It is not just ideology that stands in marked contrast, but the very lexicon. For Liberals it is intentions that matter most, regardless of results. Conservatives look at the Results of government programs, Regardless of intention.
Liberals think the Great Society programs were resounding successes. They tell the story of providing "succor", and "hope" for the poor. But, LBJ's War on Poverty, has not accomplished any part of it's proclaimed goals. There is ACTUALLY more poverty now, than existed in 1964. The Great Society social programs that were supposed to lift Blacks out of poverty and into the American Dream, have, in fact, achieved the opposite. In 1960, 62% of black families were two parent households, and self supporting, Today that is down to 29%. Black illegitimacy, in 1960, was 21%, it is now 70%. Black teen unemployment in 1960 was 26%, it is now 49%.
Conservatives see these results as failure. Liberals do not see these results, choosing, instead to focus on the WISH, that intentions trump reality.
It is the same for Social Security. Liberals claim this to be the most spectacularly successful government program ever. They ignore the underfunding from it's inception. Ida may fuller was the first SS recipient. She had paid $22.74 into the system, yet received $22,887.56 from it before she died. Those collecting today, paid into the system at much lower rates than todays workers. thanks to changes in the system made by LBJ, every year since 1968, Congress has spent every dollar received in social security payments, replacing it with IOU's. Liberals cling to this "trust fund" fantasy, claiming the program is solvent until 2037(even the SSA recently revised this down to 2033). Conservatives look at the $18 trillion in unfunded liabilities and say, "but there is not CASH to pay beneficiaries".
What has changed is the the two ideologies now effectively speak different languages, and until we BOTH face reality, as it is, with neither spin, nor varnish, fixing our economy is impossible. Liberals are currently like the Alcoholic that refuses to recognize that he has a problem. Until they are willing to face our economic realities, and answer the question; Where does the money come from? There can be no solution.
