The Making of a Trump Supporter. rant

[Baitball Blogger]

Last edited Sun Jun 24, 2018, 02:29 PM - Edit history (1)

It turns out I have many friends who are conservatives and Trump supporters. You will have to give me some space here, because I'm just discovering this fact through Facebook since this immigration issue has pulled us all off the sidelines. I'm grappling with the facts and observations, struggling to put this into context. Excuse the rudimentary way that I put these thoughts down.

We all had our beginnings on a military base that also housed civilians. This is what I noticed in our short discussions:

1- They all think they are defending the Constitution. Many have had military experience so that's understandable. They have to swear an oath to the Constitution, and our president, in that order. I have noticed that the swearing to uphold the Commander-in-chief does not get much air time these days. It stopped being a salient point after the Clinton and Obama years, when all of us reminded them how badly they upheld that oath during their terms. So we're down to the Constitution.

2- I don't think they could hold their end if we truly talked about the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, I mean outside of the Second Amendment. But I think that the different ways that we view the Constitution is a good comparison point for someone to develop. You see, every time a conservative pulls us away from the spirit of the law as intended by the Constitution, they have an excuse for it. Whether it involves the deterioration of the Search and Seizure laws, or due process or equal protection under the law -- there is always an exception that they are ready to embrace that will allow them to target people and break away from the American Way, as it was intended in the Constitution. It usually involves fear or a cry for their personal safety, but it's all wrapped up tightly in a bigot or racist burrito. Prejudice is behind their desire to keep people down that they feel do not belong in their neighborhoods, playing with their children or on the community playgrounds. And let me be the first to tell you, yes we are threatening their way of life. When we move into their neighborhoods we can witness the appalling ways that they game the system to make sure that their friends and family members can fleece their own communities. And they are not going to let that go without a fight. So, we should be prepared to get everything thrown at us, including the kitchen sink.

That explains the hardcore Trump supporter. It's racism and entitlement that prevents them to play fair in the world community. But, how they are contaminating the dialogue to pull in everyone else is really where we should be paying attention.

3- You will find conservative strength wherever you find autocratic environments where everyone is either indoctrinated or rewarded for following or obeying orders. Church and military circles come to mind. Happily, there are exceptions, but for the most part, most of my friends who are turning out to be conservative have strong roots in both environments.

4- Alex Jones leads the way. Every argument I have had with a conservative friend repeats the bullshit memes from Alex Jones. One even got hysterical, like Alex Jones. Claimed that Democrats shoot congressmen and they're all socialist progressives. And I'm thinking, how did we grow up in the same streets and attend the same schools and classes? What the hell happened to you?

5-Assimilation. The people I'm arguing with on Facebook, are like me. Not a pinch of Anglo genes. But they do have families to support and have found steady work in military fields. So it should not surprise me that they have adapted in order to survive.

6-I'll tell you what does surprise me. We are providing the money for this closed society. It's our tax dollars that support their way of life. My father had a better time seeing the harmony between his Liberal views and his love for the military, because he understood that the military defended his right to express his idealistic views. But something has happened to this balance. Suddenly, the military has encroached into civilian life and they act as if their sacrifice was not to defend our freedoms as much as the right to DEFINE our freedoms. Jesus, did you know that some conservatives think that we should treat the military industry as if it's a gold star family? If we criticize them, we are called unpatriotic.

In sum, I think the best way to reach the Trump supporter is to have civil discussions about the Constitution and show how far we are from where we should be because they are being played by hard-right forces in this country that do not want to lose control over a system that they have been able to game from more than a century. In other words, show them how prejudice is behind every conservative decision, and if they prevail, the end game will make America less American.

[bobbieinok]

1. Interesting analysis. But depressing.

[MFM008]

2. I solved my problem

And eliminated all the maggot lovers from my life.

[LuckyCharms]

12. +1 n/t

[vlyons]

3. Sadly, I think reasoning with them is a big waste of time.

Their minds are snapped shut tight and closed. They don't - can't hear anything that challenges their prejudices, bigotry, and flat-out stupid unscientific beliefs. They are locked into self-cherishing, caring only about themselves. The world is changing. It's always changing. Demographics are changing. Climate is changing. Automation is changing. But they don't want to change. They want to live in 1954 and get by comfortably with a high school diploma and a dependable factory job. Those days are long gone. Change is very very painful. And so they are pissed, fearful, and blaming the world because the ground is shifting under them. As soon as I hear "It's God's will" or "God is in control," I know that discussion is over.

As a Buddhist, there is a lot that I could teach them that would change their lives. But they're not ready to hear it. And they don't want to hear it. They want a savior, whether Jesus or a Fuhrer to come and save them and fix everything back to the way it was in 1954.

So where does that leave us? We must never lose sight of justice and equality before the law. We have to be willing to change, because nothing lasts forever. All things are impermanent. Most importantly, we have tom stay focused on winning big in Nov. I have no illusions that Dems taking the House will be a magic panacea. Trump will veto whatever whims move him and throw monkey wrenches and chaos as usual. But at least taking the House will be a check on him, and we can have House hearings on his corrupt and criminal regime.

[Different Drummer]

4. +Infinity. Couldn't have characterized them any better myself. n/t

[CanonRay]

9. I gave up on the few I had left, not worth the aggravation.

[VOX]

11. + 1,000.

Thank you!

[bitterross]

5. I frequently wonder how I grew up in the same place as some of my 45 fanboy classmates...

I frequently wonder how I grew up in the same place as some of my 45 fanboy classmates and yet, I turned out so differently.

The people I grew up with in small town TN still love 45 and still think I'm just not giving him a chance. They believe he's responsible for the low unemployment and the high stock market because that's what he says. Trying to get them to look at a chart of the actual trends for those that began long before 45 is useless. Trying to get them to understand the fiscal policy of a new administration doesn't take hold until at least a year after they enter office is hopeless. That with 45's that is even more true since they didn't pass any bills until late in his first year. It's too much like math and science for them. They like faith and bluster instead.

Yes, it is totally the people who claim the most important thing in their lives is "Jesus Christ, my lord and savior" - direct quote from one of them. Note, these are the same people who were running around on each other, drinking and fornicating while we were all in high school together. All of which was illegal, or a mortal sin where I grew up.

I think my saving grace is that I'm gay. Once I realized that I had to question a lot of things or accept that I was a horrible human. I knew that from what I was being taught in Sunday School my actions and deeds were as good as any of theirs. I did the same volunteer work and attended the same church as many of them. I didn't date, fool around or have sex with another person until later in college. Yes, that is part of the curse of being gay in the South.

They've had no life events that really make them question anything. To that end, it is far easier to go along and get along than to swim in the opposite direction for them. So that's exactly what they do. Making it even worse is they gather together in their homogeneous bubble and echo one another.

One other thought. I noticed with my sisters and others that having children often brings about a swing to the right in attitudes. I feel that is related to FEAR. The stock and trade of the Right is fear and when people have kids I notice their fear for the well being of their kids changes them.

[ismnotwasm]

6. I am NOT going to reach out to them

Military news is just as prone to conspiracy, more I think, than any other kind. Military life is enclaved, especially active duty. They want to be, and are , supportive of their society, of one another. The bottom line is Trump ran on othering and bigotry and there is not one Trump voter who is not a bigot. I wish you well in reaching out.

[duforsure]

7. The only way to change them

IS to psychologically deprogram them from what they've been programmed to accept. The truth is a lie, and his lies are the truth, good is evil , and evil is good, right is wrong, and wrong is right, and he's got them trained to accept his reality for himself, and reject the real reality as false. Like fake news, they're really bad, bad people, or they're murderers and drug dealers. all making them accept the opposite as he wants, and now he has them accepting child abuse as acceptable , and they're animals and criminals and now wanting no due process. Its clear who the animal and criminal really is.

[vlyons]

8. Stop trying to change them

It's a lost cause. We can't change other people. We can only change ourselves. We can only change our own thoughts and behaviors. No one is going to save and liberate us but ourselves. If they truly wanted the world to be a better place, they would open their minds to hear and consider other possibilities. I give you one example. The vast majority of countries in the industrialized world supply affordable healthcare - as a right - for all their people. Why can't we have that? The Trumpsters are so close-minded that they can't even get to a point where they ask "why not?"

We are not powerless. We are building a critical mass of opinion for positive, progressive change. And we need to be patient for it to unfold.

[Trek4Truth]

10. I have very few civil discussions with RUMPers as they can't handle them. nt

[MarcA]

13. They always attack "socialism" while supporting the biggest socialist organization

and are often part of it.

[vlyons]

14. They don't have a clue what socialism is. They think it's like communism.

They don't know the history of the Socialist movement. They don't understand the bit in the preamble to the constitution about "promote the general Welfare." They've never read history. They fail to see that all public services, libraries, schools, police and fire depts, roads and bridges, ports and airports, parks, etc are all forms of socialism.

[yonder]

15. +1, nice post

"and they act as if their sacrifice was not to defend our freedoms as much as the right to DEFINE our freedoms." That so-called "right" seems to have been co-opted by the oligarchs to corral us as they see fit.

[Baitball Blogger]

16. Thank you.

Living in Florida I have seen a great many overreaches in our communities from retired officers. Never expected to see it. So, yes, that statement is a reflection of my experiences.