2d ago

Social identity is a helluva drug

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Doubt, fortunately. The extremists will largely never be turned, but most Trump supporters are moderates who care more about their own well-being than solidarity with the group. Mussolini is a great example of how an idiot dictator can quickly fragment his supporters and end up in the streets
- "You can't reason out of a position you didn't come to through reason."
  They just hate for hate sake. It's time to come to terms that the dumb will not be saved by gentle parenting but need to be dragged into reality.
  
  Sure, but most of Trump's voters did vote for him for a reason: their lives got noticeably harder under Biden. When their lives get even worse under Trump, they'll vote for another change of party.
  The cultists waving Trump flags and buying Trump teddy bears and reading Trump bibles are fueled by identity politics, but the idea that the average Trump voter is one of those cultists is a lie that Trump would very much like you to believe
  
  It's frightening how many people on "our" side are willing to simply believe that half the country is irredeemably evil by nature and not just taken in by a smooth talking conman after having been abused by the system for decades.
  
  History has shown again and again that, when it comes to actions, there is no practical difference between evil by intention and ignorance by stupidity. When people are willfully dismantling the foundations of society, I really don't give a shit if they are aware of the consequences or not, I am unwilling to forgive them either way.
  
  The difference is that ignorance can be remedied. If they were just evil for evil's sake then that's it, might as well give up now.
  It's not the consequences for them I'm worried about, it's the consequences for all of us if we give in to this dumb "they're just plain evil and the only way to win is to physically fight them" mentality.
  
  I like your optimism. But yes, I do believe that ~30% of our country is ignorant and racist. They are the perfect target for a smooth talking conman.
  
  Ignorant is not the same as evil. Ignorance can be fixed. It's easier to just write people off but it doesn't solve anything unless you're really eager for another civil war.
- "quickly" only after massive damage is done.

145 comments