I try very hard to curb my tendency to stereotype conservatives as stupid and liberals as smart, because I know it's unwise to paint people with such a broad brush.
The results of this study are just too damn sweet, though. And somehow, not at all surprising.
I don't think conservatives are necessarily stupid (though there are plenty, I suspect you will find plenty of not so bright liberals, too) but they do have a completely different take on not only scarcity and resource distribution but, perhaps more importantly, human nature. By and large, conservatives have a very Hobbesian view -- humans are naturally selfish and destructive and need to be controlled. I find liberals to generally have a more generous view of human nature and look for ways to ensure that we don't push generally good people into anti-social behaviour. So yes, parenting can be very important. (and it seems you are doing a great job)
I also agree about kids having their own personalities right from day one. As parents we have to work with that personality. As Barbara Ehrenreich once said 'Children are not salmon mousse. You cannot mold them.'
On the other hand, I think there are a lot of other variables that are as or more important that aren't getting play. Plus, there's a whole vein of pscyo-poli sci literature from the 1950s about "the authoritarian personality" of the Germans and what not, that turned out to be a non-enduring phenomenon. While it's fun to say "whiners become republicans" I think a more general interpretation would be "people who establish a pattern of turning to authority to solve their problems when young, set a precedent for turning to authority later." Could happen to any ideological stripe, and also leaves room for the kind of politics in any system at any given time.
They sound like my two. Noah didn't make a peep when born but France made a full "Alien" entrance.
I think a more general interpretation would be "people who establish a pattern of turning to authority to solve their problems when young, set a precedent for turning to authority later." Could happen to any ideological stripe, and also leaves room for the kind of politics in any system at any given time.
Binky, this is an excellent point. I've seen this tendency in people whose politics are anything but conservative, but who are dogmatic in other ways, be it diet, religious belief, or what have you. I think of these folks as 'dogma-seekers,' for lack of a better name.
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