Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Trump Believers: The Psychology of Delusion,

 

Thomas Edsall:


"About 35 percent of Americans believed in April that Biden’s victory was illegitimate, with another 6 percent saying they are not sure. What can we say about the Americans who do not think Biden’s victory was legitimate? Compared to the overall voting-age population, they are disproportionately white, Republican, older, less educated, more conservative, and more religious (particularly more Protestant and more likely to describe themselves as born again)."



They also believe this:

“Immigrants are invading our country and replacing our cultural and ethnic background” — ...60 percent of Republicans agreed, as do 55 percent of conservatives."


This is astonishing:

"...among white Republicans, those without college degrees were far more likely to agree “that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump,” at 69 percent, than white Republicans with college degrees, at a still astonishing 51 percent."


And this:


"The populist Right hates the intellectual Left because they hate being condescended to, they hate what they perceive as their hypersensitivity, and they hate what they view as an anti-American level of femininity (which is for whatever reason associated with intellectualism). 

 At the same time...the intellectual Left really does see the G.O.P. as a bunch of deplorable rubes. They absolutely feel superior to them, and they reveal it constantly on Twitter and elsewhere — further riling up the “deplorables.” 

[SKIP]

"The populist/anti-intellectual Right absolutely believe that the intellectuals are not only out of touch but are also ungodly and sneaky, and therefore think they must be stopped before they ruin America. 

Meanwhile, the intellectual Left really do believe the Trumpers are racist, sexist, homophobic (and so on) authoritarians who can’t spell and are going to destroy the country if they are not stopped."


***************************** 


My take from the Edsall article:


"Meanwhile, the intellectual Left really do believe the Trumpers are racist, sexist, homophobic (and so on) authoritarians who can’t spell and are going to destroy the country if they are not stopped." 

We believe it for a reason. Because it is true. Leaving aside the spelling part for a minute what part of this is not factually correct? None of it. 

Overwhelming social science research, some of it quoted or referred to in this column, shows a strong correlation between racism, sexism, homophobia and trumpism. It is true in the same sense that the blueness of the sky is true. 

Ditto on violence. 

90% of all politically motivated violence is now coming from the right, according to the Edsall column. When Trumpers engage in violence--as they did on January 6th at Trump's direction -- it is insurrection. It is sedition. When anti-trumpers think of political violence they are thinking of self defense. IMO, these two are in no sense equivalents, moral or otherwise."

It’s true that all factions at all times are guilty, to greater or lesser extent, of bias, sometimes deep bias. But it's also true that there is only one faction at present that has accepted, in fact cheered for, history’s only presidential introduction of violence into politics. That same faction is methodically working to change election laws in about a third of the states so that its own partisans can assume the powers of ballot-counting. Its leaders work tirelessly to subvert faith in elections. 

Faction members seek to intimidate election staff, and are credibly linked to what the FBI declares is the biggest terror threat. The contrast to that Trump faction is not just Democrats. The contrast is with decent Americans who want the basic framework of decency norms and practices to be restored and sustained.

Some are actual Republicans, like my governor.

17 comments:

Les Carpenter said...

There are certainly some very good (intentions and actions), educated, compassionate, and civic minded republicans (like Governor Baker) that understand what is really going on. Unfortunately they are now in the distinct minority in the republican party/con orbit.

Truth is that the folks you highlighted in this post make up the racist base that is now actively working to officially turn this nation into an autoritarian racist nation with egregiious racist and misogynist trimmings. Perhaps these folks, because of their blind ignorance, really believe the balderdash they freely regurgitate daily is actually true. Which of course makes them a very explosive and dangerouis group of mnalcontents.

Frankly Shaw, I see no end to this in sight and actually am preparing for much worse to occur in the very near future. These folks are LOOKING for an excuase to mobilize and create mayhem any way and any where they can.

Sad is it. But you're staring into the immediate future of this racist, misogynist, and soon to become authoritarian nation.

Be well, if you can.

Bluebullamerica said...

The left IS far superior and more American than the right could ever hope to be. The right is all about restricting rights, limiting freedoms and punishing people. The left is about expanding freedoms and rights and lifting people up rather than stuffing them down as the right so loves to do. The left brought us the 5 day work week, child labor laws, a woman's right to chose, voting rights for women, people of color and non land owners. We have clean water, food inspections, pollution controls, public transportation, libraries, public education, medical advancements, vaccines that nearly wiped out the scourge of polio, whopping cough, rubella, and measles. We saw stem cell research begin to actually cure many cancers and the rate of deaths fell sharply,
Contrary to the eternal whine from the right, most of the left is okay with having a gun for protection or hunting in trained, law-abiding hands. What the left doesn't want but the right certainly seems to want is every mentally unstable person owning 50 ak47's and maps to where they keep all the innocent people, especially kids.
The right wants to roll back the rights of women, of gay people, of basically anyone who isn't a white, christian republican. They'd like to seal off the borders even though the population of the USA is declining and American bosses can't find enough workers and American farmers are having to let their crops die in the fields for lack of workers which makes the cost of foods go up and up and up for everyone.
The right likes tax cuts for the rich and every time to cut more they always use the same lie that it will 'trickle down'. That means the rich will be richer and the ret of us get pissed on. Seriously, how often are we going to fall for that lie? They are terrified that companies will flee the country if they have to pay 3 or 4% more, which is still FAR less than they paid in their hay-day of the 50's and 60's.
The right is furious that Americans side with Antifa (anti-Fascist) over the strain of fascism they are pushing. Our fathers and grandfathers who fought and died keeping fascism at bay must be rolling in their graves over the lurch towards fascism by the GQP under Cheeto-Mussolini and his hash-tag band of social misfits.
No, clearly the left is better for America. Far better.

Shaw Kenawe said...

RN,

I'm afraid I agree with a lot you wrote. Somehow we now live in a country where there are millions of Americans who don't believe in democracy and are terrified of change.

The only thing I can comfort myself with (and I hope you do too) is that I live in a reasonable state, with a reasonable governor (a true, old fashioned, not crazy Republican, who never embraced Trumpism) and can insulate myself from most of the anti-democratic, anti-scientific, anti-rational mania that's taken over the Republican Party.

As an example of the anti-rational mania that's taken hold of Trumpers, just check out how Dervish's resident Trumpers who were ABSOLUTELY SURE! that the Fraudit in Maricopa County, AZ, would definitively PROVE! that there was FRAUD! in that county that caused Trump to lose the state. When that FRAUD! failed to materialize, all Minus Eff Jay did was move the goal posts and incredibly state that the finding of "no fraud" only proves that there was fraud!

It's a sort of psychosis that's taken hold of people like him and the rest of the people who support Trump and his outlaw party of insurrectionists!

As long as those people exist in this country, we will never heal, and we will never be a united America.

Mike said...

I think it's a good thing that we have an old white guy a president right now or the nut jobs would be even more riled up.

Shaw Kenawe said...

When you get once rational conservatives writing this sort of doublespeak, you know we're lost:

"So now we are in a nation where "parading" inside the Capitol building wearing a horned helmet makes you a terrorist. Oath Keepers are now terrorists, despite being members of an above-board organization that states its mission publicly and has never planned or carried out a terrorist attack. Same for the Proud Boys, who at best are a street-fighting reactionary opposite of the Antifa anarcho-fascists."

"...where "parading" inside the Capitol building wearing a horned helmet makes you a terrorist. "

The person who wrote that bit of doublespeak would have had his hair on fire had the mob of insurrectionists been led by Clintonites. Here's where someone who has a facility for words and arguing betrays himself.

We all saw with our very own eyes and heard with our very own ears that what happened on January 6 was NOT just "parading inside the Capitol building wearing a horned helmet..."

We saw Trump's thugs illegally breaking into the Capitol building, we saw Trump's thugs spraying fire retardant and bear spray on Capitol police officers, we saw Trump's thugs beating Capitol officers, we saw Trump's thugs smearing excrement on the walls, destroying property, screaming "HANG PENCE!" and looking for the Speaker of the House to harm her.

All of that and more, much more, we saw and heard with our eyes and ears, yet the person quoted above wants to twist what happened into a mere parade with a guy wearing a buffalo headdress and nothing more -- mere shinanigens that cost one woman her life and several Capitol police injuries and one who died of a heart attack just days later.

This is what happens when a dishonest person will not face what his party and leader did to this country.

What happened was unprecedented, shameful, fatal, and something we've witnessed in unstable, third world countries led by authoritarian crooks.

As long as otherwise smart and articulate people like the person who wrote that refuse to see what happened as reality and an actual insurrection*, we will continue to be divided and to scream at each other with our own versions of reality.

*Insurrection definitions:

The act or an instance of open revolt against civil authority or a constituted government.
noun

A rising up against established authority; rebellion; revolt.
noun

An organized opposition to an authority; a mutiny; a rebellion.
noun

The definition of an insurrection is a rise against government authority or a revolt.

One third of this country dismisses the insurrection against the U.S. government because it was THEIR PEOPLE who committed this treachery.

We are a lost people.


Les Carpenter said...

As long as those people exist in this country, we will never heal, and we will never be a united America.

You are so right Shaw. The unfortunate aspect is that many of these folks likely have spawned offspring who will, the result of their early conditioning, be exactly like their self centered ego driven parents. This nation's darkest days mnay very well lie ahead of it.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Here's what the person who is quoted above in bold is defending (Kelly Meggs, the Florida leader of the Oath Keepers):

"According to court papers filed by prosecutors, the Oath Keepers moved on the building in a military-style “stack” formation and were among the first to enter the Capitol complex. They then dispersed to various points in the building, and messages show they were intent on heading to the Senate, where then-Vice President Mike Pence was presiding over a GOP-led challenge to Arizona’s electoral vote count. Prosecutors note they’re still reviewing footage to determine whether Oath Keepers followed the mob to the Senate chamber.

Meggs’ messages indicated that just days before the Jan. 6 attack, he and others anticipated that Trump would invoke the Insurrection Act, which they viewed as permission to aid his effort to stay in power.

“Trump’s staying in, he’s gonna use the emergency broadcast system on cell phones to broadcast to the American people. Then he will claim the insurrection act,” Meggs wrote in a Dec. 26 Facebook message.

“Any idea when?” an associate replied.

“Next week,” Meggs said. “Then wait for the 6th when we are all in dc to insurrection.

“This week I organized an alliance between Oath Keepers, Florida 3%ers, and Proud Boys,” Meggs wrote in a Dec. 19 message to an associate via Facebook. “We have decided to work together and shut this shit down.””





Shaw Kenawe said...

"...and local school boards have local leo's to "enforce the laws". There's no need for a "federal" intervention unless the intent is to intimidate. And THAT is what it is. Federal "terror".

Yeah. And we all have seen how "local LEOs" "enforce the laws," especially where p.o.c. are concerned.

These people never see what's in front of their noses. Ever!

Shaw Kenawe said...

Bluebullamerica.

Just look at what Moscow Mitch is up to. He and the Trumpublicans raised the debt ceiling several times (along with cooperation by the Democrats). Yet now that a Democrat is POTUS, Moscow Mitch is holding this routine procedure hostage.

The Trumpublicans don't know how to govern. They believe only they have the right to power, and you can be sure they're devising ways to get it back, illegally, in the next election.

You are right, IMO, today's GQP is bad for America!

Les Carpenter said...

None of this surprises me. Observing trump, his cult followers/sycophants, 12/6/2021, the quivering gutless republicans in the house and senate. as well as the gov's who are no better told me all I needed to know. This nation is sliding into deep division. Something that will be very hard if not impposiblee to recover from.

-FJ the Dangerous and Extreme MAGA Jew said...

Progressives swim in denial....

from the WSJ

Based on the scientific evidence alone, an unbiased jury would be convinced that SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus escaped after being created in a laboratory using accelerated evolution (a k a gain of function) and gene splicing on the backbone of a bat coronavirus. Using standard statistical methods, we can quantify the likelihood of the lab-leak hypothesis compared with that of zoonosis. The odds enormously favor a lab leak, far more significantly than the 99% confidence usually required for a revolutionary scientific discovery.

Jerry said...

If you ever want a united America those are the exact people you will have to deal with.

Bluebullamerica said...

As usual Farmer splats out copious amounts of irrelevant crap in place of real communication.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Minus Eff Jay: "Progressives swim in denial..."


"...we can quantify the likelihood of the lab-leak hypothesis..."

No one here ever denied "the likelihood of the lab-leak hypothesis." Your statement then is nonsensical.

Also hilarious, coming from you who pinned all your Trumpian hopes on the outcome of the Maricopa Fraudit, and now believe that the outcome (no fraud) proves there really WAS fraud! LOL!

Shaw Kenawe said...

Jerry said...
"If you ever want a united America those are the exact people you will have to deal with."

And in dealing with those people, we'd have to humor their conspiracy theories along with their worshipping of Trump -- a liar, a cheat, and a fraud. (Also --LOSER!)

Les Carpenter said...


Progressives swim in denial...
.

I agree with one thing, it is TRUE that progressive deny cons and trumpers (one in the same actually) are tethered to actual reality. You apparently live continually by the storiers you make up in your grey matter.

Jerry said...

Not really Shaw. There is more than one way to deal with scum than just giving into them.