This is the Toshiba ad where the executive decides NOT to ship a new computer model immediately, but rather to wait until the "impact-smart hard drive" can be included. The fellow thinks through the consequences beyond the profit margin and the effect on the company itself, sees what we call in Military Intelligence the "second and third order of effect" of what might happen with an inferior drive, considers that maybe a bad consequence for society is something to be considered (rather than being selfish and self-centered), and thus opts to wait until the superior drive is available.
This is something the typical individualist/libertarian-leaning conservative would never do. "What's it to me?" he would ask. After all, it's not like he would actually be causing the zombie invasion himself. "It's that guy who dropped it who's responsible," he'd think. And if somehow it was tracked back to that computer, the inferior drive, and thus the company, his own personal liability would be limited.
Of course, the principle of Enlightened Self-interest comes into play. By preventing the zombie invasion, the fellow in the commercial is protecting himself and his own, as well as the civilization that enables his career. But the individualist/libertarian-leaning conservative would never think that far ahead. "I just kinda think the less-sturdy drive will be just fine," he reasons, with a foresight matching that of the fellow who invented the nuclear grenade launcher (it was never deployed, because someone else figured out that the range of the weapon was less than the lethal blast radius and thus the firing crew would be killed in the detonation).
The commercial depicts the superiority--indeed, the seeming perfection--of an outgoing and principle-centered mentality over that of self-centeredness. For the fellow in the commercial to have marketed a computer with a drive that could so easily lead to the problem depicted would have been selfish. "But I wanna be selfish," the conservative would say. And the result would have been the destruction of America.
Years ago when I was the Northern and Western Missouri Chapter Leader of ProtestWarrior.com, a now-defunct organization devoted to countering "anti-war" protests, I would explain to new activists that I had "a Rightwing ideology, but a Leftwing mentality." The Left, and liberals in general, understand the need in politics to think beyond their own individual selves. They sacrifice and work together. And I did my damnedest to impress the need for this on my Chapter members, even as I did so myself. I attending three regular events every week. I organized three special events, which involved using vacation time from work. I produced a weekly Chapter Newsletter. I responded to press inquiries. I tracked enemy activities, as well as activities by friendly organizations. (With one exception, the other members showed up for only one meeting and one activity.)
Conservatives not only won't do this, they brag about not doing this. They won't put things like values and principles ahead of personal preference, and they too often honestly believe their selfishness is right! They call it "introspective" or "rugged individualism" or some other euphemism, but the truth is they are either too dumb or too selfish to devote resources to anything beyond themselves or their own. "I'm busy," "I have a family," and "I have to work," form the three-legged stool of conservative laziness. But liberals could say the same thing, and yet are far more activist. And they win.
As said in the subject line, I don't know this fellow's politics. He might vote rather conservative. That said, most conservatives know when they watch that commercial that if they themselves were in his place, they would have opted to do differently. They would honestly believe the thinking laid out above. They would put their career first, and end up creating a chain of events leading to their family having their brains eaten by zombies.
One can always argue just how much anticipating of that sort is reasonable to expect. Indeed, there comes a time when in any endeavor, the decisionmaker much simply draw a line, call it, and engage the plan. One can argue the matter in this case. But one cannot rightly argue the point--namely, that the selfishness inherent in individualism/libertarianism-leaning conservatism is wrong, and the way of putting principles and values ahead of self is right and superior.
But conservatives will try. They will apply free market ideas and a certain Darwinianism to justify their opposition to doing the right thing. Christians, even, will ignore such clear parts of their religion as the Golden Rule and Philippians 2:3-4 in order to soothe their consciences.
