General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What I've learned about conservatives in the last few months [View all]TahitiNut
(71,611 posts)Indeed, the reactive antipathy for "socialism" is, quite literally, sociopathology. What makes it a 'pathology' is the harm to themselves (and others) inflicted by the choices made. Those choices are, invariably, based in some kind of antipathy for anyone else - the Other.
At the same time, let's not confuse the exploiters with the exploited. Those "useful idiots" who spew their antipathy on the 'tubes' from the safety of a keyboard (the Keyboard Brigadiers) do so with a "joie d'morte" akin to the Vandals or Berserkers ... feeling at their core a deep-seated impotence and channeling their narcissism in "making a mark" in the world through the destruction of the edifices of the 'elites.' They're the Brown Shirts ... given their uniforms by a demagogic cadre in the employ of the Military Industrial Complex of this day which in involved in transnational neocolonialism -- the Banana Republicans.
Afterthought: Let's not be hasty in condemning those who vote against their "self-interest." At least superficially, some white males who vote against their self-interest could be called "liberals." There's nothing inherently 'liberal' about a woman who advocates for equal pay, choice, or Title IX. There's nothing inherently 'liberal' about a minority who advocates equal rights and anti-discrimination. Liberalism, however, is about enlightened (in the Niemuller sense) self-interest -- standing up for the "level playing field" and the rights and liberties of demographic groups of which (s)he's not a member. We should always remember the two-edged sword of demographics. As we stand up for the equal rights of women and minorities, let's not forget that the attitudes of those recently included in the "melting pot" often come from (and carry) a culture of discrimination and overt bigotry. The long-standing sexism in Japanese and Middle-Eastern cultures is well-known. Likewise, the racial bigotry in many other cultures is long-established and well-known. As we recognize the inequities of our own institutional heritage against those recently-arrived, let's not forget the amplified sensitivities of those accustomed to ethnic privilege in their cultures of origin. Likewise, let's alos not forget that the motives of those emigrating to the US from countries that've undergone a major political shift from an autocratic/authoritarian regime to a "leftist" political predominance may be based in their desire to preserve their own privileges. I'm always conscious of those Cubans who benefited from autocratic Batista's corruption and who escaped ninety miles northward in the late 50s show a remarkable propensity for a political alignment with the far right -- having at least 'preserved' a cultural world view that aspires to the dystopian regime they enjoyed.