Emotions vs Intellect

I find it truly amazing that the liberal/progressive left in this country can characterize conservatives or Republicans as less intellectual than themselves. As the elites, they consider themselves more intelligent, better educated and more capable of handling/solving all of the world’s ills/problems. They claim that they react on an intellectual level to things, versus those on the right who are much more prone to unenlightened emotional responses.

In the words of F.A. Hayek, that will prove to be a fatal conceit.

Take a look at the hot button issues of our time and the millions spent on ad campaigns, protests, and rallies. Then there are the soundbites from politicians or special interest group spokespersons on these news shows on the major networks and the cable news outlets. Both sides have mobilized the troops to do battle, and at times have made the truth a casualty in their war of ideas. The politics of fear knows no party affiliation and just about everyone has been guilty of using scare tactics. But it is the left more than their counterparts on the right who have “dumbed down” their message for the masses. Why?

Because it needs to play on an emotional level. Remember, they are the intellectually superior group, they understand the arguments and the logic behind it all, but don’t expect everyone else to be able to do the same. It’s much easier to hand out Cliff Notes, which oh by the way don’t even come close to fleshing out things in detail, or revealing any of the little nuances that only the real McCoy has the ability to do. But then again, we’re not supposed to be able to see things the same way that they do. We can’t possibly understand all of the potential ramifications concerning the issues at large. We can’t grasp concepts like the idea of cause and effect or the law of unintended consequences. We just don’t have what it takes, but they do.

So, everything is engineered to happen on an emotional level because it’s the best way to communicate with the great unwashed masses. Which ultimately means that: it’s just not the conservatives or Republicans they consider themselves superior to, but everyone else as well.