“It is a commonplace observation that liberals believe in the perfectibility of man while conservatives believe in the endurance of original sin. Superficially, that would suggest that conservatives take a more understanding and indulgent view of individual lapses, while liberals take a more harshly judgmental one. In fact, we know, quite the opposite is the case.”
In Defense of Elitism
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William A. Henry III 8
American critic 1950–1994Related quotes
“For conservatives, seeing is believing; for liberals, believing is seeing.”
Column, August 24, 2008, "Little Rhetoric Riding Hood" http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/will082408.php3 at jewishworldreview.com.
2000s
Interview with Larry King http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/10/08/trump.transcript/ CNN (October 1999)
1990s
“Conservatives believe in equality of opportunity. Liberals believe in equality of outcome.”
Rocky Mountain News column, 2000
Source: The Flame is Green (1971), Ch. 5 : Muerte De Boscaje
Context: Things are set up as contraries that are not even in the same category. Listen to me: the opposite of radical is superficial, the opposite of liberal is stingy; the opposite of conservative is destructive. Thus I will describe myself as a radical conservative liberal; but certain of the tainted red fish will swear that there can be no such fish as that. Beware of those who use words to mean their opposites. At the same time have pity on them, for usually this trick is their only stock in trade.
Source: 1990s, Liberty A to Z (2004), p. 127
Originally column published as "No-Respect Politics" in The Washington Post (26 July 2002) https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/2002/07/26/no-respect-politics/f7f00171-0731-4fd8-9c07-7fae9ecb725f/
Source: 2010s, 2013, Things That Matter: Three Decades of Passions, Pastimes and Politics (2013), Chapter 3 : Pride and Prejudices, "The Central Axiom of Partisan Politics".