We've long heard of those "value voters," i.e., right- wing fundamentalists who have supported the Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid/ Shooter's Party for decades, ostensibly basing that support on a rather pinched, selective and self- affirming interpretation of the Bible's teachings. Neal Gabler has an interesting read about values -- good and bad -- and a simple way we can distinguish the two:
There actually is such a thing as good values and bad values, values that emanate from the best part of us, those better angels, and values that emanate from the worst. How do we know? Because our parents taught them to us. They taught us compassion, tolerance, charity, empathy for the less fortunate and those in need. [snip]
To put a sharper point on values, try applying the Golden Rule to our politics. How many Americans would like to be treated the way the Republicans vow to treat undocumented immigrants by deporting them or breaking up their families? How many would want to be on the other side of health insurance when the Republicans defund Obamacare? How many would want their children and grandchildren to live in a world of climate change that the Republicans deny exists? How many would like to be denied the right to vote because Republicans have pressed for voter suppression laws under the guise of protecting us from non-existent fraud? How many would want to lose food stamps when they need them to feed their children? (our emphasis)Gabler notes how this distinction between good and bad values is never reported by the media, much less "bad values" ever attributed to Republican policies. While the horrific, protozoan ugliness of Donald "Rump" Trump's "campaign" puts this distinction in the sharpest contrast we've ever seen, think about this the next time a media darling like shyster Speaker of the House Paul "Lyin'" Ryan hocks up a loogie about Republican "ideals" and "values" (see below). Guaranteed, you won't see any push- back or analysis from the media on whether those long- enunciated Republican "values" are good or bad.
A further test will be to see how many Republicans who give lip service to "values" will find a way to stomach the evil represented by Rump, whose idea of the Golden Rule is, "he who has the gold rules."
