What a stark contrast between the eminently and consistently reasonable approach to governance from Biden and the rantings of a former President found by a Civil jury to have committed sexual assault. By any reasonable standards it should be inconceivable that Trump and his acolytes should ever get anywhere near the White House again. Bu…
What a stark contrast between the eminently and consistently reasonable approach to governance from Biden and the rantings of a former President found by a Civil jury to have committed sexual assault. By any reasonable standards it should be inconceivable that Trump and his acolytes should ever get anywhere near the White House again. But for a significant proportion of the US population reason has leapt out of the window in a kind of collective madness. Why? Is there something in the water causing it?!?
What answered the question for me, at least to a great extent, was the study conducted by two Univ. of Kansas professors and published in Feb. 2018 in the peer-reviewed journal, "Critical Sociology," entitled "The Anger Games, Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why?" One can google it. In short, Trump simply represented their own points of view, aka prejudices: racism, misogyny and xenophobia. Those things are more important to them than living in a democratic society. There is also Tucker Carlson's "White Replacement Theory" scare.
Yes, Mike S, however, it seems relatively clear that not all who voted for (and would vote again for) TFG are all invested in hate. Certainly a significant portion of them are angry, violent & filled with hate, presumably from feelings of being shunted aside from the American Dream but he amassed a coalition of the very wealthy seeking to preserve and grow their respective fortunes, the religiously conservative seeking a more theocratic government and those who see advantage to the chaos he delivered (e.g.- foreign governments). He has been able to attract huge sums of money not only from those ignorant of his duplicity but from those who consider him "a useful idiot" starting with his first producers on his TV show The Apprentice. I understand they gravely lamented their decisions later on. It's a complex bunch of folks who are not monolithic in their hatred but are served by those who are filled with hatred.
It is now overwhelmingly apparent that the GOP/Koch’s/Fox/Federalists have been stoking that “Anger” for decades, maliciously, in an attempt to hijack our democracy
No, it’s fear, not madness. They don’t like the democratization that’s going...inexorably, forward. It makes them feel less in control of their generally placid way of life and that uncertainty makes them anxious. Then they see their cultural norms begin to come under assault and they huddle up together in front of their tv sets and are further enflamed by Fox and others exploiting their fears for their profit and gain. It’s sad don’t you think? We all know people who we like and admire who have given into their fears in these ways which has hurt our friendships with them. We tell ourselves that they’ll come around and come to their senses but fear is a potent force as FDR so wisely pointed out during his presidency. I think he felt so strongly about it that he decided to underscore its significance by making “freedom from fear” one of his famous “Four Freedoms”. Joe Biden, and our very strong justice department, are important bulwarks now against the forces trying so hard to use every lever to thwart our democracy, but the majority of us won’t let them either.
Thank you Richard B for that great comment, i have been thinking the same thing for months now about the orange baboon named Donald TUMP. He should NOT be allowed to even get anywhere near the White House again. How anyone can worship this creature that has committed multiple crimes and incite riots and violence is beyond me.
Sadly all you need is a whipped up cause, some gullibility, and a whipped up cause. Way too many esp white Americans into that toxic GOP sponsored "cool aid" as already put. Netflix has a series called The Making of a Tyrant, lots of good examples, esp the worst in history. US has it "tame" compared to most of that, but you can't miss some comparisons.
I believe that people that vote for Trump belong to a different species. They are a human mutation that is increasingly common, where the humanity does not exist. Humans without humanity are something different. Can it be trauma induced? Who knows.
Same here Beth. Although not as many as you. What I will note is I know Catholics who did not vote for him. One said to me that he doesn't represent who she is or how she feels. Bingo!
It won’t matter to his base. He could shoot someone on 5th avenue. He has (thru 💩💩Covid policies) killed many of his base’s loved ones. They DON’T CARE
Anti-abortion for millions, the unfettered right to wear and shoot weapons of war for millions more, racism, anti-intellectual, misogyny, etc.etc. Make a Venn diagram and you’ll get voted for tffg dead center. The “critical sociology” article referenced by RSutherland is useful
Linda, sometimes I wonder if Covid doesn’t have something to do with this “disorder”. By being anti-mask and anti-vax, perhaps the result of long Covid. Either way, it’s positively frightening. I took an aggressive stand on a FB watch press conference recently- honestly 99% of the comments were pure insanity and evil, untruths mixed in with juvenile insults. There was a barrage then hurled at my comments- pure nonsense. Some I tried to engage further but most I needed to just “block”. Exhausting and I’m not sure at all productive- I just felt I needed to inject some truth.
Kathy, I see that as a pivotal time too. Normally I see everyone as being part of the human race, but we know that there are mutations over time. When I studied neuropsychology I did some research on the evolution of the brain in terms of reading disabilities. Because reading and writing are newer in our history, the brain has not developed its own areas for these activities, and utilize the speech parts of the brain. There was some idea that LD might be environmentally adaptive, which could be viewed as a maladaption. I am thinking that these people exhibit maladaptive behaviors. It could well be triggered by stressors of Covid, and other life stressors, which is why I say, nature or nurture? Behaviors are an interplay of both. It would be an interesting thing to study the brains of people who are MAGAs compared to others who exhibit empathy in their political dealings. A dangerous study to set up though. I would not trust the ethics of doing something like that.
Interesting link between the speech parts of the brain & dyslexia! As an OT getting handwriting referrals I often saw that it was not dysgraphia as much as a language issue as some SLPS dx as speech dyspraxia.
Carole, your work is so important. I am glad you are sharing these observations. There have been many articles of late discussing the negative effects of continuous online use for children. I guess my childhood was not filled with so much. We had to sneak watch tv when no parents were home because we were only allowed 8 hours a week. That was an hour on weekdays, and then a movie on one weekend day. I am wondering what is going on with the population that is so filled with hate. When I was a child my mother told me that people filled with hate, are hurting inside. So, I understand that Biden has tried to address the hurt that is cause by basic needs not being met, and is being very successful in making huge inroads in terms of employment, as well as a brilliant environmental supports plan tied to the infrastructure. Yet, I am reading that the polls show both DeSatan and Trump winning against Biden now because his age is a factor. I blame the press for this. When their polling questions are revealed they are so slanted to focus on age, and they do not educate the population on age. Of course there is always a focus. Let me at these idjits! Even if Biden were not to live through his next administration, which seems unlikely to me, he is in good health, in what world would one want evil criminals in charge in place of Kamala Harris?
This is an interesting and disturbing thought. My wife has done some in depth literature studies in relation to Covid. The virus, unlike many others, can pass into and cause damage to the brain; the more times you catch it the more the damage. Each exposure can diminish something like 2% of the brain function (if I have understood correctly). We have certainly noticed an apparent increase in aggressive/atypical behaviour - also commented on by others in this thread.
Keep wearing your masks people and avoid Covid if at all possible. It is not over and may never be.
Kathy, I’ve noticed some odd things lately along the same lines. Mostly while I’m driving, because I’m still quite Covid cautious. On the road, I see a lot more distracted driving, people weaving a bit as if they were texting - but they’re not. It seems unlikely to be drink, since it’s usually late morning when I’m out. I also see less patience, but wouldn’t go so far as to call it road rage. We do know that Covid can cause personality and neurological changes; I’m finding this striking weirdness on the road to be a bit frightening.
I also feel there are more aggressive drivers on the road, and yes, a bit frightening for sure. Not sure that we’ll know anytime soon what having Covid, along with not receiving a vax for it, has done to our
population and as Linda stated, what would be considered an ethical study.
I totally get that. It’s done with the hope that even one person “sees the light” and would therefore make the abuse worth it. I’m not going in again for quite some time- if at all. On the other hand, writing postcards for Donna Deegans mayoral campaign in Jacksonville FL definitely felt constructive. Go Donna!
Republican leader history led to it. Look at the Republican presidents since Eisenhower. Story: I stood by my nearest subway entrance in November, 2000 handing out flyers for Albert Gore,Jr., concious of being in the path of workers returning to the Pacific Garden Mission, the local home for homeless men. Before I offered a flyer to a dusty worker, I asked if he were planning to vote. Approached by a small, very dusty black man, I offered a flyer and asked the question. The reply was the briefest and best history lesson ever: “Lady, I don’t need a flyer. I wouldn’t vote for George Bush. I didn’t vote for his daddy. I didn’t vote for Ronald Reagan and I didn’t vote for Richard Nixon.” He walked on down the street.
And while canvassing for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary, I heard a young white woman with a brief case tell her little boy I was a communist. I learned a lot about the electorate from canvassing, and I regret that I can no longer do it.
Drinking the Kool-Aid" is an expression used to refer to a person who believes in a possibly doomed or dangerous idea because of perceived potential high rewards. The phrase typically carries a negative connotation. It can also be used ironically or humorously to refer to accepting an idea or changing a preference due to popularity, peer pressure, or persuasion. In recent years, it has evolved further to mean extreme dedication to a cause or purpose, so extreme that one would "drink the Kool-Aid" and die for the cause.
While use of the phrase dates back to 1968 with the nonfiction book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, it is strongly associated with the events in Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978, in which over 900 members of the Peoples Temple movement died. The movement's leader, Jim Jones, called a mass meeting at the Jonestown pavilion after the murder of U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan and others in nearby Port Kaituma. Jones proposed "revolutionary suicide" by way of ingesting a powdered drink mix made from Flavor Aid (later misidentified as Kool-Aid) that was lethally laced with cyanide and other drugs.[1][2]" Wickipedia.
I missed that connection in the "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test", but then its been a long minute since I read Kesey's book. I only knew of the Jim Jones Peoples' Temple reference.
In the minutiae department, I've handled calls out at Ken Kesey's property a few times. The family still runs (I think) concert promotions etc. There's a statue in downtown Eugene depicting Ken Kesey on a bench, reading to his grandkids. His son Jed Kesey was killed in a van crash involving the U of O wrestling team in 1984.
Hi Ally. Tom Wolfe wrote "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" and Ken Kesey was the Merry Prankster who took the "test" and publicized the process. Ken and Tom were both wild and wooly intellectuals of the sixties. Read their books, but stay away from the Kool-Aid. Best wishes, Catherine
Ah I remember Kool Aid from years ago. I have to confess I am half American and drank some Kool Aid over there when I was a child. Do you think it is out of my system yet??
'George Santos Claims Arraignment Conflicts with His Role in N.B.A. Playoffs'
'WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Representative George Santos told reporters that he would be unable to face federal charges in New York City because of his ongoing role in the N.B.A. playoffs.'
“We’re looking at a pivotal Game Five against the Golden State Warriors and now is not the time to let up,” Santos, who claimed to play small forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, said.'
According to Nietzsche “In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule.” It only takes one and with a powerful megaphone to call to the masses of arses…. Rupert was brought in for that purpose long before chump…
What a stark contrast between the eminently and consistently reasonable approach to governance from Biden and the rantings of a former President found by a Civil jury to have committed sexual assault. By any reasonable standards it should be inconceivable that Trump and his acolytes should ever get anywhere near the White House again. But for a significant proportion of the US population reason has leapt out of the window in a kind of collective madness. Why? Is there something in the water causing it?!?
What answered the question for me, at least to a great extent, was the study conducted by two Univ. of Kansas professors and published in Feb. 2018 in the peer-reviewed journal, "Critical Sociology," entitled "The Anger Games, Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why?" One can google it. In short, Trump simply represented their own points of view, aka prejudices: racism, misogyny and xenophobia. Those things are more important to them than living in a democratic society. There is also Tucker Carlson's "White Replacement Theory" scare.
Right. People for whom hate is their number one priority voted for Trump.
73 million of them.
Yes, Mike S, however, it seems relatively clear that not all who voted for (and would vote again for) TFG are all invested in hate. Certainly a significant portion of them are angry, violent & filled with hate, presumably from feelings of being shunted aside from the American Dream but he amassed a coalition of the very wealthy seeking to preserve and grow their respective fortunes, the religiously conservative seeking a more theocratic government and those who see advantage to the chaos he delivered (e.g.- foreign governments). He has been able to attract huge sums of money not only from those ignorant of his duplicity but from those who consider him "a useful idiot" starting with his first producers on his TV show The Apprentice. I understand they gravely lamented their decisions later on. It's a complex bunch of folks who are not monolithic in their hatred but are served by those who are filled with hatred.
That is an awful lot of people - like more than the entire population of the United Kingdom. Scary! For Just how scary, read Joyce Vance of 8 May: https://joycevance.substack.com/p/the-week-ahead-d2e/comments
It is now overwhelmingly apparent that the GOP/Koch’s/Fox/Federalists have been stoking that “Anger” for decades, maliciously, in an attempt to hijack our democracy
Thanks! I will check it out!
Thank you for the reference to Critical Sociology. Lots of interesting data compiled. Certainly validates the complexity.
No, it’s fear, not madness. They don’t like the democratization that’s going...inexorably, forward. It makes them feel less in control of their generally placid way of life and that uncertainty makes them anxious. Then they see their cultural norms begin to come under assault and they huddle up together in front of their tv sets and are further enflamed by Fox and others exploiting their fears for their profit and gain. It’s sad don’t you think? We all know people who we like and admire who have given into their fears in these ways which has hurt our friendships with them. We tell ourselves that they’ll come around and come to their senses but fear is a potent force as FDR so wisely pointed out during his presidency. I think he felt so strongly about it that he decided to underscore its significance by making “freedom from fear” one of his famous “Four Freedoms”. Joe Biden, and our very strong justice department, are important bulwarks now against the forces trying so hard to use every lever to thwart our democracy, but the majority of us won’t let them either.
Wise comments KD!
Good assessment, KD.
Thank you!
Fear leads to the most egregious behavior, greed sort of the icing on the cake, sad to say
Thank you Richard B for that great comment, i have been thinking the same thing for months now about the orange baboon named Donald TUMP. He should NOT be allowed to even get anywhere near the White House again. How anyone can worship this creature that has committed multiple crimes and incite riots and violence is beyond me.
I strongly suspect it's a security flaw in the code of the human genome, and that ideological malware authors have exploited this for eons.
Sadly all you need is a whipped up cause, some gullibility, and a whipped up cause. Way too many esp white Americans into that toxic GOP sponsored "cool aid" as already put. Netflix has a series called The Making of a Tyrant, lots of good examples, esp the worst in history. US has it "tame" compared to most of that, but you can't miss some comparisons.
It's daunting how frequently the tricks of the tyrant's trade take hold.
I believe that people that vote for Trump belong to a different species. They are a human mutation that is increasingly common, where the humanity does not exist. Humans without humanity are something different. Can it be trauma induced? Who knows.
No, it's the people who are anti abortion who voted for him.
All of my ex's family (which total about 70 people, a big Catholic family) voted for him.
And add in about 50 other people I know who also voted for him because of abortion.
What cracks me up, is can anyone really say that tfg hasn't paid for at least one abortion?
Beth, we certainly know about the many abortions paid for by “higher up” repugnants! Ugh….
Same here Beth. Although not as many as you. What I will note is I know Catholics who did not vote for him. One said to me that he doesn't represent who she is or how she feels. Bingo!
Beth, I’ve said this for *years*. I’d love to see an investigative journalist start rummaging through those financials and rooting out the payments.
It won’t matter to his base. He could shoot someone on 5th avenue. He has (thru 💩💩Covid policies) killed many of his base’s loved ones. They DON’T CARE
Anti-abortion for millions, the unfettered right to wear and shoot weapons of war for millions more, racism, anti-intellectual, misogyny, etc.etc. Make a Venn diagram and you’ll get voted for tffg dead center. The “critical sociology” article referenced by RSutherland is useful
Extreme anti-abortionists, Christian Evangelical/White Nationalists, Great Replacement fearmongers, racists...
Linda, sometimes I wonder if Covid doesn’t have something to do with this “disorder”. By being anti-mask and anti-vax, perhaps the result of long Covid. Either way, it’s positively frightening. I took an aggressive stand on a FB watch press conference recently- honestly 99% of the comments were pure insanity and evil, untruths mixed in with juvenile insults. There was a barrage then hurled at my comments- pure nonsense. Some I tried to engage further but most I needed to just “block”. Exhausting and I’m not sure at all productive- I just felt I needed to inject some truth.
Kathy, I see that as a pivotal time too. Normally I see everyone as being part of the human race, but we know that there are mutations over time. When I studied neuropsychology I did some research on the evolution of the brain in terms of reading disabilities. Because reading and writing are newer in our history, the brain has not developed its own areas for these activities, and utilize the speech parts of the brain. There was some idea that LD might be environmentally adaptive, which could be viewed as a maladaption. I am thinking that these people exhibit maladaptive behaviors. It could well be triggered by stressors of Covid, and other life stressors, which is why I say, nature or nurture? Behaviors are an interplay of both. It would be an interesting thing to study the brains of people who are MAGAs compared to others who exhibit empathy in their political dealings. A dangerous study to set up though. I would not trust the ethics of doing something like that.
Interesting link between the speech parts of the brain & dyslexia! As an OT getting handwriting referrals I often saw that it was not dysgraphia as much as a language issue as some SLPS dx as speech dyspraxia.
Carole, your work is so important. I am glad you are sharing these observations. There have been many articles of late discussing the negative effects of continuous online use for children. I guess my childhood was not filled with so much. We had to sneak watch tv when no parents were home because we were only allowed 8 hours a week. That was an hour on weekdays, and then a movie on one weekend day. I am wondering what is going on with the population that is so filled with hate. When I was a child my mother told me that people filled with hate, are hurting inside. So, I understand that Biden has tried to address the hurt that is cause by basic needs not being met, and is being very successful in making huge inroads in terms of employment, as well as a brilliant environmental supports plan tied to the infrastructure. Yet, I am reading that the polls show both DeSatan and Trump winning against Biden now because his age is a factor. I blame the press for this. When their polling questions are revealed they are so slanted to focus on age, and they do not educate the population on age. Of course there is always a focus. Let me at these idjits! Even if Biden were not to live through his next administration, which seems unlikely to me, he is in good health, in what world would one want evil criminals in charge in place of Kamala Harris?
Thank you for your thoughtful response.
This is an interesting and disturbing thought. My wife has done some in depth literature studies in relation to Covid. The virus, unlike many others, can pass into and cause damage to the brain; the more times you catch it the more the damage. Each exposure can diminish something like 2% of the brain function (if I have understood correctly). We have certainly noticed an apparent increase in aggressive/atypical behaviour - also commented on by others in this thread.
Keep wearing your masks people and avoid Covid if at all possible. It is not over and may never be.
Truly frightening Richard.
Kathy, I’ve noticed some odd things lately along the same lines. Mostly while I’m driving, because I’m still quite Covid cautious. On the road, I see a lot more distracted driving, people weaving a bit as if they were texting - but they’re not. It seems unlikely to be drink, since it’s usually late morning when I’m out. I also see less patience, but wouldn’t go so far as to call it road rage. We do know that Covid can cause personality and neurological changes; I’m finding this striking weirdness on the road to be a bit frightening.
I also feel there are more aggressive drivers on the road, and yes, a bit frightening for sure. Not sure that we’ll know anytime soon what having Covid, along with not receiving a vax for it, has done to our
population and as Linda stated, what would be considered an ethical study.
Sometimes it feels like we’re all in a giant study. I wish I were still in the dwindling control group who haven’t had Covid, but I’m not.
The life of anyone who engages, I quit some time back
I totally get that. It’s done with the hope that even one person “sees the light” and would therefore make the abuse worth it. I’m not going in again for quite some time- if at all. On the other hand, writing postcards for Donna Deegans mayoral campaign in Jacksonville FL definitely felt constructive. Go Donna!
“Humans without humanity,” says it well
Republican leader history led to it. Look at the Republican presidents since Eisenhower. Story: I stood by my nearest subway entrance in November, 2000 handing out flyers for Albert Gore,Jr., concious of being in the path of workers returning to the Pacific Garden Mission, the local home for homeless men. Before I offered a flyer to a dusty worker, I asked if he were planning to vote. Approached by a small, very dusty black man, I offered a flyer and asked the question. The reply was the briefest and best history lesson ever: “Lady, I don’t need a flyer. I wouldn’t vote for George Bush. I didn’t vote for his daddy. I didn’t vote for Ronald Reagan and I didn’t vote for Richard Nixon.” He walked on down the street.
And while canvassing for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary, I heard a young white woman with a brief case tell her little boy I was a communist. I learned a lot about the electorate from canvassing, and I regret that I can no longer do it.
Lies not a new thing, just institutionalized with repubs
It's called drinking the koolaid, Richard. Sound familiar???
Drinking the Kool-Aid" is an expression used to refer to a person who believes in a possibly doomed or dangerous idea because of perceived potential high rewards. The phrase typically carries a negative connotation. It can also be used ironically or humorously to refer to accepting an idea or changing a preference due to popularity, peer pressure, or persuasion. In recent years, it has evolved further to mean extreme dedication to a cause or purpose, so extreme that one would "drink the Kool-Aid" and die for the cause.
While use of the phrase dates back to 1968 with the nonfiction book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, it is strongly associated with the events in Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978, in which over 900 members of the Peoples Temple movement died. The movement's leader, Jim Jones, called a mass meeting at the Jonestown pavilion after the murder of U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan and others in nearby Port Kaituma. Jones proposed "revolutionary suicide" by way of ingesting a powdered drink mix made from Flavor Aid (later misidentified as Kool-Aid) that was lethally laced with cyanide and other drugs.[1][2]" Wickipedia.
I missed that connection in the "Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test", but then its been a long minute since I read Kesey's book. I only knew of the Jim Jones Peoples' Temple reference.
In the minutiae department, I've handled calls out at Ken Kesey's property a few times. The family still runs (I think) concert promotions etc. There's a statue in downtown Eugene depicting Ken Kesey on a bench, reading to his grandkids. His son Jed Kesey was killed in a van crash involving the U of O wrestling team in 1984.
Hi Ally. Tom Wolfe wrote "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" and Ken Kesey was the Merry Prankster who took the "test" and publicized the process. Ken and Tom were both wild and wooly intellectuals of the sixties. Read their books, but stay away from the Kool-Aid. Best wishes, Catherine
That’s right; I just remember Kesey because he’s local. His bus, Further, is still around.
Wow!
Fascinating addition to my education MaryPat. Thank you!
Ah I remember Kool Aid from years ago. I have to confess I am half American and drank some Kool Aid over there when I was a child. Do you think it is out of my system yet??
One can only hope, Richard…..lol..
For these people, Fox News and other right wing media, plus the echo chambers of your preferred bubble influence their views.
'George Santos Claims Arraignment Conflicts with His Role in N.B.A. Playoffs'
'WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Representative George Santos told reporters that he would be unable to face federal charges in New York City because of his ongoing role in the N.B.A. playoffs.'
“We’re looking at a pivotal Game Five against the Golden State Warriors and now is not the time to let up,” Santos, who claimed to play small forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, said.'
(Satire, NewYorker)
Charlatans disease.
According to Nietzsche “In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule.” It only takes one and with a powerful megaphone to call to the masses of arses…. Rupert was brought in for that purpose long before chump…