The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Bullies

[Rebkeh]

Crossposted from Good Reads

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016144834

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Bullies (from Progressive Army)

Michael Salamone spoke with 10 baby boomers, five who support Trump and five who support Hillary and found that they have a lot in common.
*Michael Salamone * Progressive Army * 2/18/16

http://progressivearmy.com/2016/02/18/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-bullies/

The 2016 primary races on both sides of the aisle are led by two baby-boomer bully buddies. Say that five times fast. Though they’ve tried to distance themselves from each other, we know that the Clintons and Trumps were good enough friends to talk on the phone, golf together and attend events together. It’s no surprise that both candidates talk about “me” more than “we” and claim that they’re the only person in existence who can govern this great land of ours. They are of course both products of the “me generation,” and it certainly shows in their rhetoric.

Both Trump and Hillary are also getting a majority of their support from aging baby boomers as well. This week I took an informal panel from people in this age group that I know who are supporting either of these candidates, or were referred to me by friends or family members who knew I was seeking people in this age group who are supporting Trump or Hillary. My findings were that, at least in my sample group, supporters of both of these baby boomer candidates had a lot in common. At the end of the day, I was left with the impression that baby-boomers who support Trump or Hillary are pro-bullying, and I’m not just phrasing it that way because I’m prone towards the bombastic.

I best disclaim that I am not a psychologist. I’m a regular guy who likes politics and talking to others about politics. The conversations I’m going to report to you are with other regular folks. Some I knew before hand, others not. While I did Google traits of bullies to shape how I presented this story to you, I didn’t cherry-pick my panel’s quotes to support my narrative. I spoke with 10 people, five in favor of each candidate. All of the responses are included, though if responses were similar, I combined them into the clearest response and indicated how many people said this sort of thing.

I’m not such a dolt that I would claim these views represent entire voting blocks. I know baby boomers who think similarly as I do on these issues. I specifically sought out Trump and Hillary supporters in that age demographic. I don’t believe or present my findings as scientific in any manner. However, the human experience, no matter how individualized or intersected, does have commonplaces to be considered. I do not believe in the hive-mind. I believe in individuals. However, individuals often subscribe to a hive-mind in order to feel like part of a community. Supporting political candidates can have that effect. I know because I try to be careful of that trap myself. We’re all human. Some of us care about other humans more than others, though.

See the list and more
http://progressivearmy.com/2016/02/18/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-bullies/

[LW1977]

1. Bullies, like Bernie Bros,

Ruining it for Bernie supporters like me, who want to see a discussion, and not Free Republic type smears against Hillary?

[jillan]

2. I still don't know who the Bernie Bros are.

[Kalidurga]

3. You are a Bernie Bro

anyone who supports Bernie is a sexist, racist, meanie who wants Republicans to win. That was the message Hill supporters trotted out in June and they have been beating Bernie supporters with it ever since.

[snagglepuss]

9. How special. A new hilbot dissing Sanders supporters. I can't think of a

faster way to my ignore list buhbye.

[Mbrow]

4. He makes some good points in the article, I'd like to point out

that there are a lot, and I mean a whole lot of boomers supporting Bernie... thanks for the post.

[Rebkeh]

5. I love me some Boomer hippies from back then

They laid the foundation for the revolution today, and this includes the activists from the Civil Rights Movement as well.

People are complex, no doubt.

[Downwinder]

6. There are still some of us "Beats" around.

[LiberalElite]

8. I was a hippie sympathizer nt

[Bernin4U]

7. Any generalization has to be taken for what it is.

But I think the question certainly can be raised, why it seems that so many "mind-expanding counter-culturals of the 60's" became "coke-snorting disco ducks of the 70's" became "Saab-driving Reagan Democrats of the 80's" and so on.

A lot of boomers simply can't seem to relate to the idea that the paradigm of "go to state college, get a mediocre degree, and in a few years you'll have a decent job, house and family," has never applied to millennials.

Of course a lot of them are sensitive to how much things have changed over the last 30-40 years, but I'm not sure how much they're the rule rather than the exception.

And who else besides Bernie is talking about this? Kids coming out of school with crushing debt, only to be 1 of 200 qualified applicants for a $45K job. The MSM ain't covering it. Naturally anyone with enough awareness (and morality) will flock to Bernie.