[camelNotation]

The reduction of conservative beliefs to "discrimination of others" is a lot of the problem here. Conservative politics is a broad space. Sure, there are racists and misogynists among them and they get a lot of publicity, but there are also people who believe that all human beings are equal and that something like laissez-faire capitalism leads to a more just and prosperous society for everyone. They might be mistaken in that, but it doesn't warrant accusations of malice. The fact that you sum up conservatism as "discrimination of others" is no different than any form of racism or sexism that generalizes people based on a single label. The inability to treat someone like a human being before you get to know them is why conservatives are terrified of speaking publicly in the workplace.

[sumeno]

While it is true that there are economic conservatives who are not racists and misogynists, the Republican party platform is pretty discriminatory against several groups.

Someone can certainly vote for a candidate like Trump and not be pro-discrimination, but that person is saying they are willing to accept discrimination for the sake of the policies they do agree with.

That is certainly their right, but you can't act shocked when the marginalized groups and those who support them have a negative reaction when they find out you support candidates who want to take away their rights.

[erik_seaberg]

As Clinton put it,

> that "other" basket of people are people who feel the government has let them down, the economy has let them down, nobody cares about them, nobody worries about what happens to their lives and their futures; and they’re just desperate for change.

That's not a voter who has the luxury of setting aside their own livelihood and making discrimination (against strangers) a deal-breaker.

[rrauenza]

I'd never seen that 2nd half of the quote.

It's interesting how the full quote played out. Trump supporters assumed the deplorables she was talking about was a smear against them personally, rather than identifying with the 2nd half of the quote.

But then they also never heard the 2nd half of the quote as much as the 1st.

....still, an incredibly inpolitic statement.

[sumeno]

Sure, but that also isn't the case for software engineers like the ones in the OP. These guys aren't coal miners in Appalachia, they're software engineers in Silicon Valley.

[colanderman]

The subjects in the article seem to invite such reductionism themselves by expressing a desire to wear MAGA gear, despite being socially libertarian/liberal. MAGA and Trump are almost explicitly (through Trump's words and actions) associated with aggressive social conservativism (Muslim travel ban, transgender military ban, cancellation of DREAM act, etc.) I doubt anyone would give two flying fucks if they wore, say, a Tax Foundation T-shirt.

[jpfed]

Laissez-faire capitalists are a dime a dozen in technology. You cannot swing a cat without hitting a libertarian (so, you know, put the cat down). To the extent that a conservative is claiming to be discriminated against, they're not suffering for the fiscal dimension of their beliefs.

[api]

Libertarians aren't conservatives. Libertarianism is a different branch of the same tree as other forms of liberalism. The goal is maximization of individual human well being and potential. The disagreement is over how best to achieve that.

[munk-a]

Fiscal libertarianism aligns much closer with fiscal conservatism while the social component is closer to liberal social views, unfortunately US Libertarians have drifted further into the conservative realm due to movements like the Tea Party and now generally endorse the full GOP fiscal package, increasing debt to lower taxes in an effort to spur growth.

[CalChris]

Libertarians are also not libertarians. They're just disaffected Republicans.

Ron Paul. Gary Johnson. Bob Barr. Et cetera.

[orwin]

I always found it funny that the word "libertaire" (french translation of libertarian), come from the word liberal with the word "proletaire", and is now used to qualify some members of the american far-right.

It was used to criticise liberal anarchism (Proudhon) because it was not socialist/egalitarist enough, and later inspired Marx (who built his theory of communism with anarchist fundation). So people in US that call themselves "libertarian" could change their names to "communists cousins", really.

[api]

Libertarianism is a big tent. There are right-libertarians (like the ones you describe), left-libertarians, anarchist-leaning libertarians, Randian Objectivists, etc. These camps differ in numerous ways but there's a general undercurrent and large areas of agreement.

[amyjess]

I'm a liberal, I have a co-worker who's a NeverTrump conservative, and we've bonded a lot over Trump's lack of decorum, professionalism, and basic respect for other human beings.

Unfortunately, NeverTrump conservatives like him are few and far between. Sadly, the majority of conservatives I've encountered have completely sold out their principles to support Trump.

[camelNotation]

I would argue that by befriending and bonding with your conservative coworker over shared ideas, you are doing a great service to your country. You are talking to someone that disagrees with you, finding common ground, and co-existing in peace. That's all that's required for democratic government to function properly. The problem is that many people on both the left and the right refuse to do their duty in this regard and instead choose to vilify and hate their opponents.