Thread by @eyelessgame

I just came to a realization.

Conservatives have a moral sense we do not.

Specifically, they believe consequences are *necessary* in order to inform the perpetrator that there was misbehavior. (thread) 1/8

Conservatives believe children need to be spanked to be moral. They believe those who commit crimes need to be punished. They believe that you *must* pay for what you get.

There's a key implication to that which I don't think we as liberals really understand: 2/8

***Conservatives who are not punished for their misbehavior will never accept that they have done anything wrong.***

Think about that - I will. I am pretty sure this is key to their attitude in everything. 3/8

I think it is why they unconsciously don't think we liberals "really" believe what we believe: because we aren't willing to punish conservatives for getting in our way.

So long as they are getting away with it, they think it is acceptable. 4/8

This is why they always circle their wagons and why they think every businessman not currently in prison is ethically blameless.

Until the hammer comes down, nothing ethically wrong was done. In the absence of judgment, behavior is by definition legitimate. 5/8

But our tendency to forgive, accept an agreement to do better next time, let people up off the mat - *violates* the conservative sense of ethics, and it makes them think we are not ethical. 6/8

If we believed what we say, in other words, they would expect us to stick to our guns. To kick them when they are down. To drive the knife home. And we *lose their respect* when we don't.

Of course, they're perfectly willing to be the punisher themselves when they want. 7/8

I am going to chew on this realization for a while but I'm pretty convinced it's valid. The only way to gain a conservative's respect is to punish them for their mistakes.

When we get to the post-Trump era, whether next week or in two years, keep this in mind. 8/8