What do we call those on the “other side”?

[rhett o rick]

Go ahead and give me your expletives if that makes your day. But I am series. Well as series as “I” can ever get.

When writing about us and “them”, I struggle with what to call “them”. Conservative is a common label, but I don’t like it. I come from a long line of conservatives and am myself conservative fiscally. And there have been some decent people that are or were conservative. And I have a good friend that is conservative. Honest!

No, the people I am speaking about are the gullibles. Narrow minded and actually without morals*. These people are usually Christians but not all Christians fall into this category. They are dogmatic, gullible, narrow minded and not moral. Bob Altemeyer** calls them RWA for right wing authoritarians.

But I am looking for a name to call these idiots that isn’t insulting. Seriously! If I insult them in my writing, they will never read past the insult.

Is there a name or description that differentiates them from us without demeaning them?

* These people pretend to have only the highest morals. They go to church, raise decent families and don’t admit they ever watch porn. But, when they demonstrate their morality by condemning Pres Clinton’s peccadilloes, then turn around and ignore the more serious transgressions of Larry Craig, David Vitter, Ted Haggard, and the many republicans, they show that their, so-called, morality is a sham. You could reveal to them that Dick Cheney personally tortured and abused Iraqi children, and they would rationalize it as ok.

**You have no excuse not to read Bob Altemeyer’s book “The Authoritarians”, as it is free on the internet. And you can buy it for printing costs at lulu.com.

[Heidi]

1. I call them "Christian extremists." (nt)

[Ganja Ninja]

4. More like Pseudo-Christian Extremists.

Their brand of Christianity barely resembles the original and serves only as loose frame work they build their hate around.

[Heidi]

5. I call them Christian extremists because their brand of Christianity is so far afield

from the original, which is still practiced by a lot of good people. Genuine Christians don't hate, in my experience.

[rhett o rick]

7. I am not speaking of the extremists. I am speaking of the many, many average family

mostly Christian, go to church, go to PTA, soccer moms, that everyone would call a fine conservative, moral family. These are not extremists, but just as dangerous. They are the millions of gullible followers that enable the Dick Cheney's and Adolf Hitler's of the world. These people that think of themselves as up-standing citizens are willing to look the other way when their republican government commits autocracies.

[Heidi]

9. If they're attempting to mold public policy (and thus my life) to their religious agenda,

they're extremists. I'm willing to accept that you disagree, but I will continue to call them Christian extremists. Neither gullibility nor misguided self-image excuse extremism, in my view.

[Wetzelbill]

2. I call them authoritarians or right-wingers

[lunatica]

3. Your description sounds like Right Wing Christians

like Jerry Falwell and Billy Graham followers.

[rhett o rick]

6. They would be included of course but I am talking about the millions that still give bush

a favorable rating. I am talking about the millions that today will not condemn Cheney for his torture program. It is easy to spot the extremests but they are not our worst enemy. The narrow, minded gullible followers that look like decent families while looking the other way when republicans commit crimes. They are not moral.

[lunatica]

8. They would fit the description that Cheney gets

I don't think they're one group per se. They're almost completely into power which makes them authoritarians and the followers of authoritarians. Many disparate groups fit into authoritarianism and still remain separated from each other. The Ku Klux Klan, The C Street Conservatives, skinheads, neo-nazis, and all those who support their views to some degree. They tend to be uber patriotic and pro torture as long as it's done to someone not in their group. They're probably better described as tribalists. And they need ritual and physical similarity which sets them apart. But probably the most important part is they need enemies to hate so they can continue to be a cohesive unit by having their hatred of the 'other' in common.

But I suspect there's an element of sociopathy and narcissism in them. They have almost universally a penchant towards being bullies.

[el_bryanto]

10. Well it depends on who you are talking to specifically

I mean if you are talking about the right wing power structure, Dominionists is good or Right wing Authoritarians as you note above.

If you are talking about the base, why not use conservative? Frankly if you think of them as the gullibles or idiots it probably doesn't matter what you actually call them. You aren't likely to get on with them.

Bryant

[rhett o rick]

21. You are absolutely right. I didn't make it clear. I am not talking about the right wing leaders.

I have plenty of names for them and not afraid to use them. But I want to be able to describe the millions of followers. Some are my friends, neighbors, and in-laws. Many, not in-laws, are very nice and well meaning people and I don't wish to insult them when I speak of them as a group. So that rules out wing-nuts, gullibles (my favorite), fundies, whacko's, etc. And I refuse to call them conservatives because in many ways, they aren't.

I am leaning on the term "non-liberal". It's both accurate and not insulting to them. In fact in their twisted minds they'd think it was a complement.

[leeroysphitz]

11. Pigs. n/t

[lpbk2713]

12. Obstructionists

The Party of "NO".



Crybabies who can't get over the November 2008 elections.



WAAAH!! No fair!!

[The_Commonist]

13. I call them the Upside-Down People...

...because pretty much everything they think, say and believe is upside-down to reality.

I call them that all the time, and I can't really think of a better term to describe them.
Go ahead and use it, if you like...

[rhett o rick]

17. Hey thanks. I like it. Maybe a little long. Hows about UDP or USDP? nm

[woodsprite]

14. Fundy wingnuts, freepers or in-laws. n/t

[ellenfl]

15. "compassionate conservatives" - in quotes

we know that's an oxymoron nowadays but they might not be put off by it.

ellen fl

[rhett o rick]

19. Thanks for the suggestion but I don't like it. They are neither compassionate nor conservative.

And they are too ignorant to understand the irony.

[ellenfl]

34. that's the point . . .

"And they are too ignorant to understand the irony. "

we're not. since they would not get it, it would not be irony to them, just to us. they would probably consider it a compliment. didn't you want to not alienate them?

ellen fl

[rhett o rick]

38. I get it. Sheesh, and I am calling them too ignorant to get it. Now to be able to say it

w/o sounding tooo sarcastic. Thank you, I like it now that I get it.

[LeftishBrit]

16. I say 'right-wingers' when not saying worse things.

I tend not to say 'conservative' unless I'm referring specifically to members or supporters of our Conservative Party. Most Conservatives are right-wing, but some aren't as there can be many reasons for voting for a party; and many right-wingers are not members of the Conservative Party.

[ColbertWatcher]

18. How about calling them True Believers™ ? n/t

[kjackson227]

20. Hypocritical right-wingers

[lumberjack_jeff]

22. "Dogmatic, narrow-minded amoral gullibles"?

It's kind of hard to invent a term to describe a collection of insulting adjectives which isn't itself insulting.

[rhett o rick]

24. Absolutely, that's why I am asking for help. I am leaning heavily towards "non-liberal".

They will take it as a complement.

[santamargarita]

23. Christian Fascist Pigs

:puke:

[rhett o rick]

26. I like the tune but can't dance to it. nm

[annabanana]

25. "informationally challenged"?. . .n/t

[rhett o rick]

31. I like it. Not insultive and yet accurate. Thanks Anna, I may use it. Also, "non-liberal". nm

[Hepburn]

27. Freep-holios

To me, it's a perfect combination of all that is bad:

Freepers
Assholes
Right wingers
Religious Right

:hi:

[guitar man]

28. regressives

That's what I call them. ;)

[slackmaster]

29. Right-wing authoritarians are no worse than left-wing authoritarians

They all want to control you.

I call authoritarians authoritarians.

[rhett o rick]

32. Have you read "The Authoritarians"? nm

[arbusto_baboso]

30. I call them Hypochristians.

Hypocrite + Christian = Hypochristian.

I've been using that label for about 7 years now.

[rhett o rick]

33. Very good. I also like "Pseudo-moral". nm

[Gin]

35. dead / passed over / transitioned /dearly departed......some of the words

I use to describe people who are on the "other side"

[tomm2thumbs]

36. 'the Angry Opposition' which is actually what they are constantly acting like /nt

[rhett o rick]

37. Well can you blame them? I'd be angry too if everyone thought I was an idiot. nm

[snake in the grass]

39. Here is my list:

1. hominids
2. homunculi
3. conservadrones
4. conservadroids
5. zoids
6. christianoids (since high school in '83)
7. howler monkeys
8. brain stems
9. morally challenged mutants
10. turds