Thursday 24 June 2010

Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.

today was an amazing day for australian politics and it was kind of hilariously depressing for me.
i am one of what seems to be a very small number of left leaning people in my workplace, for those who might not know, that means "my" party is in power and "their" party is not. the conservatives seem pretty concerned about a change of leadership in what is not their preferred government. what stuns me is this, they're not happy because their party isnt in power, how can they be even more not happy when the party they already hate changes it's leader?
there were some choice statements

"she's unfeminine and ugly"

what i imagined i said: looked in the mirror lately sweetheart? and if you wear nicer clothes will that make you better at your job??

"i liked the other guy cos he went for walks a lot"

i'll forgive you saying that because you must have heard your parents say it but thinking that your parents might be saying that is a real worry

"i liked the other guy because he went to major sporting events"

would you have thought he was a great prime minister if he loved the arts??

"now we have women as governor general, state premier and prime minister and the country is still going down hill"

WTF????

20 comments:

  1. Conservatives, in general, aren't happy unless they're unhappy. So the unhappier you can make them, the happier they are about being unhappy.

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  2. What do Conservatives actually conserve? Is their serve a con?

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  3. All the usual vacuous comments on a woman taking power. But I hear she's very left-wing, that sounds good to me.

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  4. It matters not which country you live in - it seems that the conservatives are the same. Amen to your post title.

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  5. but...I'm a conservative! And aren't I one of the cleverest, most tolerant, eccentric people you know?

    I know you qualified your statement, but still, I have to defend myself...

    To be totally honest with you, most of the smartest people I know here in the states are either libertarians or conservatives.

    I know many many truly idiotic liberals. Trust me on this one.

    Not to mention, I blame the Democratic party for preventing us from having our first ever woman president.

    Ahhhh...I feel better now. That was fun!

    Well, you probably knew I'd have to go there...
    xo

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  6. by the way, I meant to add a self-deprecating icon-wink to my claim of cleverness...

    ; )

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  7. but I won't argue with Bob's statement--I do enjoy being politically dissatisfied, I think it keeps me on my toes...

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  8. oh my GOD, what did i just read, it is inflamatory, caustic, i am not NOT A conservative, but their is only one other in town like that , a democrat {only one to admit it in the whole county and had his dog shot at by a conservative sheriff>>>jerry symes who has decided to move to boston when my family moves there} they are all tea partiers here who don't want health care for anyone unless you can write a check for $5000 on a whim>>>>we got people who believe in war and want 10 billion a month or a 100 billion a yeaar to go to it even >>>>they want their own gov't run out of their homes>>>what made you choose this topic kylie????this is worse than your religion topic>>>i could get lynched if any one fond me writing to you>>.love you>>.putz

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  9. I'm glad to see that voters in your part of the world--if the ones in your workplace are typical--are so entirely and inspirationally rational and issue-driven. Here, there is a great deal of emotion and name-calling that really has nothing to do with a candidate's positions or qualifications. Women candidates have it even worse than men. I know this must shock you.

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  10. P.S. I love your post's title.

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  11. bob,
    you funny man! i'll try to keep that in mind

    dad,
    i'm beginning to understand why i am a nut!

    nick,
    vacuous doesnt begin to describe it!

    alan,
    my title is actually a quote but i cant remember who said it and since i am no longer in school im not gonna look it up. so there :)

    leah,
    you, my dear, are an embarassment to the conservative name!
    self deprecating wink was understood but is now noted.
    political dissatisfaction prolly does keep you on your toes, i get that but this mob are spewing vitriol and i dont get it....

    putzy,
    i would never normally be so directly inflammatory but this mob were ASKING FOR IT!!!
    if you canm be one of two democrats in town then you have my admiration, well and truly and if they wanna lynch you just tell em to see me :)

    snow,
    yes, darl, it truly is a joy to be around such wonderful debate!

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  12. Spewing sexist vitriol won't earn my friendship either...

    I would've been livid.

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  13. hey leah!
    how amazing to catch y ou back here....when i was at work today i was thinking of some particularly clever comment to tell you the ugly comment was the worst.
    i forget the witty comment i was going to make but fact is the sexist stuff was the worst and i was livid and IT CAME FROM A WOMAN

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  14. OH BOY, BADLY EXPRESSED BUT I HOPE YOU GOT THE DRIFT.....

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  15. Unfortunately, some people feel like when something big happens (or even something little) that they must say SOMETHING about it, even if they don't know anything worth saying. Often that means they parrot some stupid joke or something they heard somewhere, if only to appear to add something to the conversation. You know, just make small talk. I'd like to think that what you heard was just attempted small talk and not the mutterings of sexist and superficial (and anti-redheadist; I'm sure you heard something along those lines too!) people. It's also a sign that many people are even ignorant of that fact that they're ignorant.

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  16. hey muser, you are so right!
    if you take a peek at bainos place she has a post up all about how the ignorant dont know they are ignorant.

    i have always had a policy that if you dont know about a subject, dont open your mouth but i suppose if you're ignorant enough you might not be able to recognise that point

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  17. I hate labels. But I guess there's no getting away from them.

    I have been following the situation over there with great interest.

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  18. I do know something, but not enough and Muser has alerted me that anyone who doesn't should shut their mouth. So I will. I'll file my nails and sit back and listen to all the banter because I think I'm one of "those" who shouldn't speak. Okay, contest: If you've read my blog, do I have nails to file? And Snow..."HEY BUDDY, YOU ABANDONED ME!!!!!!!!!!" Not funny. I'll return to bug you!

    Hi Bob.
    Hi Leah.
    Hi John.
    Hi Snow.
    Hi Muser.
    Hi Megs.
    Alan and Putz...glad to meet you!
    Kylie...don't get me started!

    XO

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  19. Hey Suzanne,

    I hope I didn't come off like a jerk with my previous comment. I don't object to people having a say, even if they're not experts. What I do have a problem with is when people who know nothing about a subject speak with some sort of self righteous authority and refuse to listen to reason or even an alternative point of view. That's true ignorance. So feel free to have your say. I'm sure it's well worth hearing. :-)

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  20. muser, puh-lease DONT encourage her!

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