@Russhorn had posted in that thread:
"Pretty sure at this point conservatives would rather burn America to the ground than see Trump for what he really is."
Too which I responded:
Precisely. I've said it numerous times before, but the thing that terrifies human beings above all else is having to reexamine their worldview. As too many Americans (especially those on the right) have come to the unhealthy practice of tying their worldview onto their political beliefs, ti becomes harder and harder for them to admit a mistake therein. This leads to precisely the issue you posted. What I quoted from you is NOT even an exaggeration. If you fear America being "burned to the ground," as of course conservatives do, but you have a much deeper fear of rethinking your overarching viewpoints on life, and those viewpoints are precisely the sort of thing that will unfortunately destroy our country over time (they are what has resulted in this abomination of a current administration), you're going to let the country die rather than face a more mortal fear. For too many it is simply the path of least resistance.
People wonder how terrible regimes such as Hitler, Mao, Castro, Stalin, Franco, and Mussolini come to seize control. Extremist viewpoints have a way of slanting further and further extreme. That slippery slope is caused by the dynamic I described. If one fears a challenge to their worldview, what do they do? They push back, by pushing deeper into extremism, whether it be right or left. Eventually one of two things happen: the nation in question hits rock bottom, as in the examples provided and finally people experiences horrors that put to shame their fear of self-examination, or the only thing that can prevent a country as close to the brink of despotic extremism as America currently is occurs. Thankfully that thing is currently happening, although I'm not going to say what it is, because the one thing I DO NOT want to do is give the right-wing extremists any sort of heads up as to why they are going to lose the war for America's soul. It's nothing clandestine or conspiratory, in case anyone thinks that's where I'm headed. It's just a quirky phenomenon of humanity that I don't think anybody on the planet really understands, but if consciously made aware of, could be manipulated.
I'm sure the usual dunderheads on here will have some sort of trite response and dismiss this post of hand. I really don't care if you do. Just know this: as Jed said in Red Dawn before killing the general (and killing killed himself, unfortunately) "you lose." It's not a question of if, but of when and how much damage will Trump do to our nation before things begin to turn around.
"Pretty sure at this point conservatives would rather burn America to the ground than see Trump for what he really is."
Too which I responded:
Precisely. I've said it numerous times before, but the thing that terrifies human beings above all else is having to reexamine their worldview. As too many Americans (especially those on the right) have come to the unhealthy practice of tying their worldview onto their political beliefs, ti becomes harder and harder for them to admit a mistake therein. This leads to precisely the issue you posted. What I quoted from you is NOT even an exaggeration. If you fear America being "burned to the ground," as of course conservatives do, but you have a much deeper fear of rethinking your overarching viewpoints on life, and those viewpoints are precisely the sort of thing that will unfortunately destroy our country over time (they are what has resulted in this abomination of a current administration), you're going to let the country die rather than face a more mortal fear. For too many it is simply the path of least resistance.
People wonder how terrible regimes such as Hitler, Mao, Castro, Stalin, Franco, and Mussolini come to seize control. Extremist viewpoints have a way of slanting further and further extreme. That slippery slope is caused by the dynamic I described. If one fears a challenge to their worldview, what do they do? They push back, by pushing deeper into extremism, whether it be right or left. Eventually one of two things happen: the nation in question hits rock bottom, as in the examples provided and finally people experiences horrors that put to shame their fear of self-examination, or the only thing that can prevent a country as close to the brink of despotic extremism as America currently is occurs. Thankfully that thing is currently happening, although I'm not going to say what it is, because the one thing I DO NOT want to do is give the right-wing extremists any sort of heads up as to why they are going to lose the war for America's soul. It's nothing clandestine or conspiratory, in case anyone thinks that's where I'm headed. It's just a quirky phenomenon of humanity that I don't think anybody on the planet really understands, but if consciously made aware of, could be manipulated.
I'm sure the usual dunderheads on here will have some sort of trite response and dismiss this post of hand. I really don't care if you do. Just know this: as Jed said in Red Dawn before killing the general (and killing killed himself, unfortunately) "you lose." It's not a question of if, but of when and how much damage will Trump do to our nation before things begin to turn around.
