Something I am struggling with: cruelty, in all its forms, appeals to a whole hell of a lot of people. There’s not much to the GOP apart from vulgar cruelty and still they’re viable basically everywhere. No hope, no message, no answers… just stepping on vulnerable people for the thrill of it.
Yep. Adam Serwer wrote a whole essay about this six years ago. The phenomenon is so hard to acknowledge that good people have to keep rediscovering it. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
I think for.some in the MAGA base, it's not the thrill of it, but rather that they are miserable, perhaps immiserated, and abused by large forces they perceive as beyond their control.
Punishment and cruelty at least feel satisfying. It's the worst version of "misery loves company."
Most maga I know are successful, tradesmen, nurses, realtors, even plsbt workers, etc, making more than those they perceive as intellectuals. Georgia is a booming state, they are doing better than ever, but somehow think the economy is awful.
Huh? Misery is no explanation for cruelty (if it was normal amongst all suffering people we would not see *massive* differences in embracing this cruelty between white MAGAs & poor POC… & data shows most Trump voters are NOT economically suffering! no, their cruelty has a very different source!)
Having so many people who only seem happy when they harm, anger or otherwise piss off the opposing party members is not good for a working society.
Today, a lack of empathy is the number one indicator of being a Republican.
I tell myself that at least it requires a victim that has been dehumanized/vilified, that it won't work if the target audience can identify with the victim on some level. Though our society dehumanizes and vilifies plenty of people. No lack of victims.
I think about this a lot. FWIW, my sense is we've built an incredibly cruel, unjust society - as evidenced by income inequality, climate crisis, and the like - and many of our fellow citizens feel deeply unhappy, overlooked, and uncared for. And our current political situation reflects that
Yes, it's scary. I give reality TV a lot of credit for bringing it out (possibly expanding it?) by turning rude, inconsiderate, selfish, angry people into role models...
I remember when reading 1984 being horrified by the image of a boot stomping on a face forever, but upon revisiting it, I think I get better why O'Brien was actually using it as a selling point: a lot of people really want to be the boot.
It depends on where you are. I live in Georgia. They are the majority except possibly inside the perimeter around Atlanta. Over 50 % of the population in GA. They are the majority in the burbs, even if half of them pretend they are nice people. Ask them about homeless, it really tells the tale.
