3. Why do "intellectuals" often lean left?

Why do "intellectuals" often lean left?

I used to wonder this, because I grew up conservative and only changed to center-left in my 40's

The change happened due to life events that caused me to see issues more broadly:

  • A Mexican republican in the 90's made me realize how many immigrants do jobs we DONT WANT, and they keep our food prices lower. This softened my stance on immigrants.

  • I had a child with autism in the years pre-ACA. Asking insurers not to gouge us, and that they cover therapies that can make him a productive taxpayer were contrary to GOP principles. Once again, seeing the issue more broadly made conservatism seem like it stands on wobbly legs.

  • a co-worker from europe got me to realize that the GOP is not about fiscal responsibility. In real numbers our military is incredibly large compared to all other budget categories. The oceans separating us from our adversaries make these costs unnecessary. The world would be just as stable if we had a fraction of the current military buildup, and we could ramp up quickly if needed. The entire military complex exists to fatten the wealth of industrial titans. 'patriotism' is used to manipulate us into supporting it without question. Note: I'm a 6yr navy vet. I'm plenty patriotic without blindly dumping our financial future into government suppliers.

I cannot prevent you from thinking I'm arrogant today, but my beliefs come from seeing BOTH sides of an issue and taking more factors into account before drafting an opinion. I believe conservative opinions are sound -- as long as you limit the inputs that factor into your decision. I'm not saying conservatives are dumb. My wife worked for a GOP Congressman for a decade, and I knew PHDs on his staff. What I'm saying is that cognitive dissonance is real. Partisans are guilty of it on both sides, but conservatives limit their input to a far greater extent.

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