[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Whew! That was a long read with much food for thought. I don't know whether to go have a drink or begin writing a thesis. LOL

Go for a walk, THEN write the thesis.

Then ping me.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

a complex situation, young people too often ask others to chew it, swallow it and digest it for them, and then tell them in absolute terms which side is most appropriate to their general belief structure.

It's not just young people, my dear. Most adults, I fear, are precisely that way.

Think of how many people inhale when journalists (self-marketing journalism) tell them that "objectivity" is just a dial-click away. The mercy is that most of them, most of the time, don't trouble to vote the convictions of the journalists.

If you're in doubt of that, just ask how many journalists disagree with the notion that journalism exists to "comfort the afflicted--and afflict the comfortable." Hardly any would strongly object to that. But then, how do they hope to accomplish that if not by influencing politics? And just what political influence would trying to get the government to "comfort the afflicted--and afflict the comfortable" be?

In the mouth of a journalist, "objectivity" is a codeword for socialism.