Do we really need to 'understand' Trump supporters?

[Atman]

From the Chicago Tribune:

She is a nice lady who wrote me a nice email in which she spoke about the need to try to understand Donald Trump’s supporters. As Rose put it, “We need to not close ourselves off to how the other side thinks.”

<snip>

But I couldn’t disagree more.

Don’t get me wrong. Thinking people will always try to see past their own ideological blind spots, to put themselves into the shoes of those they disagree with. That’s an admirable trait. In normal times it’s a trait I would applaud with enthusiasm.

But these are not normal times. Indeed, sometimes, I wonder if we appreciate just how abnormal — how fraught with danger — they really are. Under Trump, American laws, news media and mores are under assault, to say nothing of American democracy itself.

<snip>

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-pitts-trump-supporters-understanding-0508-20180506-story.html

[Raven]

1. I understand them well enough to know

that they would see me dead without the blink of an eye. That is all I need to understand.

[LonePirate]

2. They are bigoted, ignorant and cruel people. I'd say we understand them pretty well already.

[GoCubsGo]

12. Exactly.

One doesn't have to "put one's self in their shoes" understand the obvious. I'll add that they are also tremendously fearful of anything and everything that doesn't exist in their small, warped reality bubble. Which makes them even more dangerous, as does their cult-like fealty to Dear Leader. Instead of spending time trying to "understand" them, folks need to start finding ways to deal with them when Spanky and crime syndicate finally meet up with Justice. It's not going to be pretty, and we need to be prepared for them.

[Orsino]

3. We need to understand them so well...

...that we actually do something about the society which creates and nurtures them.

[mythology]

10. This. You can't really solve a problem until you understand it

What makes somebody align themselves with someone like Trump or like those who pervert Islam or whatever the radical group? Why is it that we're seeing an increase in these sorts of groups? Some of it is the internet, it enables all sorts of social interactions, positive and negative, but I think it's also that we're at a significant point in history. We know more than ever, but we have an increasing stratification of the haves and the have nots, that somebody can't get a high school diploma, work 40 years in a factory or some manual labor job and have a solid middle class life. We're redefining the value of a significant portion of society, working class men, particularly white working class men in the U.S., but ISIS for example pays people to join and offers what is perceived to be a larger purpose.

Yes I fully understand that minority communities have experienced very similar things, but by the very definition of being a minority, they have a lesser chance to be in a position to enact change. If you look at the actual election returns, white voters without a college degree made up about 44% of the vote, 30% whites with a college degree and the rest minority groups. Writing off the largest group of voters in the country isn't exactly a winning strategy.

But more than just winning elections, it's good in general. Our society isn't better off because people at one end of the spectrum went off the deep end and refuse to work together, any more than we will be if Democrats do the same thing.

[backtoblue]

11. +1 nt

[lark]

4. I disagree with Rose. We do not need to attempt to understand KKK, Nazis, misogynists, racists,

gun humpers, willfully ignorant, or hypocritical so-called Christians who care nothing for what Jesus actually commanded. Of these, only the ignorant have any possibility of changing, and even that possibility is slight.

[Solly Mack]

5. Ignorance drives their fears. They react out of fear. That leads to all manner of ugly thinking and

behavior.

They feel good embracing those fears because they are most comfortable in their ignorance. A challenge to those fears is seen as a challenge to their very being, and that makes them more hostile.

Those challenges to their thinking causes them to feel under attack, so they double down on their thinking.

If you build your self-worth up through the need to play the "who am I better than today?" hierarchy of prejudices and biases then anything that challenges those prejudices must be destroyed. Otherwise, you face change - another fear you have. Needing to change implies there is something bad - not good - less than desirable - about your behavior/thinking/beliefs, etc..

Ignorance and fear is a deadly combination.

Fear propagates ignorance and ignorance propagates fear.

Trump voters live in fear. All kinds of fear.

The question isn't should I understand them - the question is do they even understand themselves?

My guess is no.

[Ferrets are Cool]

6. I understand them enough to know they are stupid and delusional. nt

[onecaliberal]

7. I don't want to understand liar and cheaters and deplorable

People who stand idly by while democracy burns.

[NastyRiffraff]

8. Oh I agree!

We need to understand how hateful, clueless, and destructive they are to protect ourselves. Anyone who STILL supports that monster after over a year of his lies, racism, misogyny and xenophobia is unreachable. They're too deep into cognitive dissonance, even as Trump's promises to them prove to be cruel lies.

[maxrandb]

9. I understand them perfectly

That's why I know that the only option is to curb stomp their fascism until it's fucking nothing but a greasy pink stain on the sidewalk

[infidel621]

13. No, because most Trump supporters are ..well... batshit

I get the desire to shake things up and maybe get behind someone who is not a "politician", hell, this is a reason I backed Bernie, but I don't get the support of Trump and even more mind boggling is the continued support. I'm all for 'putting yourself in someone else's shoes' and trying to look at something from a different perspective, in fact, I'm a big supporter of it rather than just demonize them but sex with a cheese grater would be more pleasant than talking politics with a Trump supporter.

[Leith]

14. I Agree with Mr. Pitts

especially when he asked when the last time was that they tried to understand us or any idea outside their bubble. It's long past time that they tried a little understanding.

[liberalla]

16. If my understanding them better would help them change (improve) their thinking and behavior, then

maybe it would be worthwhile??? But really, they are the people who need to open their minds and understand others.
I already understand them more than I want to... It's a dark and scary mindset, IMO.

[Bettie]

17. I understand them

their primary value is hate.

They flocked to Trump because he gave them permission to parade their hate around proudly.

Some may be OK with minorities, but hate GLBT...some may be OK with "teh Gays" but hate those danged black folks, Asians, Muslims, Immigrants, Latinos or what have you.

In the end, each of them has a group or groups of "not me" people that they hate and they are really, really overwhelmed with joy that they get to be open about that now, because their president (not mine, never, ever mine) has given them explicit permission to be the absolute worst versions of themselves.

I'm related to a lot of them. What they used to say in very veiled ways, as if they were ashamed is now loud and proud. They think this is the way it will be now, forever.

It. Won't. Be. This. Way. Forever.

It can't be.

[vercetti2021]

18. Oh I understand them

I understand that Trump supporters are some of the dumbest fucking people to walk this Earth. I'm surprised they even know how to breathe correctly.

[Takket]

19. Has anyone ever written an article...

Stating that the right needs to do more to understand the left?

[Initech]

20. They won't understand us so why should we return the favor?