Fat hurts wrote:
eric a blair wrote:this is false. conservatives believe their path is better for the nation. it isn't just about power.
for example, they think the states can regulate polluters better than the federal government can.
There are plenty of conservative true believers out there, but I don't think many of them care enough about pollution to give a logical reason why pollution is better regulated by the states.
Middle class conservatives think pollution is the price you pay for jobs.
The conservatives who actually run things think pollution is the price you pay for being middle class. Pollution doesn't affect the rich, so why should we care?
I think you are dismissing conservative thought too easily. Look, it's a spectrum - some conservatives are wise and forward thinking, others are greedy dolts, but there are valid arguments for trying to localize regulation. Wetlands are notoriously difficult to regulate from DC - making the same rules for wetlands in tropical FL and farmland NE just doesn't make any sense.
I don't have time to dig up papers...but if you are on Facebook head over to Ben Sasse's page and look for his short video of him talking about the Russia thing. He points out that it shoudln't be a partisan issue. Same with many issues - saying things like 'republicans don't care about pollution' is just blind partisanship.