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Edited on Thu Oct-21-10 11:21 PM by jmondine
"In our world you were either a bully, a toadie, or one of the nameless rabble of victims."
This line from the movie A Christmas Story describes the social order of kids. But it also encapsulates the world view of the tea-partiers. Folks wonder why they are so gung-ho about policies that benefit the rich at the expense of the working class, when most of them are poor and struggling themselves.
The truth is that they are all too aware of the ways in which the wealthy and powerful victimize the poor. In their minds, the “elite” are the bullies, which leaves them with the choice of being either a victim or a toadie. That's it. There are no other options. They either deflect the bullying to targets they view as weaker and more vulnerable, or they become victims themselves.
Nothing frightens them more than seeing those victims, such as immigrants, minorities and gays, stand up strong, fight back effectively and win. In their minds, they, as "hard working, real Americans" have quietly endured for their entire lives the kind of low-level abuse and humiliation which bullies always mete out to their pathetic toadies, and they've “earned” their right to stand at his side. The possibility that one of those lower on the pecking order might supplant them, or even (heaven forbid) become the bully themselves is terrifying. They cannot fathom that the victims of bullying do not envy their tormentor's positions and just want to mind their own business, living free of fear and violence. In the mind of the Toadie Party, there is no existence outside of fear and violence. There are only bullies, toadies and the nameless (to them) rabble of victims.
Edited for "Pronoun Trouble"
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