Serious question, why are today's so-called 'conservatives' and GOPrs all assholes?

[MrScorpio]

Last edited Sat Apr 21, 2018, 09:21 PM - Edit history (1)

I hope that you don't mind... This is going to be one of my longer than usual rants. Please indulge...



I'm old enough to remember the day when Republicans didn't represent the worse aspects of human nature.

But those days are long, long gone.

Today, those people are nothing more than delusional, perpetually enraged, self-destructive (in that they'd rather destroy America than share it), and they're pretty much lying, greedy bastards of the first order. They create enemies to hate, they create a world where they're ones who are the victims, when actually, they hold most of the cards. They will steal the whole loaf of bread, and yet complain all day and night whenever people who don't like them have the audacity to reach for the crumbs that are left behind.

I just don't understand what they want, because they seem to be against everything and cheer for whatever is the worst option. They're always unreasonable about the most minor and petty things, so much so, where larger, more pressing problems that affect us all are left unaddressed. (The freaking infrastructure and massive wealth inequality, anybody?)

Oh, and their utter hypocrisy is mind-boggling; it's not as if everyone can't see what they're doing. Jeez, how many mulligans will they give to everyone they support who represent just about everything they've professed to believe in? In that instant alone, white evangelicals all look as if they've lost their gawd-damned minds lifting up Trump on their pedestal.

Oh, and the utter incompetence. That's the kicker, for me right there. For eight years, the White House was the home to an intelligent, gracious, compassionate, well-read, well-intentioned, ethical and dedicated Chief Executive... Someone who was intent of serving all the people. And in response, through the sheer mendacity of a white-lash, the Republicans lied and cheated their way to replace his with the worst white man alive. A man whose singular motivation was to stick it hard to half the country, no matter what.

He's following through on that and there is nary a peep about it from the GOPrs. It's like it doesn't even exist.

Don't they know that he's going to eventually fuck over everyone, especially his own supporters? The closer you get to that orange baboon, the easier you made it for him to stab you in the back. He's an abusive, gas-lighting bastard that decent people want no part of... And yet, he has people still believing in him in record numbers. Especially, those who are white, conservative and evangelical.

Who here would want to live in these people's shoes? I certainly don't ever want to...

To me, these fuckers are all feeling the pain now and they're anticipating a steep price to pay for their folly. They could have been inclusive, competent and rational. But instead, it looks as if they've all lost their fucking minds.

They seem to get off on our own negative reactions to Trump, their support for Trump, the nativism, chaos and disorder that they're creating... As if they believe that they're going to be magically exempt from any consequences.

They're like people who are with other people that they detest, all floating along in a life raft on the open ocean, who then punches a hole in that same life raft just to get a kick from the horrific reaction from the other rafters and yet they believe that they won't get wet.

Basically, they believe that they're entitled to behave like assholes without and consequences whatsoever. I figure that the best thing for them is to never cut them any slack for their assholery. That, however means that they'd need to step out of the garbage heap of their own insularity and take a breath of fresh air in the real world.

Apparently, though, they seem to thrive in the fetid stench of their own garbage. They're addicted to it.

If you listen to the things that they tell each other, it makes no sense at all, doesn't comport to any frame or fashion of reality, and yet, they seem irate whenever the left refuses to validate their utter delusions and lies. If you ever want to piss these people off, simply never give them the benefit of the doubt, never validate whatever nonsense that they're pushing, always give them the facts and simply tell them that you're never obligated to validate anything that contradicts the facts.

That will drive them up the fucking wall, I guarantee it.

At this point, however, I do whatever I can to avoid those assholes, but I have a plan for whenever I can't avoid them. It's never let me down. I calmly make it very clear for them that the pain they're feeling and wish to impose on others, they're not going to be able to impose it on me.

Perhaps they're in misery and they're simply trying to create some miserable company... Well, I simply refuse to give them what they want. Once they figure out that out, then maybe they'll start behaving properly.

I know that I offered a lot of speculations here... But really, why ARE they all assholes?

Anyone care to elaborate?

[dameatball]

1. I'll take a stab at it.

1. Citizens United

2. Fox News

3. NRA

4. Fossil fuel industry

5. Racism

6. Russia

7. Evangelicals

Put them in any order you prefer

[lkinwi]

2. Power and money

[Va Lefty]

3. Years and years of hateful rw radio and faux news

[bettyellen]

4. If he Dems they were fighting were white men, theyd

But since they’ve gone after Obama and then Hillary, they prefer to go full asshole.

[unblock]

5. a) anger is a drug and b) stimulating the limbic brain interferes with rational thought.

republicans know they have to keep be constantly interfering with rational thought because they know that none of their b.s. makes any sense whatsoever.

republicans used to have vaguely rational-sounding argument that, if you didn't know better, you might think had some merit. like the laffer curve.

now, they throw away all pretense and their lies don't even add up even if you take them at face value. their lies are no longer designed to pass through any rational thought process at all. they appeal only to the fear and hate and greed of people who are addicted to fear and hate and greed.


so when teenagers try to argue that they shouldn't get shot in schools, their only response is to demonize kids for daring to ask to live, to turn them into an object of hate and ridicule for no obvious reason other than that they need to prevent people from actually listening to them.

[MrScorpio]

10. And they get really hostile and frustrated whenever their apoplexy doesn't resonate

One thing I've noticed when dealing with these folks on comment sections is that their anger is a mile wide and an inch deep.

A lot of their bluster is just for show, no matter how ridiculous it sounds. And much of it is in a way that doesn't sound like they believe in what they're saying at all.

Usually, I ignore nonsense in others on comment sections and the only time that I confront them is whenever they volunteer their worthless opinions in response to something I've posted. Then it's on!

I'm always rational, calm, collected and factual... That shit really pisses them off. Then I ask them questions based on whatever they've said to me. The faultiness of their logic and shoddy hold on the facts are pretty blatant in the garbage that they post, so it's pretty easy to refute it... Especially with links.

To me, all they're trying to do is to trigger the anger and frustration that they're feeling in other people. I refuse to allow them to do that. Whenever they insult me, I ignore the insults and focus instead on the central topics. The offer straw men arguments, I cut right through that. And I always do it with questions. The more ridiculous they get, the more I can sense their anger and frustration with not having their way.

I tell them that, while they're entitled to their own delusions, I'm am by no means obligated to validate them.

It's not as if I'm trying to help them see reason; I really don't care if they see it or not. But one thing that I try to do is impart upon them the folly of trying to piss other people off who refuse to be as pissed off as they are.

I just want them to go away... And they usually do.

[unblock]

11. i'm always calm and usually give them logic and facts, but really what they need is to be laughed at

foxnews has taught them defense mechanisms against facts and logic.

like anyone who mentions facts must be an elitist and therefore can be ignored.


the logic and facts are important, but you have to cut through and make an emotional connection somehow because that's the only part of their brain that's operational.

laughing at them often works. make them feel that watching foxnews is something to be ashamed of. something for losers.

it takes a long time, but really the only hope is prying them away from their hate drug.

[NatBurner]

13. this is where i am at this point

breif and pithy dismissive snark

my conserative facebook "friends" have all either blocked me or just stopped replying to me
assuming zuck hasn't algorithmed me into oblivion

i feel sorry for them, actually

[MrScorpio]

18. Frankly, I think that they expect to get laughed at...

I believe that, because they're some of the biggest projectors alive, so they claim that they're always laughing at us. In their minds. they think that we're always laughing at them. They need an enemy to focus on, so they create those enemies in us, whether we're supposed to know it or not. That's how they're wallowing in their own victimhood. That's their comfort food.

The belief that we're always laughing at them, to me, is their defense mechanism against the subconscious realization of their part that they sound really freaking ridiculous. They think that we believe them to be fools and thus they act the part. AS long as they can hold out against being reasonable, they'll consider that their victory against us.

As I've said, they're already wallowing in their own perceived victimhood and they expect to be personally attacked. Hence their constant insults against us.

To me, that's what they want, the shaming, the feeling as if they're losers and the folks on their left whom they've created as their own enemies. The antagonism that they project upon us is more real to them than reality itself. They want us to be the bad guys, regardless of how despicable and reprehensible their own rhetoric and behavior becomes.

Rather than appealing to their emotionalism, I do whatever I can to ignore it. They're acting out, trying to create an negatively induced empathetic response in people they've been taught to hate... Us. They're going out of their way to make us the bad guys, and do so in a way where the ends justify their means.

I know what their expectations are, and thus I will refuse them the satisfaction of meeting those expectations.

What they need to do is own their own negative feelings instead of sharing them with others. That has to go somewhere, it's just not going with me.

I do what I can to make that very clear to them that they have no control over me, when they can't even control themselves.

[unblock]

20. The truth, though is that they'll respond to reason much better when

Their own leaders embarrass them.

When Donnie resigns in disgrace, they'll be a whole lot more open to something else.

Sadly foxnews will still have a faithful audience, but a rather diminished one.


At least we can hope for the day when businesses like bars and hotels will recognize that foxnews on their tvs is bad for business....

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

6. "maybe they start behaving properly".

Not a snowballs chance... They are not capable anymore. No honor. No integrity. No morals. No compassion, empathy or sympathy. They are the dregs of humankind, and are completely irredeemable.

[MrScorpio]

7. You found a typo

Thanks. Just fixed it.

About your point, I figure that they'd need to go off the deep end, reap the consequences of their own follies and perhaps come back to reason.

In order for that to happen, they're going to need to lose their enablers.

With the that the GOP is self-destructing, that could be helpful indeed.

[Eko]

8. Its not because they are full of hate.

Because they love also.
Its not because they are stupid,
because they can build houses, tie knots most of us have no clue of.
Its not because they are racist,
although a lot are.
Its because they are scared and lost. They believed the American dream was theirs and was owed to them, and it hasn't been for a while. Because of that they think the world is against them. I get that.
And people tell them its because of these people, this political party , and they are too busy tweeting, working, tying knots, watching sports and reality shows to take a minute to question their own reality, to try to understand, to transcend their own confirmation bias.
Because these are the people that throw rocks at glass houses.
They can name quarterbacks of teams for years, but not speakers of the house.
They believe what they want to believe, because it makes them feel better.
And they are not limited to being conservative. Not always.

[Blue_true]

9. You are bound to find a lot of assholes among a collection of angry people

that hate something as their reason for being at the gathering.

[TheSmarterDog]

12. They view their political opponents as less than human.

[Eko]

16. huh.

Some have said they are completely irredeemable. Seems just as bad as less than human. If we are less than human and they are completely irredeemable, that just dont sound good for a country.

[kairos12]

14. They believe the greatest of all evils are Dems. Anybody or anything else is preferred.

[FairDemocrat]

15. GOP is gone you have the TEA Party and the Trumps

[Eko]

17. I want to say to everyone to take care this doesnt become us.

He's the universal soldier And he is really is to blame His orders come from far away no more They come from here and there, and you and me And brother, can't you see This is not the way we put an end to war.

[misanthrope]

19. Most all of my relatives are conservative Republicans

I'm a white guy from Alabama so the odds could tell you that much. Not all of them are "assholes" or "mean."

If you know Southern culture you're expecting this next part: they're pretty religious, socially conservative, averse to "rocking the boat" and always deferential to "tradition" and the status quo. Some are evangelicals. My wife's family is Roman Catholic but just as socially conservative. They all end up voting for the same folks.

Very few of them are outright venomous. Instead, fear plays too big a role in their lives. Some because they're narrow-minded or bigoted. Some because they are simply old. Some because they have authoritarian sensibilities.

Some have lived humbly and done good things, built houses for the unfortunate or fed the hungry. Too often it comes attached to proselytization but at least they tried to show their commitment to the messages of the homeless figure they worship.

There are a couple who fit the "asshole" description in ways, one in particular who is a nasty piece of work. Mostly though, they're average folks from a regional culture perfectly suited for keeping its denizens docile, servile and unquestioning.

Yes, they exasperate me. Yes, I have to limit my exposure to them. I don't agree with them in a lot of ways, but I don't hate them either. I think they're misguided and temporarily comfortable in their willful ignorance.

[Yavin4]

21. Republicans made a deal with the devil in order to get tax cuts and de-regulation passed into law

They mainstreamed the worst elements of our nation, racists, sexists, Christian fundies, etc. in order to counter the FDR coalition.

[oberliner]

22. Important to remember that they think that about us

[Caliman73]

23. Decades of distillation.

dameatball aptly put it in list form, but I will flesh it out a bit. During the time of Eisenhower, who was actually recruited by both parties to run and could have gone either way but chose Republican likely as a result of the more "business oriented" approach of that party. Republicans like Goldwater however began the civil war between the more libertarian leaning Republicans and the statist corporate Republicans like Nixon. They new that they couldn't really exist long term with their ideas because Republican policies only ever really help the rich. So they introduced the concept of grievance politics with racism, sexism, and Christian religious bigotry being the coalition on which they could recruit. They blamed Black people, women's rights, and an assault on "American" (White Male Christian) values, exploiting the various equality movements. Even then, they knew that this was not a sustainable strategy because Progress is almost inevitable in open societies. That is when people like Atwater and Ailes really pushed the idea of creating an echo chamber, an ecosystem for Republican/Conservative propaganda. They could not compete on the actual observable facts so they had to have their own views pumped in constantly. They likely knew that the rich, would support this idea. They also likely knew that more mainstream media outlets would broadcast the entirely coordinated right wing view point as "another side" of the story and make equivalencies. Knowing that government power in the US has only really ever been brought to bear on left wing organizations, the right wingers were able to exist and spread their viewpoint into the mainstream when left leaning voices were constantly criticized and shut out.

This echo chamber along with the support of wealthy benefactors for such practices as Red Map (Gerrymandering), election of local right wing politicians from dog catcher to State and Federal Judges, ensured that the ultra conservative ideology would continue to have a very loud voice even though demographically it has a smaller foot print. Right wingers are constantly being fed their worst fears and as the life of the average right winger continues to get worse because of right wing policies, their media keeps telling them it is women, Mexican, Black people, LGBT people, Muslims, and intellectual elitists that are the cause of their problems. Now with Trump as their spokes person, they feel empowered to really show what assholes they are because they think that this gravy train will not be running out soon.

The people in charge of the conservative movement continue to know that they cannot win on actual policies because again, they only really serve the rich. So now in the age of Trump, "conservative ideology" has become synonymous with "whatever pisses liberals off". That is it, the average Republican voter, they aren't for smaller government, they aren't for personal responsibility, they aren't really even for business. The leaders and drivers of policy are for whatever will keep them in power and writing the rules. The average Republican drone is for whatever pisses off liberals. That is why they have become such assholes.