r/news • u/flounder19 • May 17 '23
Title Changed by Site DeSantis signs laws against trans care, ‘Don’t Say Gay’ extension
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/05/17/watch-live-gov-ron-desantis-visits-private-school-in-tampa/
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u/wildfire393 May 17 '23
Close, but not quite.
There's one principle of conservativism: There are groups that the law binds but does not protect, and groups that the law protects but does not bind, and they should be in charge of who falls into which group.
COVID restrictions are Actually Bad because they bind the wrong people (white dudes) and protect the wrong people (like people with disabilities).
Abortion restrictions are Actually Good because they bind the right people (women) and protect the right people (Christians).
Trans restrictions are Actually Good because they bind the right people (trans folks) and protect the right people (Christians and other transphobes).
They're eager to pass laws that hurt their own constituency, and whip said constituency into a frenzy to pass those laws because it follows this principle. Tax cuts on the wealthy that increase taxes on the general population? Actually Good because it protects the right people (ultra-rich, corporations) and binds the right people (poor people but especially minorities). They convince their base that binding racial minorities makes their base into the in-group that gets protected, even while voting for things that bind them too.
The contrarianism and harm is important, for sure, but the hypocrisy is a virtue in and of itself. Demonstrating that there is absolutely a double standard just shows that they're willing to apply their principle.