The Growing Thirst for Cruelty

[LogGrad98]

David Brooks is a hack. Of course he found a way to put some of the blame on the exact group of people who have been warning about this for decades:

Of course, the left made it easy for them. The left really did purge conservatives from universities and other cultural power centers. The left really did valorize a “meritocratic” caste system that privileged the children of the affluent and screwed the working class. The left really did pontificate to their unenlightened moral inferiors on everything from gender to the environment. The left really did create a stifling orthodoxy that stamped out dissent. If you tell half the country that their voices don’t matter, then the voiceless are going to flip over the table.

What a load of ********.

Don't be blind to what might be a negative look from the other political party in our country. This is generally true or at least it represents the perceptions of a large proportion of our population, which by the way DID indeed make them ripe to support a demagogue that gave voice to the marginalization they felt. even if much of it was based on perceptions and not fact. It won't help the country to go from one quasi-religious dictatorial leader to a party that the other half feel can do no wrong. That is a dangerous way to view it and will lead to further problems in the electorate. The "savior" complex occurs on both sides, don't be blind to the things that need to be fixed in both parties as we try desperately to stop the most dangerous demagogue our country has likely seen. We can't just say "hey those republicans are fascists, come over to the Perfect Party where we never do anything wrong". Because that would truly be ********.

Have you ever read this? Echoes the same sentiments, but from the perspective of a true-blue democrat and progressive liberal.

Anthony Bourdain on Sichuan Peppers, Sex, Eating Dogs, and Political Correctness

An exclusive post-election interview with the culinary celebrity host of Parts Unknown.

reason.com

We need to not only fix the fascist crisis we are facing right now, but also find a way to fix the issues that set up the rise of the demagogue in the first place, and not a small part of that came from the way the left viewed and treated the right.

From Bourdain:

I've spent a lot of time in gun-country, God-fearing America. There are a hell of a lot of nice people out there, who are doing what everyone else in this world is trying to do: the best they can to get by, and take care of themselves and the people they love. When we deny them their basic humanity and legitimacy of their views, however different they may be than ours, when we mock them at every turn, and treat them with contempt, we do no one any good. Nothing nauseates me more than preaching to the converted. The self-congratulatory tone of the privileged left—just repeating and repeating and repeating the outrages of the opposition—this does not win hearts and minds. It doesn't change anyone's opinions. It only solidifies them, and makes things worse for all of us. We should be breaking bread with each other, and finding common ground whenever possible. I fear that is not at all what we've done.

 

[Zombie]

Don't be blind to what might be a negative look from the other political party in our country. This is generally true or at least it represents the perceptions of a large proportion of our population, which by the way DID indeed make them ripe to support a demagogue that gave voice to the marginalization they felt. even if much of it was based on perceptions and not fact. It won't help the country to go from one quasi-religious dictatorial leader to a party that the other half feel can do no wrong. That is a dangerous way to view it and will lead to further problems in the electorate. The "savior" complex occurs on both sides, don't be blind to the things that need to be fixed in both parties as we try desperately to stop the most dangerous demagogue our country has likely seen. We can't just say "hey those republicans are fascists, come over to the Perfect Party where we never do anything wrong". Because that would truly be ********.

Have you ever read this? Echoes the same sentiments, but from the perspective of a true-blue democrat and progressive liberal.

Anthony Bourdain on Sichuan Peppers, Sex, Eating Dogs, and Political Correctness

An exclusive post-election interview with the culinary celebrity host of Parts Unknown.

reason.com

We need to not only fix the fascist crisis we are facing right now, but also find a way to fix the issues that set up the rise of the demagogue in the first place, and not a small part of that came from the way the left viewed and treated the right.

From Bourdain:

I've spent a lot of time in gun-country, God-fearing America. There are a hell of a lot of nice people out there, who are doing what everyone else in this world is trying to do: the best they can to get by, and take care of themselves and the people they love. When we deny them their basic humanity and legitimacy of their views, however different they may be than ours, when we mock them at every turn, and treat them with contempt, we do no one any good. Nothing nauseates me more than preaching to the converted. The self-congratulatory tone of the privileged left—just repeating and repeating and repeating the outrages of the opposition—this does not win hearts and minds. It doesn't change anyone's opinions. It only solidifies them, and makes things worse for all of us. We should be breaking bread with each other, and finding common ground whenever possible. I fear that is not at all what we've done.

I’m a little confused by this reply. Nowhere in my post did I say anything about the Democratic Party, much less suggest that they should be trusted as a party that can do no wrong.

Let’s just examine what David Brooks is claiming in that paragraph I quoted. First we have the eternal conservative complaint about conservative thought and speech being stifled at universities. If you’re still falling for this in the year of our lord 2025, then I don’t even know what to say. Please, point to anything the left has done that even approaches the DEI bans or the attacks on pro Palestinian faculty and students. Those are actual purges. This is particularly galling coming from a man who has enjoyed the prestige of multiple visiting professorships at incredibly prestigious schools, on account of nothing other than his status as a leading conservative “thinker.”

Next he claims the left has valorized a meritocratic caste system, privileging the elite at the expense of the poor. This is a baffling thing to say, and it makes me wonder what his definition of the “left” even is. I would agree that one of the Democratic Party’s major failings of the last few decades has been in addressing the material needs of working class people, but I would hardly argue that they are unique in that regard. Let’s just take a look at what David himself has said on the topic of meritocratic elites:

Huh, that looks a lot of like valorizing to me! I think you’d be hard pressed to find a single person on the left, democrat or otherwise, expressing such a sentiment.

Now we get to the tone policing. David claims the left “pontificated” too much about climate and LGBTQ rights. I think David would consider any discussion of these topics from a left wing PoV to be pontificating. What he’s really saying here is that Democrats should simply abandon these issues. Again, very convenient.

Finally, an accusation of the left wing being too “stifling,” and not allowing dissent. This ************ has had a national platform granted to him by liberal media outlets for DECADES. His conservative views have in no way been silenced by the left. Nor is he unique in that regard, editorial pages are absolutely brimming with views like his.

Now that that is out of the way, I do agree that the democrats have long had a messaging problem, largely driven by out of touch leadership who ought to have retired ages ago. But I’m sick and tired of conservatives assuaging their guilt over our current predicament by pointing to the same grievances that led us here in the first place.

 

[The Thriller]

Don't be blind to what might be a negative look from the other political party in our country. This is generally true or at least it represents the perceptions of a large proportion of our population, which by the way DID indeed make them ripe to support a demagogue that gave voice to the marginalization they felt. even if much of it was based on perceptions and not fact. It won't help the country to go from one quasi-religious dictatorial leader to a party that the other half feel can do no wrong. That is a dangerous way to view it and will lead to further problems in the electorate. The "savior" complex occurs on both sides, don't be blind to the things that need to be fixed in both parties as we try desperately to stop the most dangerous demagogue our country has likely seen. We can't just say "hey those republicans are fascists, come over to the Perfect Party where we never do anything wrong". Because that would truly be ********.

Have you ever read this? Echoes the same sentiments, but from the perspective of a true-blue democrat and progressive liberal.

Anthony Bourdain on Sichuan Peppers, Sex, Eating Dogs, and Political Correctness

An exclusive post-election interview with the culinary celebrity host of Parts Unknown.

reason.com

We need to not only fix the fascist crisis we are facing right now, but also find a way to fix the issues that set up the rise of the demagogue in the first place, and not a small part of that came from the way the left viewed and treated the right.

From Bourdain:

I've spent a lot of time in gun-country, God-fearing America. There are a hell of a lot of nice people out there, who are doing what everyone else in this world is trying to do: the best they can to get by, and take care of themselves and the people they love. When we deny them their basic humanity and legitimacy of their views, however different they may be than ours, when we mock them at every turn, and treat them with contempt, we do no one any good. Nothing nauseates me more than preaching to the converted. The self-congratulatory tone of the privileged left—just repeating and repeating and repeating the outrages of the opposition—this does not win hearts and minds. It doesn't change anyone's opinions. It only solidifies them, and makes things worse for all of us. We should be breaking bread with each other, and finding common ground whenever possible. I fear that is not at all what we've done.

How has “the left” mistreated “the right?”

And does it work both ways? Because I’ve never heard this argument framed the opposite way.

I think we should consider that “the left” isn’t responsible for “the right” developing a hunger for fascism. Perhaps the right is what it is because of decades of indoctrination from its own side? You can’t give yourself decades of Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Pat Buchanan, Sean Hannity, Karl Rove, and so many others without it taking a toll. Have we considered that the right is the way it is because it has allowed itself to indulge in the worst emotions and impulses of humanity? Unchecked religious bigotry, repressed sexual identities, and indulging in misogyny and racism has led the right to where it is now. Not Anything “the left” did.

Am radio and Fox News found large demand for their vitriolic (propaganda) product and like the drug dealers they are, have got a large segment of the population hooked. Through decades of this drug abuse, abusers are demanding harder and harder stuff. Perhaps the right was happy just with the waterboarding and birth certificate stuff 15-20 years ago? Now, they crave the blood of brown people sent to be tortured in El Salvador. They might’ve just been satisfied with Fox News 20 years ago? Now they demand Joe Rogan, Candace Owens, Benny Johnson, and Newsmax. Have we considered that The radicalization of the right can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the right, not the left? Have we considered how this radicalization has pulled low info voters into the conspiracy and paranoia of the right? How many non-political people routinely echo right wing talking pts? “Europe is ripping us off, universities are mean to conservatives, higher taxes is socialism, vaccines cause autism, Trump is good at business, covid was overblown, schools are turning kids gay/trans, etc?”

The Democratic Party isn’t perfect. But the blaming of the left and how it has pushed the right to the right is a thesis that just lacks evidence to me. I file it under the excuse of “economic anxiety” for Trump winning in 2016. When in reality, racial resentment was by far the biggest factor.

Have we read this?

New Data: Republican Voters Want Authoritarianism

Inside the World Values Survey.

www.thebulwark.com

 

[The Thriller]

I’m a little confused by this reply. Nowhere in my post did I say anything about the Democratic Party, much less suggest that they should be trusted as a party that can do no wrong.

Let’s just examine what David Brooks is claiming in that paragraph I quoted. First we have the eternal conservative complaint about conservative thought and speech being stifled at universities. If you’re still falling for this in the year of our lord 2025, then I don’t even know what to say. Please, point to anything the left has done that even approaches the DEI bans or the attacks on pro Palestinian faculty and students. Those are actual purges. This is particularly galling coming from a man who has enjoyed the prestige of multiple visiting professorships at incredibly prestigious schools, on account of nothing other than his status as a leading conservative “thinker.”

Next he claims the left has valorized a meritocratic caste system, privileging the elite at the expense of the poor. This is a baffling thing to say, and it makes me wonder what his definition of the “left” even is. I would agree that one of the Democratic Party’s major failings of the last few decades has been in addressing the material needs of working class people, but I would hardly argue that they are unique in that regard. Let’s just take a look at what David himself has said on the topic of meritocratic elites:
View attachment 18498
Huh, that looks a lot of like valorizing to me! I think you’d be hard pressed to find a single person on the left, democrat or otherwise, expressing such a sentiment.

Now we get to the tone policing. David claims the left “pontificated” too much about climate and LGBTQ rights. I think David would consider any discussion of these topics from a left wing PoV to be pontificating. What he’s really saying here is that Democrats should simply abandon these issues. Again, very convenient.

Finally, an accusation of the left wing being too “stifling,” and not allowing dissent. This ************ has had a national platform granted to him by liberal media outlets for DECADES. His conservative views have in no way been silenced by the left. Nor is he unique in that regard, editorial pages are absolutely brimming with views like his.

Now that that is out of the way, I do agree that the democrats have long had a messaging problem, largely driven by out of touch leadership who ought to have retired ages ago. But I’m sick and tired of conservatives assuaging their guilt over our current predicament by pointing to the same grievances that led us here in the first place.

I love this post so much.

Well said good sir well said

Dems also have a messaging problem due to lack of resources. There’s no equivalent to Fox News on the left. Or am radio. Or Sinclair Broadcasting. There’s no federalist society on the left to train and network liberal judges. There’s no Koch bros. I challenge anyone here to name the heritage foundation of the left. There’s no Rogan, Shapiro, Kirk, and other dudebro podcasts on the left. Even Democratic issues like equality, climate change, etc are deemed feminine and “out of step” with the culture while Republican issues like tax cuts and guns are deemed masculine and “in step” with the culture.

And to be honest, I don’t know how the left can break through in the long term to break the fascism network the right has built up. Once Trump passes, what’s stopped a smarter younger fascist from inheriting the same propaganda network and billionaire dollars from finishing what trump Has started?

Providing health care for others isn’t a money making scheme. It’s boring to build roads or fund disease research. What billionaire gives a **** about LGBTs? Certainly not the world’s richest man, who does everything in his power to crush these people. Until more American elites and capitalists recognize that democracy, rule of law, multiculturalism (and valuing world alliances) and equality is good for business, we’re gonna be in a world of Russian like oligarchic trouble.

The right gets to have billionaires fund them because welfare for them is much more lucrative than providing health care for poor, old, and sick people.

 

[The Thriller]

Why not treat them like slaves? And when they die, use them as bundles of wood?


View: https://bsky.app/profile/rollingstone.com/post/3lmfobcu26c2s


Who did NAZI this coming?

 

[LogGrad98]

How has “the left” mistreated “the right?”

And does it work both ways? Because I’ve never heard this argument framed the opposite way.

I think we should consider that “the left” isn’t responsible for “the right” developing a hunger for fascism. Perhaps the right is what it is because of decades of indoctrination from its own side? You can’t give yourself decades of Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Pat Buchanan, Sean Hannity, Karl Rove, and so many others without it taking a toll. Have we considered that the right is the way it is because it has allowed itself to indulge in the worst emotions and impulses of humanity? Unchecked religious bigotry, repressed sexual identities, and indulging in misogyny and racism has led the right to where it is now. Not Anything “the left” did.

Am radio and Fox News found large demand for their vitriolic (propaganda) product and like the drug dealers they are, have got a large segment of the population hooked. Through decades of this drug abuse, abusers are demanding harder and harder stuff. Perhaps the right was happy just with the waterboarding and birth certificate stuff 15-20 years ago? Now, they crave the blood of brown people sent to be tortured in El Salvador. They might’ve just been satisfied with Fox News 20 years ago? Now they demand Joe Rogan, Candace Owens, Benny Johnson, and Newsmax. Have we considered that The radicalization of the right can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the right, not the left? Have we considered how this radicalization has pulled low info voters into the conspiracy and paranoia of the right? How many non-political people routinely echo right wing talking pts? “Europe is ripping us off, universities are mean to conservatives, higher taxes is socialism, vaccines cause autism, Trump is good at business, covid was overblown, schools are turning kids gay/trans, etc?”

The Democratic Party isn’t perfect. But the blaming of the left and how it has pushed the right to the right is a thesis that just lacks evidence to me. I file it under the excuse of “economic anxiety” for Trump winning in 2016. When in reality, racial resentment was by far the biggest factor.

Have we read this?

New Data: Republican Voters Want Authoritarianism

Inside the World Values Survey.

www.thebulwark.com

Lots of "oh yeah well what about this" rather than just acknowledging that the left isn't perfect. Hand waving these issue aside is part of the problem. See 2 things can be true at the same time, the right can be largely a bunch of fascist pigs AND the left forcing their self-proclaimed moral high-ground on others they seemed to be inconsequential can both be true. And they are definitely tied together. No one claimed cause and effect but for us to move forward we have to make improvements in both arenas. We can't just say "see, I told you so, everyone who disagree with us should have been cancelled from the beginning and none of this would have happened". It doesn't do anything to unite. The funny thing about your response and zombies is you both completely missed the part quoting from Bourdain about breaking bread, finding common ground and uniting the people. You are still focused on right=bad, left=good instead of where do we go from here and how do we heal a fractured nation. But that's exactly what Bourdain talked about. He had it right.

 

[The Thriller]

Lots of "oh yeah well what about this" rather than just acknowledging that the left isn't perfect. Hand waving these issue aside is part of the problem. See 2 things can be true at the same time, the right can be largely a bunch of fascist pigs AND the left forcing their self-proclaimed moral high-ground on others they seemed to be inconsequential can both be true. And they are definitely tied together. No one claimed cause and effect but for us to move forward we have to make improvements in both arenas. We can't just say "see, I told you so, everyone who disagree with us should have been cancelled from the beginning and none of this would have happened". It doesn't do anything to unite. The funny thing about your response and zombies is you both completely missed the part quoting from Bourdain about breaking bread, finding common ground and uniting the people. You are still focused on right=bad, left=good instead of where do we go from here and how do we heal a fractured nation. But that's exactly what Bourdain talked about. He had it right.

No one here has claimed or is claiming that the left is perfect.

But only on side is blaming their own extremism on the other party. Why is that?

 

[str8line]

Lots of "oh yeah well what about this" rather than just acknowledging that the left isn't perfect. Hand waving these issue aside is part of the problem. See 2 things can be true at the same time, the right can be largely a bunch of fascist pigs AND the left forcing their self-proclaimed moral high-ground on others they seemed to be inconsequential can both be true. And they are definitely tied together. No one claimed cause and effect but for us to move forward we have to make improvements in both arenas. We can't just say "see, I told you so, everyone who disagree with us should have been cancelled from the beginning and none of this would have happened". It doesn't do anything to unite. The funny thing about your response and zombies is you both completely missed the part quoting from Bourdain about breaking bread, finding common ground and uniting the people. You are still focused on right=bad, left=good instead of where do we go from here and how do we heal a fractured nation. But that's exactly what Bourdain talked about. He had it right.

I hope someday we can break bread but the right are either assholes or incredibly stupid. Makes it tough.

 

[Zombie]

the left forcing their self-proclaimed moral high-ground on others they seemed to be inconsequential

When did this happen? No, seriously, what is this even referring to?

The funny thing about your response and zombies is you both completely missed the part quoting from Bourdain about breaking bread, finding common ground and uniting the people

I did allude to this in my post, I think the way to do this is to address the material needs of working people which the democrats have certainly failed to do. That said, this framing is part of the problem. When I break bread with my conservative friends and family there is no effort on their end to “find common ground” with me nor is there any expectation for them to do so. They exist in a completely different reality from the rest of us, and have for years now. As far as politics are concerned the only way to find common ground is to join them in their delusion.

You are still focused on right=bad, left=good instead of where do we go from here and how do we heal a fractured nation.

This is always a little funny to me because, yes I am a left wing person who thinks right wing beliefs are bad. That’s kind of the whole point. Frankly, our current moment is very effectively proving that out.

Our society is ill, coddling dangerous beliefs out of a misguided attempt to heal that illness isn’t going to fix it. I think there’s a useful lesson to learn from the post civil war reconstruction era - we didn’t hold the south accountable, white supremacist power structure were left in place and black people continue to suffer indignities because of that to this day. If we hope to claw our republic back from the clutches of authoritarianism that must include a reckoning for the political ideology that brought us here. The modern Republican Party needs to be treated more like the Nazi party was after WW2 and less like the secessionists were after the civil war.

 

[Al-O-Meter]

"Taking over college campuses and harassing fellow students?" What specific law was broken? Wouldn't the university police have arrested her if she committed a crime? In America even visitors have the right to protest. As a matter of fact our country was founded upon it, which you may not know since as you said both you and your parents are immigrants. Saudi Arabia, right? Too bad that you show such disdain for the freedoms earned and protected by great Americans over the last 250 years. I bet most Saudi's, the women especially, would love to have our freedoms. BTW, is it because you're from Saudi Arabia you think women like AOC are only worthy of support based upon their looks? Maybe your dad treated your mom like that? Just trying to figure out how your views came about.

I lived in Saudi Arabia, but was not born there.

As for the student, the university police did arrest her at a protest for breaking laws. Obviously you did not read the articles. She was arrested, but the DA declined to pursue charges. Per the conditions of her student visa, she was required to report any arrests, and she did not. That is why her student visa was revoked. Her subsequent refusal to comply with the order to leave the country was why ICE had to get involved. She defied law enforcement twice. She can go back to the Middle East and break laws there. We don't need her here.

 

[The Thriller]

Lots of "oh yeah well what about this" rather than just acknowledging that the left isn't perfect. Hand waving these issue aside is part of the problem. See 2 things can be true at the same time, the right can be largely a bunch of fascist pigs AND the left forcing their self-proclaimed moral high-ground on others they seemed to be inconsequential can both be true. And they are definitely tied together. No one claimed cause and effect but for us to move forward we have to make improvements in both arenas. We can't just say "see, I told you so, everyone who disagree with us should have been cancelled from the beginning and none of this would have happened". It doesn't do anything to unite. The funny thing about your response and zombies is you both completely missed the part quoting from Bourdain about breaking bread, finding common ground and uniting the people. You are still focused on right=bad, left=good instead of where do we go from here and how do we heal a fractured nation. But that's exactly what Bourdain talked about. He had it right.

Who claims that the left is perfect?

Who is canceling the right?

These last few posts are weird to me.

Lots of "oh yeah well what about this" rather than just acknowledging that the left isn't perfect. Hand waving these issue aside is part of the problem. See 2 things can be true at the same time, the right can be largely a bunch of fascist pigs AND the left forcing their self-proclaimed moral high-ground on others they seemed to be inconsequential can both be true. And they are definitely tied together. No one claimed cause and effect but for us to move forward we have to make improvements in both arenas. We can't just say "see, I told you so, everyone who disagree with us should have been cancelled from the beginning and none of this would have happened". It doesn't do anything to unite. The funny thing about your response and zombies is you both completely missed the part quoting from Bourdain about breaking bread, finding common ground and uniting the people. You are still focused on right=bad, left=good instead of where do we go from here and how do we heal a fractured nation. But that's exactly what Bourdain talked about. He had it right.

It’s Interesting that you never answered any of my questions in my previous post. Why?

I’ve read the Bourdain article when it first came out. I didn’t miss his point, I just disagree with it altogether. In fact, I find *The Opposite* to be true. The *PROSPERITY* of western democracy has led to people voting for Trump. This has led people to being vulnerable to demagogues and fascism. The left shouldn’t be breaking bread with fascists. This compromises made by small d democrats throughout western democracy is what’s led to democractic backsliding worldwide and a fascist takeover here. The Overton window has shifted so far to the right because too many have sacrificed principles and values to coddle that which should’ve never been coddled. Namely: racial prejudice, religious bigotry, rampant sexism, and anti-democratic behavior. Boredom and prosperity has led to a large segment of the population exacerbating prejudices into their own personal missions aka "My Struggle."

Could you please now answer my questions? For convince, I’ll rewrite them here:

1. How has the left mistreated the right in the last 30 years? I’d like specific examples.
2. Can this work both ways? Did Obama punish the right by giving red states health care or Biden punish red states by sending billions in infrastructure money? Can you name a time when anyone has asked the right to “repent” for mistreating the left? Why isn’t the right ever asked to compromise, seek middle ground?
3. What impact does the highly developed right wing propagsnda apparatus have in shaping the thought of the right? Is it greater than whatever actions taken by the left?

Lastly, the left is good and the right is bad right now. The left isn’t perfect but the right has radicalized itself independent of what the left has done. The left still supports democracy and isn’t destroying alliances, the global economy, and trampling freedoms. What you’re complaining about seems to be something we can complain about after this crisis has been averted. Right now our heads are in the jaws of a lion and you’re demanding that we try to reason with the lion because supporting gay marriage is what ticked off the lion.

 

[The Thriller]

I hope someday we can break bread but the right are either assholes or incredibly stupid. Makes it tough.

We cannot break bread with fascists. We can argue what the appropriate tax rate should be later. But right now, anything left of fascism should unite and support the one party that still supports democracy , rule of law, and human rights.

 

[The Thriller]

When did this happen? No, seriously, what is this even referring to?


I did allude to this in my post, I think the way to do this is to address the material needs of working people which the democrats have certainly failed to do. That said, this framing is part of the problem. When I break bread with my conservative friends and family there is no effort on their end to “find common ground” with me nor is there any expectation for them to do so. They exist in a completely different reality from the rest of us, and have for years now. As far as politics are concerned the only way to find common ground is to join them in their delusion.



This is always a little funny to me because, yes I am a left wing person who thinks right wing beliefs are bad. That’s kind of the whole point. Frankly, our current moment is very effectively proving that out.

Our society is ill, coddling dangerous beliefs out of a misguided attempt to heal that illness isn’t going to fix it. I think there’s a useful lesson to learn from the post civil war reconstruction era - we didn’t hold the south accountable, white supremacist power structure were left in place and black people continue to suffer indignities because of that to this day. If we hope to claw our republic back from the clutches of authoritarianism that must include a reckoning for the political ideology that brought us here. The modern Republican Party needs to be treated more like the Nazi party was after WW2 and less like the secessionists were after the civil war.

They live in an alternate reality from you because of the propaganda apparatus they’ve become addicted to. This is what’s driving their radicalism, not anything done by the left. This is the problem, people are being radicalized on the right independent of anything the left does.

Propaganda
Works

And until Fox News and dudebro podcasts see a steep loss in demand for the meth they’re selling, they’re gonna continue to do it. Until fascists are thrown out of office and many jailed, nothing will change. The incentive structure for republican primary voters remain the same as it’s been for 10+ years; nominate the angriest, cruelest, dumbest person you can. That’s why Trump is so popular within the party and folks like Romney aren’t. Until that incentive structure changes? The party won’t be healthy.

Imagine how much different the world would be right now had Donald been convicted by the senate after any of his impeachments? Imprisoned after Jan 6? Imagine how different the entire gop would be right now had they accepted Obama’s win in 2012 and taken to heart the GOP autopsy to “soften up” on women, blacks, sexual minorities, and drop the hard stances on immigration and abortion? Instead, they and they alone chose to dig their heels in deeper.

 

[Rubashov]

Lastly, the left is good and the right is bad right now. The left isn’t perfect but the right has radicalized itself independent of what the left has done.

This process goes all the way back to the rise of the tea party and the Fox News effect but it is undoubtedly true. There is no comparative echo chamber or centralized hate machine on the left, anywhere in the world. In fact the left is weaker than ever and the right act like its the opposite.

 

[The Thriller]

I just want to reiterate, have we considered that democratic backsliding worldwide isn't the result of "the left" mistreating "the right?" Whether you're talking about Modi in India, Brexit in the UK, or Le Pen in France? Have we considered the old excuse of, "economic anxiety" pushing people to the right actually being completely false? Have we considered it's the opposite, since the fall of communism, the spread of democracy, free trade, and prosperity has led to people becoming bored and disenchanted with freedom and democracy? Thus creating demand for the hard drugs that Fox News and other right wing propaganda outlets throughout the world now export globally to people disenchanted with democracy because it's given them so much peace and prosperity?

Ask yourselves, those (MAGA and non-MAGA) who voted for Trump in their lives, are they really poor people in great want of material goods or are they people who have abundance and have now fallen down the Internet rabbit holes of racism, sexism, anti-vax conspiracy? This plays out globally as well. Those who voted for Brexit were overwhelmingly the rich, not those suffering from "economic anxiety." I suspect we'd see the same patterns if we analyzed the popularity of Le Pen, Modi, etc.

All I ask is that we:

1. Consider that boredom and prosperity, not "being left behind materially" is what's left people vulnerable to right wing extremism.
2. Consider that "the right" has free agency independent of the left but is deciding to go the extremist route because it's lucrative and effective than the compromise and moderation necessary to function within a democratic system.

 

[PJF]

I'm sure this includes most of you


View: https://x.com/theMRC/status/1911527313503576089?t=HzIkFuTxjhtJ4UumsGCgMg&s=19

 

[The Thriller]

So does anyone know what kind of deal we have with El Salvador? Those deported from America to El Salvador, are they in that gulag… indefinitely? Do they serve a term? If they are sent there without due process and/or are sent over false pretenses, how do they get back and what should the government do to compensate them?

When was this deal made with El Salvador? Seems like I should have a say over my tax dollars going to pay and maintain a gulag there. Does the Trump family receive personal benefits from El Salvador? Why El Salvador? Why not deport immigrants to the countries of their origin?

are we comfortable with the head of DHS parading around like Nazi Barbie here? This cool? Republicans do know how to get attention. I doubt anyone here could name Biden’s sec of DHS without googling. I miss having a presidency that wasn’t always demanding our attention every single day. I’m old enough to remember a time when the president didn’t make every single day his own personal reality teevee show.

 

[Rubashov]

So does anyone know what kind of deal we have with El Salvador? Those deported from America to El Salvador, are they in that gulag… indefinitely? Do they serve a term? If they are sent there without due process and/or are sent over false pretenses, how do they get back and what should the government do to compensate them?

When was this deal made with El Salvador? Seems like I should have a say over my tax dollars going to pay and maintain a gulag there. Does the Trump family receive personal benefits from El Salvador? Why El Salvador? Why not deport immigrants to the countries of their origin?

are we comfortable with the head of DHS parading around like Nazi Barbie here? This cool? Republicans do know how to get attention. I doubt anyone here could name Biden’s sec of DHS without googling. I miss having a presidency that wasn’t always demanding our attention every single day. I’m old enough to remember a time when the president didn’t make every single day his own personal reality teevee show.

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Nice Gucci gun, shouldn't she be pointing it at her plastic face?

 

[The Thriller]

lol

Again, it’s dumb and silly. But in this political environment, attention is what wins. This is what Democrats and President AOC must do 24/7. Legislate? Meh. But message the hell lot of things. Even if the economy is sluggish, make it sound like it’s doing amazing. Demand attention. Only nerds, like me, actually like quiet and competent leadership.

Most of the country likes this ****, apparently:


View: https://youtu.be/n4A9W9pBvUQ?feature=shared

 

[fishonjazz]

So does anyone know what kind of deal we have with El Salvador? Those deported from America to El Salvador, are they in that gulag… indefinitely? Do they serve a term? If they are sent there without due process and/or are sent over false pretenses, how do they get back and what should the government do to compensate them?

When was this deal made with El Salvador? Seems like I should have a say over my tax dollars going to pay and maintain a gulag there. Does the Trump family receive personal benefits from El Salvador? Why El Salvador? Why not deport immigrants to the countries of their origin?

are we comfortable with the head of DHS parading around like Nazi Barbie here? This cool? Republicans do know how to get attention. I doubt anyone here could name Biden’s sec of DHS without googling. I miss having a presidency that wasn’t always demanding our attention every single day. I’m old enough to remember a time when the president didn’t make every single day his own personal reality teevee show.

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Puppies are trembling in fear seeing her with a gun