THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume V, Issue # 33, February 18, 2003
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
WHAT IS A CONSERVATIVE? ALAN COLMES THINKS HE HAS THE ANSWER
By Paul Walfield
I wish to discusse the Liberal's view of Conservatives and how even the famous Alan Colmes of FoxNews, not only doctors news stories with a Left slant, he has a link on his website to a socalled "test" that determines which way you lean politically--a "test" that is, in itself, politically driven and decidedly biased.
This article delves into the seemingly virulent opposition the Left places on anything Republican, and attempts to explain why the Left, whether here or in Europe, exhibits so much animosity towards the present Bush administration.
Watching the FoxNews Channel can be a real eye opener. After years of watching the big network news programs, not to mention CNN, it has become clear that news, or rather how we are to perceive an event, is determined by the reporter. Whether done subtly, or not so subtly, watching the news has become a new experience for many in a quest to see how the same news story is handled by the various news outlets.
Watching Hannity and Colmes a week ago added another dimension to the issue. During an interview with a socalled peace activist, it became apparent that the individual being interviewed not only found a need to trash American foreign policy, it was apparent that, when he spoke with Conservative Sean Hannity, there was a definite difference in his tone and visible expression than when he spoke to Liberal Alan Colmes. While that may be expected, it was a bit too much to be simply dismissed. I decided to visit Alan Colmes' website and see what Liberals were thinking.
Just looking at Alan Colmes' website displays news bias. While his website referred to a news story on the FoxNews.com website and says, "NATO War Planning Blocked," the actual headline on the news story is "Bush Scolds Dissenting NATO Allies, Dismisses Iraqi Overtures." The story referred to France, Belgium, and Germany voting to pre- vent NATO from protecting fellow NATO member Turkey from possible attack from Iraq. According to Mr. Colmes, NATO has been blocked from making war.
On the website, www.alan.com, there is a prominent link to "The Political Compass" website. The link takes you to a "test" that determines where you stand on the political spectrum, "Right? Left? Moderate? Take the test." So, I did.
When you reach the site, you are greeted with the usual "welcome," and you are given a bit of history on how the old standards in determining Left and Right are outmoded. After all, how can you reconcile the Leftist claims of Stalin or Gandhi? So far so good.
The test consists of six pages totaling 61 questions.
I started to read the questions aloud to myself and realized that, in order to ask the questions and determine who is "Right" and who is "Left," the author had to have a preconceived personal notion of who was who. It occurred to me that I was being a bit too analytical and proceeded.
The first question asked whether or not globalization should serve humanity or inter- national corporations. I guess, for the author, someone who prizes profit over mankind describes a person's political ideology; I tend to think it describes ones character.
The next question concerned an individual's devotion to his or her country; also a ques- tion which I believe goes to character and not necessarily Right or Left politics, unless, of course, you believe that one who is passionate about his patriotism belongs to only one political leaning.
The questions continue along the patriotism angle, then change course. On the first page there is a question about religious intolerance. According to the author, if you are big- oted, you have a tendency to fall into one or the other political ideologies being tested. Again, the author of the test has some rather odd preconceived notions of what comprises a Left or Right ideology.
There are questions about the "fusion" between entertainment and news, and, of course, questions regarding corporate greed, and the test-taker's opinion of people depending upon their "class background." There is even a question about the right of someone who is physically disabled to reproduce and whether "different sorts of people should keep to their own kind." Not to mention, "A woman's place is in the home."
While there seem to be a few questions that may, in fact, be telling in regards to your answers, the majority seem to concern themselves with an individual's character, rather than their politics. Whether or not someone is a racist or amoral or believes in the Bible does not necessarily determine one's political leanings, nor does ones willingness to "sometimes spank their children" have much to do with who you vote for.
While it was easy to glean the preconceived bias of the author by simply answering all the questions the same on two tests, except for two questions, and see where that put me on the political spectrum, it was more fascinating to understand the animosity of the Left for those on the Right.
I started taking the test to learn what the Left thought, and found they thought very little of the Right.
We hear how Europe hates America--how the European elites look down on our Presi- dent and his administration and never did so when Bill Clinton was in power. Bill Clinton was not only not Rightwing; he tended to lean a bit to the Left.
The animosity towards the Conservative movement has been ferocious. It always seemed personal and not very well thought out. In fact, the Left, according to a New York Times story is on a search to find an "angry Liberal" to combat Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, and the like. While it is clearly the Left's intention to fight to regain power in the U.S.A., it is being pursued with an almost apocalyptic urgency. Now it is clearer why.
The Left sees the Right as not only bigots, misogynists, haters of art, child beaters, Bible thumpers, and just about anything else they disdain, they actually have tests to prove it. Well, not really. They just have a test that has already determined what you are by an author who no doubt needs to get out more.
The frightening part is that the Left views the Right not just as a political opponent but an impairment to "progress." The author of the test has even presumed how Britain's political leaders fall on the test scale of ideology today, and how they "felt" five years ago. Of course, this was also "scientifically" done, as it was based on speeches the politicians have given over the years. Makes you wonder about "progressives," and if they really do think.
The author, when confronted with criticism on the site's "Frequently Asked Questions," responds with the usual sound bites that, when scrutinized, cannot be upheld. For instance, when asked about his reference to religious intolerance, he responds that, because Hitler was on the extreme Right, bigots are classified as "Right." It makes no sense, unless you believe the present Conservative movement is just a hop skip and a jump from Hitler's ideology.
What is also revealing is the author's response to a question regarding cultural bias within the test. The author simply states that, yes, there is cultural bias, but the test is intended for civilized people, not the peasants living in "rural China." So much for the Liberal's embrace of diversity.
While the author of the test spoke of the "outmoded" ideas of what comprised a Con- servative or a Liberal, his use of Hitler as an example of the Right and Gandhi as an example of the Left, discredits his attempt to revamp what determines political ideology. His propositions are merely window dressing to an otherwise archaic mindset.
I wonder what Alan Colmes thinks about the "test?" Then again, its on his website, isn't it?
The Left, whether here or in Europe, have a number of thoughts and beliefs in common. However, knowing what and who they are up against isn't one of them.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
The News Media & Political Bias
Liberals, Statists, Socialists, & Other Leftists
Paul Walfield is a freelance writer and member of the State Bar of California, with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and post-graduate study in behavioral and analyt- ical psychology. He resided for a number of years in the small town of Houlton, Maine, and is now a California attorney. Paul can be contacted at the following email address: paul.walfield@cox.net
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THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
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Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
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