last 30 years, it should be easy to find all sorts of reasons why skepticism of the prevailing economic thought du jour might be warranted.

 

[ethanUNC]

Be careful not to confuse "educated" with merely "schooled." Some of the most helpless and misinformed people I've ever met had PhD degrees. On the other hand I have met some very well educated people who didn't finish high school; and Eric Hoffer was, IMO, one of the most astute political philosophers of the 20th century.

Agreed.

 

[Master PO]

Because conservatism is based on the absurd notion that instead of making decisions on the basis of evidence, we should base our decisions on what we've always done, even if it's not working.

really? do you know how many times I have ran across liberals who base their decisions on their emotional feelings.

"BUT!BUT!...ITS FOR THE CHILDREN!"

 

[lizzie]

I do have a genuine question (I'm not just voicing my opinion). Assuming this is true (and it seems to be in my experience), what are some possible reasons behind this? If you ever talk to a highly educated person, you know that there is a 90% chance he wont be conservative.

It probably depends on the type of education they have. I know a good many doctors, and almost across the board, they are conservative.

 

[Deuce]

Highly educated =\= bachelors degrees and professional degrees like MBAs. Think PhDs. All of them are liberals.

Is there some kind of survey to that effect?

 

[ARealConservative]

Economics is probably conservatives' weakest area. Libertarianism is incorrect; it is rejected by all academic economists

riiiight.

in that same vein compassion is the liberals weakest area.

 

[Gaugingcatenate]

Pretty much this is why.

View attachment 67154565

The facts of almost any political situation suggest the left wing position, be it on poverty and welfare, voter ID, this shutdown, and science. The argument from the right wing relies on things that aren't true being true, like a widespread group of people abusing welfare and choosing to live on it or widespread fraudulent voting.

Why does it seem like right wingers are less knowledgeable? Because right wing positions are based on ignoring knowledge.

Really.

The left wing positions are just that good are they? I'd have to give you the nod, your folks really did take on the battle against poverty, loved the way y'all skillfully escalated that into a full-fledged WAR creating, somehow, more and more of it, spread the wealth of poverty one could almost say...destroying many of existing self-reliant communities with that sweet smelling cure all, that too rubbed ointment, that of liberal feel good posturing...yes, step right up, welfare included, expanded, then contracted finally now expanding wonderfully once again, more and more and more on the road to more and more food stamps...bravo...

:applaud

Then, of course, your folks have had all those, just countless, ever successful other hits. Lets see, ummm... well for instance, remember the various psuedo-"science" scares including global warming, the Alar scare, the Hetro AIDs scare of the 80-90s, the Anti-vaccine quack quack quackery scare, the idea/scare that we were going to have a population explosion, accompanying starvation scare, the other idea/scare that we were running out of natural resources [ see: Simon–Ehrlich Wager ] and who could leave, ever think to leave, out the grandmamma liberal success of them all, that known but hidden Holocaust perpetrated worldwide, was it Ecocide, or maybe they call it Environcide, of millions sentenced annually, unjustly, to the hideous illness and millions and millions of deaths to malaria...courtesy of that belief engendered in the almost liberally sacred tome, "Silent Spring", being almost blasphemous to even bring up the name Rachel Carson in the same sentence as the mass murder of so many of the world wide poverty stricken....

:bravo::bravo:

Very well done, one must say...

And lest we forget, that is not even bringing up the crimes of those other outstanding leftists, the Leninists, Stalinists, Maoists, Pol Potists, blah blah blah ad nauseam...

 

[thinkforyoursel]

Besides education ...another trait that makes the casual observer think republicans are dumb is their propensity to act against their very own interest.

 

[ReformCollege]

I am a conservative myself, and I often feel a little embarrassed to admit it. If you ever see someone denying global warming or evolution, or saying that the world is 6000 years old you know its going to be a conservative (at least in my experience). Additionally, conservatives seem much more prone to fallacious arguments and misinformation.

I do have a genuine question (I'm not just voicing my opinion). Assuming this is true (and it seems to be in my experience), what are some possible reasons behind this? If you ever talk to a highly educated person, you know that there is a 90% chance he wont be conservative.

On a side note, what do you consider "highly educated?"
Some of the sharpest people I know don't hold Ph.D's and I know Ph.D's with rocks for brains. Which group are you referring to that falls into your "90%" category.