And his followers will still love him. They want a “democracy” that isn’t any such thing. They want it to extend only to those like them. The rest of us, who look different, or live differently, or think differently? Not so much.
His followers are often painted as people with legitimate grievances against…whatever. Women, gays, children, immigrants, hygiene…whatever is the issue of the moment. But they aren’t. Most of them are more likely to be in the more secure jobs, making good money, and living a life of entitlement.
But the media is willing to go along with their complaints that somehow or other there is a war against them, that they have no voice (other than Fox News, plus most other media outlets who will give them a voice for ratings), that their vote doesn’t count. Sure it does. But only as much as mine, or yours, or their immigrant maid, or the college kid who mows their lawn. That’s democracy, and that’s what they don’t want.
It’s weird to talk to people about democracy. I would say in the midwest, but that’s my only data point, so it might be the same elsewhere. Too many people seem to think democracy means getting what you want, the way you want it. Sure…if you’re in the majority. If you want what everyone else wants (or at least 50% +1 – except most of our votes are pluralities, not majorities, so it’s really just about being in the largest plurality).
For a long time, Republicans have pushed the narrative that Democratic leaders are illegitimate leaders, that they aren’t fit to lead, and that they have somehow stolen leadership. Now all their lies and all their shit is all wrapped up in one shitty package who happens to go by the name Donald Trump. It could easily have been someone else; he just happened to come along at the time and place that the base was ready. He is vulgar. He is dishonest. He hates almost everyone. He only gives a damn about himself. In short, he is the quintessence of the party that the GOP has been building since at least Nixon, one shit-brick at a time.
Now we are told to “understand them” because they have “grievances” and “complaints”. Well, shit yes, they do. We all do. Some of us actually have legitimate ones. Some of us suffer sexism, or racism, or homophobia, or disabling conditions, or poverty…I could go on forever. Those are the ones that the Trump base is working to disenfranchise…and disembowel if they have the opportunity and won’t get caught.
Quite so iknklast! It’s amazing how many people look at someone else being given a hand up that still doesn’t place them on level footing with others, but feel that they have somehow lost out. I suspect that deep down such people believe in parity. Not the sense of equality, but in the manner of maintaining the current relative hierarchy. If you believe in your heart of hearts that ‘your’ position is an income 50% greater than ‘those’ people, or that the way you vote is always on the winning side, you’ll be angry, dissatisfied and feel like you’ve lost when people you’ve looked down on approach your level of wealth and entitlement. Funnily enough, such people always feel that upward mobility is their birthright (the American Dream), never stopping to think that the better off look on them with the same disdain they feel for those others.
I do suspect that part of it is that people in general tend to overestimate how popular their own views are. This has gotten dramatically more pronounced in the era of personal media bubbles, where you don’t have to listen to anyone offering an opposing view if you don’t want to.
So, if you sincerely believe that the majority is on Team Green, yet somehow Team Purple keeps getting in power, then the only logical conclusion is that Team Purple is cheating. And after awhile, cognitive dissonance makes it painful to contemplate the possibility that you’ve been wrong about that, and thus, about the relative popularity of your personal opinion on things, for awhile.
I’m tempted to say this is more common among conservatives, but as anyone here is aware, it’s not exclusively a right-wing phenomenon. Trans Rights Activists have gotten a tremendous amount of support out of the idea that they have more support than they really do–that is to say, they get folks to agree generally with broad, open-ended statements of support of individual choice, dignity and respect, and then sneak in the idea that that means that transwomen should be able to compete in women’s sports. Then they react in outrage when it becomes clear that the ‘other side’ on those fine points is a lot larger than they thought.
Trans Rights Activists have gotten a tremendous amount of support out of the idea that they have more support than they really do–that is to say, they get folks to agree generally with broad, open-ended statements of support of individual choice, dignity and respect, and then sneak in the idea that that means that transwomen should be able to compete in women’s sports. Then they react in outrage when it becomes clear that the ‘other side’ on those fine points is a lot larger than they thought.
Yet they sometimes still insist that it all comes down to “a handful of bigots.” They’re trying to have it both ways. When they’re trying to cow their enemies, trans activists are the voice of the silent majority, the wave of the future. When they’re trying to drum up support, they try to present themselves as the underdog, facing down terrible, dark forces, even though underdogs usually don’t enjoy such massive governmental and corporate support that they can command the priorities of major police forces. TERFs are a tiny minority best ignored that’s also an incredibly powerful cabal blocking the natural progression of history.
Democracy is based on primary school maxims of being a good sport. “You win some, you lose some.” “Better luck next time.” I.e don’t whine when things don’t go your way. What happened to these sturdy maxims?
And his followers will still love him. They want a “democracy” that isn’t any such thing. They want it to extend only to those like them. The rest of us, who look different, or live differently, or think differently? Not so much.
His followers are often painted as people with legitimate grievances against…whatever. Women, gays, children, immigrants, hygiene…whatever is the issue of the moment. But they aren’t. Most of them are more likely to be in the more secure jobs, making good money, and living a life of entitlement.
But the media is willing to go along with their complaints that somehow or other there is a war against them, that they have no voice (other than Fox News, plus most other media outlets who will give them a voice for ratings), that their vote doesn’t count. Sure it does. But only as much as mine, or yours, or their immigrant maid, or the college kid who mows their lawn. That’s democracy, and that’s what they don’t want.
It’s weird to talk to people about democracy. I would say in the midwest, but that’s my only data point, so it might be the same elsewhere. Too many people seem to think democracy means getting what you want, the way you want it. Sure…if you’re in the majority. If you want what everyone else wants (or at least 50% +1 – except most of our votes are pluralities, not majorities, so it’s really just about being in the largest plurality).
For a long time, Republicans have pushed the narrative that Democratic leaders are illegitimate leaders, that they aren’t fit to lead, and that they have somehow stolen leadership. Now all their lies and all their shit is all wrapped up in one shitty package who happens to go by the name Donald Trump. It could easily have been someone else; he just happened to come along at the time and place that the base was ready. He is vulgar. He is dishonest. He hates almost everyone. He only gives a damn about himself. In short, he is the quintessence of the party that the GOP has been building since at least Nixon, one shit-brick at a time.
Now we are told to “understand them” because they have “grievances” and “complaints”. Well, shit yes, they do. We all do. Some of us actually have legitimate ones. Some of us suffer sexism, or racism, or homophobia, or disabling conditions, or poverty…I could go on forever. Those are the ones that the Trump base is working to disenfranchise…and disembowel if they have the opportunity and won’t get caught.
Sorry. It’s been too long without a rant. I think it’s been building up. ;-)
And well worth the wait!
iknklast: I think that was a fine rant. Keep ’em coming!
Quite so iknklast! It’s amazing how many people look at someone else being given a hand up that still doesn’t place them on level footing with others, but feel that they have somehow lost out. I suspect that deep down such people believe in parity. Not the sense of equality, but in the manner of maintaining the current relative hierarchy. If you believe in your heart of hearts that ‘your’ position is an income 50% greater than ‘those’ people, or that the way you vote is always on the winning side, you’ll be angry, dissatisfied and feel like you’ve lost when people you’ve looked down on approach your level of wealth and entitlement. Funnily enough, such people always feel that upward mobility is their birthright (the American Dream), never stopping to think that the better off look on them with the same disdain they feel for those others.
I do suspect that part of it is that people in general tend to overestimate how popular their own views are. This has gotten dramatically more pronounced in the era of personal media bubbles, where you don’t have to listen to anyone offering an opposing view if you don’t want to.
So, if you sincerely believe that the majority is on Team Green, yet somehow Team Purple keeps getting in power, then the only logical conclusion is that Team Purple is cheating. And after awhile, cognitive dissonance makes it painful to contemplate the possibility that you’ve been wrong about that, and thus, about the relative popularity of your personal opinion on things, for awhile.
I’m tempted to say this is more common among conservatives, but as anyone here is aware, it’s not exclusively a right-wing phenomenon. Trans Rights Activists have gotten a tremendous amount of support out of the idea that they have more support than they really do–that is to say, they get folks to agree generally with broad, open-ended statements of support of individual choice, dignity and respect, and then sneak in the idea that that means that transwomen should be able to compete in women’s sports. Then they react in outrage when it becomes clear that the ‘other side’ on those fine points is a lot larger than they thought.
Yet they sometimes still insist that it all comes down to “a handful of bigots.” They’re trying to have it both ways. When they’re trying to cow their enemies, trans activists are the voice of the silent majority, the wave of the future. When they’re trying to drum up support, they try to present themselves as the underdog, facing down terrible, dark forces, even though underdogs usually don’t enjoy such massive governmental and corporate support that they can command the priorities of major police forces. TERFs are a tiny minority best ignored that’s also an incredibly powerful cabal blocking the natural progression of history.
Democracy is based on primary school maxims of being a good sport. “You win some, you lose some.” “Better luck next time.” I.e don’t whine when things don’t go your way. What happened to these sturdy maxims?
Snopes says this is not true. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-waging-all-out-war-american-democracy/