The biases of reality

The Oklahoman isn't shy about running letters that use pejoratives to describe progressives and progressive views-- calling politicians like "socialist" or accusing people on the left of being ignorant of history, and so on.

Thus, it's somewhat humorous to read a letter by Charles Beattie of Midwest City that ran recently. He writes:

Many liberals view any argument from the other side as uninformed, bigoted, backward or evil. Many try to hurt those they disagree with. Think of how Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is asking private banks not to do business with gun manufacturers. Or how he reacted to Chick-fil-A's owner's opinion on gay marriage. As has been said, President Obama and the Democrats have an enemies list; the most recent target is the National Rifle Association. If the left wants a serious debate, it could start by being less condescending and patronizing and look at the legitimate views of its political opponents.

There is something to be said for having honest, civil discussion. However, that can only really happen when both sides dwell in reality and unfortunately, the right wing establishment too often chooses to live in a fantasy world unbound by facts.

Indeed, it isn't hard to view the right wing as "uninformed, bigoted, backward or evil" precisely because the positions they advocate are, well, just that. Take the comments of Mr. Beattie himself. Back in May, he wrote:

Democrats aren't telling the facts on the economy. Fact is, the stimulus was a failure. The real unemployment rate is higher because of those who just left the workforce, most jobs added are part time and 340,000 women have left the workforce. That's not proof of getting better; it's the opposite. President Obama and many Democrats have this extremism against businesses, coal and oil. The same extremism is seen from the Occupy protesters. What they want is the same policies socialist French President-elect Francois Hollande supports. That would be devastating to the U.S.

There couldn't be a clearer example of "uninformed" and "backward" if you looked. Was the stimulus a failure? Hardly. Indeed, it is generally agreed that while it was too small, it did help stave off unemployment and keep the economy from plunging into a depression.

Interestingly, even people like Paul Ryan accept this this-- even if only deep down inside. After all, he wrote to the U.S. Department of Energy in suppost of stimulus money for his district, noting at one point that the money would "stimulate the local and area economy by creating new jobs." Again: this is Paul Ryan-- the guy who ran for Vice President. And, of course, the guy who also said that the stimulus failed.

How is this possible? Well, either he is uninformed, needs to take his meds, or he is just evil-- willing to lie to the American public to further his political career even if it means millions more Americans suffer through this economic crisis.

There are plenty of other examples that highlight how "uninformed" the right is. Take the "debate" surrounding evolution, for example. It is hard to talk about education and science with a segment of the population that is willfully ignorant of basic facts, asking stupid questions like "if evolution is true why are there still monkeys?" as though that's the zinger that proves the whole thing is false.

Unfortunately for people like Mr. Beattie, reality has a well-known liberal bias. And when you opt to reject reality because it doesn't jibe with your theocratically/plutocratically-driven agenda, then you actually are deserving of that condescension you complain about.