Republicans have been slowly brainwashing their voters for decades. The rise of the religious right" during Reagan's time in office, was a big win for them. Slowly brainwashing was the key. Too fast, and people will just say, well that's just nuts, but, they have been masters at playing on people's fears. I have often wondered what it is that makes people vote against their own best interests, and I finally came up with an answer. Republican politicians hate the same people their voters do. People of color, gay people, trans people, strong, smart women of any color, pro education, pro choice, etc. It's the only explanation that makes sense to me. I realize it's a pretty general assumption, but, given the current state of the GOP, and who they're groveling to, I think I'm on to something. Last Sunday, all of the major networks had Republicans on their shows still spreading the Big Lie. That is shameful and needs to stop now. It's not just the far right media we have to be concerned about. 45 was like crack for the networks. Their ratings and profits were through the roof, and they just can't seem to stop. For me, unless he's been indicted or he's dead, I really don't want to hear his name and until the networks go to rehab, I turn them off as soon as they start talking about him. His cult members in Congress are the ones who scare me the most because of the power they have. I hope the FBI clamps down on any of them who were involved in the insurrection.
I live in a rural area in the NC mountains, and am familiar with this mindset. You're not going to change the thoughts or attitudes. Racism, violence, even genocide are baked into their DNA since the founding of the USA. It's been hidden from most urban communities for hundreds of years, until Reagan stimulated it by cursing the New Deal. Suddenly, Trump showed how ingrained it still is, and encouraged it. What to do. Many of these people absolutely cannot change their views-- it's not a matter of will, but genetic code. They would rather die first, and they will be happy to take as many of their foes with them. The US now is little better than Syria, the Baltic countries, etc. I once read a quote from a philosopher after WWII-- "Wars only cease when all parties are sick from the amount of blood spilled." Is that the US future? Time to contemplate plans for that, and spend less time revealing the problems in essay after essay. We know the problems, what can actually be done?
They're addicts. The wealthy ones, to their money and the poorer ones, to their hate. The truth about most addicts is that they have to want to change. I think the only way is to lead by example, which may convert some, but not all.
Most people who live in isolated rural areas get all of their information regarding diversity from what they see in the media and not from firsthand experience. It's why they think colleges are all liberal indoctrination zones. They don't realize their children's views change because they interact with diverse groups of people and change their thinking in response to those interactions. The students realize many of the assumptions which influenced their childhoods were not accurate. Where I lived there were groups of parents actively campaigning against college prep programs saying kids change too much when they go to college and often choose not to return to their hometowns. I'm not sure there is a solution on how to open the minds and expand the experiences of people who already think they are right about the world, have no desire to change, and view education as the enemy.
I have always believed that one of primary differences between people in each of the major parties is how we see the world. To me, in general, republicans have viewed the world through a prism of fear which is how they see the world and people. Again, in general, many seem to believe that other people are out to get them or take something from them as opposed to believing most people are at heart, good. This explains why they think if other people are getting more of something, it ultimately means less for them. I don't know how we help people to see how this different perspective could lead to a happier, less stressful life.
Thank you for the well-written, thought-provoking article. I would like to add an ingredient to the mix, from personal experience. I should note that I have lived in the most conservative state (Oklahoma) and the most liberal state (Vermont) equally; spent time in the Northeast, Deep South, Midwest, and West Coast - in major cities and small towns. I have lived in Europe for almost eight years. I say this only as a frame of experiential reference, having friends and family in disparate daily circumstance, whose opinions would fall into both of these statements. I would submit that the additional element in the fear-oriented population is rooted with those who have fundamentalist Christian beliefs. I'm not talking about all Christian beliefs, but those extreme right mega-churches who preach fear, hell, and damnation as a reason to be obedient to God. (Me, I always believed in a loving God, so seeing a friend post "God is fear" on her Facebook page was horrifying). When a large segment of the population's religion is rooted in fear, then fear is indoctrinated in all aspects of those people's lives. They are not only familiar with it, they are programmed to respond to it. You can't have one's faith rooted in fear and not have fear rooted in everything else in the world around you: Fear is the norm. When far right politics found succor in the pulpits of the Christian Right, a proverbial powder keg was ignited. I've never understood the hypocrisy of purporting to believe in Christian principles and yet supporting a leader who so blatantly acted against those principles with regard to women and race - I had a friend explain it that God had anointed Trump and that God often chose 'flawed' men to lead - but the toxic cocktail of fear, and surrender to that fear, has been the communion wine of millions for generations. Add news outlets that "preach" fear, it is a familiar call, and the people who embrace that mentality respond to that call. Lastly, I wonder why there is not governmental regulation - not censorship - on truth in reporting the news. We have truth-in-lending laws, truth-in-advertising laws, to protect the public from being misled. Why not some kind of advisory in news reporting? (And I use the term "news" loosely with regard to media outlets such as Fox News). If a journalist knowingly repeats lies and falsehoods day after day (Tucker Carlson comes to mind), is it not more dangerous to the public than being induced to buy a car/house/mascara under false pretenses? Just a thought...
I find both of those questions for the poll to be heavily loaded. We need to get away from "opposing" viewpoints if we want any hope of winning this battle. Both sides believe their arguments are true and logical. I would love to see an experiment with people on either side of this fence (moderated) and drill down with both...keep asking "why" they believe the way they do. I don't know...maybe I'm being a little Pollyanna about it.
Republicans have been slowly brainwashing their voters for decades. The rise of the religious right" during Reagan's time in office, was a big win for them. Slowly brainwashing was the key. Too fast, and people will just say, well that's just nuts, but, they have been masters at playing on people's fears. I have often wondered what it is that makes people vote against their own best interests, and I finally came up with an answer. Republican politicians hate the same people their voters do. People of color, gay people, trans people, strong, smart women of any color, pro education, pro choice, etc. It's the only explanation that makes sense to me. I realize it's a pretty general assumption, but, given the current state of the GOP, and who they're groveling to, I think I'm on to something. Last Sunday, all of the major networks had Republicans on their shows still spreading the Big Lie. That is shameful and needs to stop now. It's not just the far right media we have to be concerned about. 45 was like crack for the networks. Their ratings and profits were through the roof, and they just can't seem to stop. For me, unless he's been indicted or he's dead, I really don't want to hear his name and until the networks go to rehab, I turn them off as soon as they start talking about him. His cult members in Congress are the ones who scare me the most because of the power they have. I hope the FBI clamps down on any of them who were involved in the insurrection.
Churchill very painfully learned there was no appeasement of fascists, try as much as he did.
I live in a rural area in the NC mountains, and am familiar with this mindset. You're not going to change the thoughts or attitudes. Racism, violence, even genocide are baked into their DNA since the founding of the USA. It's been hidden from most urban communities for hundreds of years, until Reagan stimulated it by cursing the New Deal. Suddenly, Trump showed how ingrained it still is, and encouraged it. What to do. Many of these people absolutely cannot change their views-- it's not a matter of will, but genetic code. They would rather die first, and they will be happy to take as many of their foes with them. The US now is little better than Syria, the Baltic countries, etc. I once read a quote from a philosopher after WWII-- "Wars only cease when all parties are sick from the amount of blood spilled." Is that the US future? Time to contemplate plans for that, and spend less time revealing the problems in essay after essay. We know the problems, what can actually be done?
They're addicts. The wealthy ones, to their money and the poorer ones, to their hate. The truth about most addicts is that they have to want to change. I think the only way is to lead by example, which may convert some, but not all.
Most people who live in isolated rural areas get all of their information regarding diversity from what they see in the media and not from firsthand experience. It's why they think colleges are all liberal indoctrination zones. They don't realize their children's views change because they interact with diverse groups of people and change their thinking in response to those interactions. The students realize many of the assumptions which influenced their childhoods were not accurate. Where I lived there were groups of parents actively campaigning against college prep programs saying kids change too much when they go to college and often choose not to return to their hometowns. I'm not sure there is a solution on how to open the minds and expand the experiences of people who already think they are right about the world, have no desire to change, and view education as the enemy.
I have always believed that one of primary differences between people in each of the major parties is how we see the world. To me, in general, republicans have viewed the world through a prism of fear which is how they see the world and people. Again, in general, many seem to believe that other people are out to get them or take something from them as opposed to believing most people are at heart, good. This explains why they think if other people are getting more of something, it ultimately means less for them. I don't know how we help people to see how this different perspective could lead to a happier, less stressful life.
Thank you for the well-written, thought-provoking article. I would like to add an ingredient to the mix, from personal experience. I should note that I have lived in the most conservative state (Oklahoma) and the most liberal state (Vermont) equally; spent time in the Northeast, Deep South, Midwest, and West Coast - in major cities and small towns. I have lived in Europe for almost eight years. I say this only as a frame of experiential reference, having friends and family in disparate daily circumstance, whose opinions would fall into both of these statements. I would submit that the additional element in the fear-oriented population is rooted with those who have fundamentalist Christian beliefs. I'm not talking about all Christian beliefs, but those extreme right mega-churches who preach fear, hell, and damnation as a reason to be obedient to God. (Me, I always believed in a loving God, so seeing a friend post "God is fear" on her Facebook page was horrifying). When a large segment of the population's religion is rooted in fear, then fear is indoctrinated in all aspects of those people's lives. They are not only familiar with it, they are programmed to respond to it. You can't have one's faith rooted in fear and not have fear rooted in everything else in the world around you: Fear is the norm. When far right politics found succor in the pulpits of the Christian Right, a proverbial powder keg was ignited. I've never understood the hypocrisy of purporting to believe in Christian principles and yet supporting a leader who so blatantly acted against those principles with regard to women and race - I had a friend explain it that God had anointed Trump and that God often chose 'flawed' men to lead - but the toxic cocktail of fear, and surrender to that fear, has been the communion wine of millions for generations. Add news outlets that "preach" fear, it is a familiar call, and the people who embrace that mentality respond to that call. Lastly, I wonder why there is not governmental regulation - not censorship - on truth in reporting the news. We have truth-in-lending laws, truth-in-advertising laws, to protect the public from being misled. Why not some kind of advisory in news reporting? (And I use the term "news" loosely with regard to media outlets such as Fox News). If a journalist knowingly repeats lies and falsehoods day after day (Tucker Carlson comes to mind), is it not more dangerous to the public than being induced to buy a car/house/mascara under false pretenses? Just a thought...
I find both of those questions for the poll to be heavily loaded. We need to get away from "opposing" viewpoints if we want any hope of winning this battle. Both sides believe their arguments are true and logical. I would love to see an experiment with people on either side of this fence (moderated) and drill down with both...keep asking "why" they believe the way they do. I don't know...maybe I'm being a little Pollyanna about it.
I find the questions at extreme opposites. The percentage is very concerning. That's a lot of minds to change.