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> If you can’t steelman any topic, you don’t understand the topic. This fundamentally misunderstands the actual Republican position, and it does so in the way

> If you can’t steelman any topic, you don’t understand the topic. This fundamentally misunderstands the actual Republican position, and it does so in the way that they are intending to trick you into doing. If they cared about lives, they would protect schoolchildren. If they cared about lives, they would protect the poor. If they cared about lives, they'd care about death from car accidents, from Covid, from lack of medical care. They don't. So it's not about caring about lives, trivially.

rhino369 4y ago
I think it is you who fundamentally misunderstand their viewpoint. You are mistaking not agreeing with your proposed solutions with not caring about the problem. They largely believe that government welfare programs of the 1960s and 70s destroyed communities and caused a larger amount of suffering and death. They earnestly believe that a better economy will be more successful at reducing homelessness than (in their view) crack-filled government housing. The right smears the left with similar accusations. Every time an illegal immigrants rapes/murders/etc. you'll see them accusing liberals of the same thing--not caring about children's lives, etc.
- zorpner 4y ago
  How, specifically, does this explain their opposition to masking and vaccination?
  - rhino369 4y ago
    They don't trust government policy makers are telling the truth about the effectiveness of masks and vaccinations--the same reason many democratic block voters like African Americans have low mask and vaccination usage rates. Part of that is caused by stupid conspiracy theories and scientific illiteracy, but partially because its pretty obvious the government does lie to use when they think its for our own good. Though part of it is valuing individual liberty over a slight reduction in risk of death. They are more willing to value sending kids back to school even if it means some 80 years olds die a few years earlier.

rhino369 4y ago

I think it is you who fundamentally misunderstand their viewpoint. You are mistaking not agreeing with your proposed solutions with not caring about the problem. They largely believe that government welfare programs of the 1960s and 70s destroyed communities and caused a larger amount of suffering and death. They earnestly believe that a better economy will be more successful at reducing homelessness than (in their view) crack-filled government housing. The right smears the left with similar accusations. Every time an illegal immigrants rapes/murders/etc. you'll see them accusing liberals of the same thing--not caring about children's lives, etc.

zorpner 4y ago
How, specifically, does this explain their opposition to masking and vaccination?
- rhino369 4y ago
  They don't trust government policy makers are telling the truth about the effectiveness of masks and vaccinations--the same reason many democratic block voters like African Americans have low mask and vaccination usage rates. Part of that is caused by stupid conspiracy theories and scientific illiteracy, but partially because its pretty obvious the government does lie to use when they think its for our own good. Though part of it is valuing individual liberty over a slight reduction in risk of death. They are more willing to value sending kids back to school even if it means some 80 years olds die a few years earlier.