Sharks vs. Jets

The liberal/conservative labels are a myth.  Take climate change: wanting to conserve and save the planet is a conservative position.  It’s about accountability.  The progressives are supposed to be the ones shouting “FORWARD!” at all costs and not thinking about the consequences; isn’t that the argument the GOP keeps making about spending?  Instead, because the Left got to the climate change issue first, the Right has to be against it; they’ve let their opponents define them. 

Gay marriage: again, it’s a conservative point.  This whole debate has made people really think about what marriage means, in a positive light, for the first time in generations.  It reinforces conservative morality regarding the family, because it strengthens our respect for marriage.  But the Right is against it because it’s a bunch of dirty Sodomites we’re talking about letting into the tent.

And then there’s “Defense.”  Since when is it a conservative American value to be for nation-building and empire?  The whole point of America is, they come to us, we don’t go to them.  We don’t say, “We’re coming for your huddled masses.”  And the conservative American tradition has been from the beginning that we MIND OUR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS.  We don’t care about what happens in Europe, or wherever; we won’t get involved in your wars unless we’re attacked.  And you know what?  That’s the way it should be, IMO. 

The point is, the terms liberal and conservative have been abused to the point that they’re just roughly equivalent to “Sharks” and “Jets”.  They don’t mean what they’re supposed to mean, and are defined largely by being in opposition to what the other guy is for.  This cuts both ways, but it sure seems to me that the Right does it more… but what do I know?