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What makes a person like Steve Mercer, being extremely well educated and highly successful take part in such dubious procedures? Will a personal experience driv

What makes a person like Steve Mercer, being extremely well educated and highly successful take part in such dubious procedures? Will a personal experience drive one into being involved in Breitbart and such or is clinical financial calculation fueling such decisions?

threeseed 10y ago
Some rich people do it for self interest e.g. Koch Brothers but most do it because they genuinely believe in the positions. They take a keen interest in politics and the world no different to most people.
- ptaipale 10y ago
  Interesting that you get downvoted for stating this. As if rich people couldn't have genuine interest and even altruistic ambitions.
  - snsr 10y ago
    > As if rich people couldn't have genuine interest and even altruistic ambitions. The Mercers are behind Breitbart, Trump, Bannon and the British Leave campaign; I doubt that altruism has much to do with it.
    - ptaipale 10y ago
      Personal gain is not always a sufficient explanation, either. Often people do what they do because they think it is right, not because of other motives that you wish to pin on them.
      - snsr 10y ago
        > Personal gain is not always a sufficient explanation, either. We're discussing the family's dubious actions precisely because they go beyond pure self interest.
    - IshKebab 10y ago
      They might think it does. The world looks different if you're rich.
omonra 10y ago
I think its 100% personal. Ie just how righteousness you feel about one side - others feel same on the other (plus they feel that the msm megaphone is used against them).
mdekkers 10y ago
Personally, my thinking is that people like this person already exists on a different "plane of existence" due to their money - the politics of mere mortals like us, in the way it is practiced and experienced by us - simply doesn't feature into things. In terms of getting involved, it is no secret that the same patterns repeat over and over - push people to their limit economically, and they will flock to populist politicians such as Farage and Trump - witness the rise of the alt-right globally. People like Mercer understand this, and have the means to support those players, thus buying a seat at the table.
- SideburnsOfDoom 10y ago
  > push people to their limit economically, and they will flock to populist politicians ... have the means to support those players, thus buying a seat at the table. So, one part Machiavelli, one part sociopath?

threeseed 10y ago

Some rich people do it for self interest e.g. Koch Brothers but most do it because they genuinely believe in the positions. They take a keen interest in politics and the world no different to most people.

ptaipale 10y ago
Interesting that you get downvoted for stating this. As if rich people couldn't have genuine interest and even altruistic ambitions.
- snsr 10y ago
  > As if rich people couldn't have genuine interest and even altruistic ambitions. The Mercers are behind Breitbart, Trump, Bannon and the British Leave campaign; I doubt that altruism has much to do with it.
  - ptaipale 10y ago
    Personal gain is not always a sufficient explanation, either. Often people do what they do because they think it is right, not because of other motives that you wish to pin on them.
    - snsr 10y ago
      > Personal gain is not always a sufficient explanation, either. We're discussing the family's dubious actions precisely because they go beyond pure self interest.
  - IshKebab 10y ago
    They might think it does. The world looks different if you're rich.

omonra 10y ago

I think its 100% personal. Ie just how righteousness you feel about one side - others feel same on the other (plus they feel that the msm megaphone is used against them).

mdekkers 10y ago

Personally, my thinking is that people like this person already exists on a different "plane of existence" due to their money - the politics of mere mortals like us, in the way it is practiced and experienced by us - simply doesn't feature into things. In terms of getting involved, it is no secret that the same patterns repeat over and over - push people to their limit economically, and they will flock to populist politicians such as Farage and Trump - witness the rise of the alt-right globally. People like Mercer understand this, and have the means to support those players, thus buying a seat at the table.

SideburnsOfDoom 10y ago
> push people to their limit economically, and they will flock to populist politicians ... have the means to support those players, thus buying a seat at the table. So, one part Machiavelli, one part sociopath?