Political Myths
One of the well known conventional wisdoms in politics is that liberals "care more" about the poor and downtrodden. A new book entitled "Who really Cares? takes a look at the giving patterns of conservatives and liberals. His findings (as reported by Thomas Sowell) may startle some.
"People who identify themselves as conservatives donate money to charity more often than people who identify themselves as liberals. They donate more money and a higher percentage of their incomes. It is not that conservatives have more money. Liberal families average 6 percent higher incomes than conservative families. "
That's fine, but money isn't everything. As someone who volunteers at school and 4H and in city issues, I know that manpower is desperately needed. Surely the liberals donate their time, right?
"Conservatives not only donate more money to charity than liberals do, conservatives volunteer more time as well. More conservatives than liberals also donate blood. According to Brooks: "If liberals and moderates gave blood at the same rate as conservatives, the blood supply of the United States would jump about 45 percent."
Oh snap! That kinda throws the conventional wisdom under the bus. Let me guess...the author went in to the research with a set outcome in mind and he manipulated the data to get the desired result...
"Brooks admits that the facts he uncovered were the opposite of what he expected to find — so much so that he went back and checked these facts again, to make sure there was no mistake."
Another theory flushed.....oh well back to the drawing board. Sadly, the idealistic liberal youth are actuall worse than their elders when it comes to giving of their time and their money.
"The vision of the left exalts the young especially as idealists while the more conservative vision warns against the narrowness and shallowness of the inexperienced. This study found young liberals to make the least charitable contributions of all, whether in money, time or blood. Idealism in words is not idealism in deeds."
Hmmm....maybe the conservatives are the uncaring, unfeeling Scrooges that the left would have you believe...
"People who identify themselves as conservatives donate money to charity more often than people who identify themselves as liberals. They donate more money and a higher percentage of their incomes. It is not that conservatives have more money. Liberal families average 6 percent higher incomes than conservative families. "
That's fine, but money isn't everything. As someone who volunteers at school and 4H and in city issues, I know that manpower is desperately needed. Surely the liberals donate their time, right?
"Conservatives not only donate more money to charity than liberals do, conservatives volunteer more time as well. More conservatives than liberals also donate blood. According to Brooks: "If liberals and moderates gave blood at the same rate as conservatives, the blood supply of the United States would jump about 45 percent."
Oh snap! That kinda throws the conventional wisdom under the bus. Let me guess...the author went in to the research with a set outcome in mind and he manipulated the data to get the desired result...
"Brooks admits that the facts he uncovered were the opposite of what he expected to find — so much so that he went back and checked these facts again, to make sure there was no mistake."
Another theory flushed.....oh well back to the drawing board. Sadly, the idealistic liberal youth are actuall worse than their elders when it comes to giving of their time and their money.
"The vision of the left exalts the young especially as idealists while the more conservative vision warns against the narrowness and shallowness of the inexperienced. This study found young liberals to make the least charitable contributions of all, whether in money, time or blood. Idealism in words is not idealism in deeds."
Hmmm....maybe the conservatives are the uncaring, unfeeling Scrooges that the left would have you believe...
posted by The Lady Logician at
7:28 PM
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