George Lakoff is a linguistics professor at UC Berkeley and author of numerous books on metaphors, framing and politics. Howard Dean has called him, "one of the most influential political thinkers of the progressive movement." George was at our local bookstore talking about his latest book, The Political Mind. During the question and answer period, I asked him if he personally feels that Conservative Values have Failed and if so, how have they failed?
.
Failed Conservative Values: George Lakoff on It's Not Working
http://youtube.com/...
George: Yes Ed.
Edwin: I'm doing some work on the Failure of Conservative Values and I was wondering if you personally feel that conservative values have failed and if so, how have they failed?
George: There's not one answer, there are two, depending on how you frame it.
So, if you frame it the way George Packard has in his New Yorker article, where he says conservative values have failed. What he really means is that conservative ideology has run up against reality. It's not working in the real world and that's true in lots of cases. Even though conservatives said "if we are in power we create reality". And in many cases they have, they've gotten the government breaking down they have created all kinds of reality, that we now have to face, huge debts and so on, right?
It's not the case that that was wrong, they in fact did create reality that way. But in the case of, Iraq, Afghanistan, as we've heard today and in the case of our financial problems, they ran up against reality and don't have a way to actually deal with that. That's the way in which, quote "conservative values have failed" in dealing with certain aspects of reality that are extremely important.
However, they haven't failed, in the sense that they're out there in our brains. That those values are there governing public discourse still. That McCain can run on all the same old slogans. You know, the tax and spend liberals, the defeatists, the we can't surrender, etc. All the same stuff is out there in our brains, available for elections. They have not failed in that way. So, yes and no.
.
Failed Conservative Values Metaphors
George Lakoff made a reputation as a linguist studying metaphors. I've always enjoyed using metaphors so I've asked people to create metaphors of Failed Conservative Values. Here are some more of the creative images they came up with.
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Kenneth Arnold - Angry God and Authoritarianism
http://www.youtube.com/...
Of course, the first one that comes to mind is Lakoff’s – the strict father, conservative, or the angry God, you know, conservative value versus the nurturing mother, or the kind Madonna, or the compassionate Buddha on the progressive side. That’s what I see on that.
.
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Arun Akkineni - Strict Teacher and Authoritarianism
http://www.youtube.com/...
I actually look at conservative values as an old school teacher with a big stick. And I guess that’s how conservative values have been, a strict father and his way of disciplining someone. That person will be more concerned with everything around them, and that concern will make them more efficient in the free market. That’s a conservative value for me.
Whereas when you think about progressive values it’s more like, I’m growing, I’m nurturing, I’m also doing for others around me. I think of my mind as expanding, I learning things, I’m very open in my perspective. And I also tend to be more scholarly – you’re learning all the time.
That to me are progressive values. And the essence of life, because there is so much to learn and grab around you. And each time you get a new perspective, it enhances your shell of what it is around you.
That to me is the fundamental difference between progressive and conservative values. A strict father versus a tree
.
Progressive Values Metaphor: Jim Dean - Hybrid v Largest SUV
http://www.youtube.com/...
Edwin: A Metaphor for Progressive Values?
Jim: Certainly some of the hybrid cars come to mind. Simply because they serve a lot of different purposes, not just being good on gas. They are enormously practical. They have a certain style to them, but again, they are driven by pragmatism, not ostentatious like "who has the biggest car on the block"-type culture.
I think they have what really appeals to Americans, since they have applied practical ideas as to how to run government and how to run the politics of this government. That’s the first thing that comes to mind. I’m not too good at word association, but certainly, it’s that sort of pragmatic approach.
You see that a lot in a lot of different communities. You know, I work a lot in Vermont – that’s where our office is. You see people who look at this thing as not about left or right. Not about Republicans versus Democrats, but again, about a culture of activism over a culture of incumbency.
The activist part is about simply getting a practical approach to getting government to work for its folks, for its people, for all of its taxpayers. It’s sort of being by right-wing ideology.
Edwin: Talking about right-wing ideology, what would conservative values be like? What metaphor would you have for them.
Jim:: Well, right now, SUVs, the largest SUV – the Yukon – it’s as great a word association as I can think of – other than the fact that it’s large, has absolutely no value at all. It uses up a lot of gas, it’s big and unwieldy. It’s difficult to drive, and all it does is make a statement that kind of irrelevant right now.
.
Failed Conservative Values Metaphor: Brian - Threatened Bear and Fear
http://www.youtube.com/...
It’s reverse Robin Hood. It’s help those who have. Protect those who have, instead of the whole bigger value of a society is judged by how it takes care of its least fortunate.
I don’t want to insult animals. You’re asking me to make a metaphor relating to the animals? Human being, whatever, in any microenvironment. Whatever is the most powerful animal that already has. Maybe a bear when they feel threatened. I think that’s a good one. A bear that feels threatened and then just strikes out and strikes everyone.
And it’s also the squirrel – the one that was not saving enough for the winter, too. Essentially, it is spending our inheritance. Our inheritance and our children’s inheritance, and then spending the wealth of our country.
When I say wealth, I don’t just mean money. I mean the moral influence, the moral authority that we have in the world as a self-proclaimed bastion of democracy and freedom.
.
What is your metaphor for the failed conservative values? For example, if conservative values were a type of machine, or land, or animal, etc., what would they be like?
Failed Conservative Values
I ask for your assistance to systematically build the arguments and tell the stories that reveal how Conservative Values have Failed. Join in our effort to create a documentary and book on the subject by contributing articles, posts, chapters for the book and video clips. Check our website for more information and a growing outline of tasks that need to be done on this project. http://progressivespirit.com/...
See More Progressive Values Stories:
http://progressivespirit.com/...
Edwin Rutsch
What Are Progressive Values? Documentary Project
http://ProgressiveSpirit.com
and Study Group
http://www.dfalink.com/...
Cross Posted To:
http://democracyforamerica.com/...
http://www.opednews.com/...
Coming soon will be a post with Arrianna Huffington answering my question, How have Conservative Values Failed?