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Since 2016 I've tried very hard to understand and empathize with the baffling behavior of staunch Trump supporters. Certainly not to support their politics, but

by asxd 6y ago

Since 2016 I've tried very hard to understand and empathize with the baffling behavior of staunch Trump supporters. Certainly not to support their politics, but to restore some sense of stability to my world view--that people are generally sympathetic. This especially hit home when hearing my wonderful parents' supporting Trump's hateful rhetoric. I'm now starting to think that his message is in fact too dangerous to even try and rationalize. The people that follow them are feeling something I don't understand, but there's just no excuse to humor them any longer. His rhetoric is tearing us apart, and it needs to end. For god's sake, the hate needs to end.

throwaway201103 6y ago
He says things that resonate with their beliefs. America is great, America is good in the world, a strong America is a good thing, get out of foreign wars, get out of bad trade deals, bring back jobs, cut taxes. He did a lot of these things. He was completely unlike any other politician. He didn't try to waffle on both sides of every issue. He spoke his mind, in a brash, rude, blue-collar New York kind of way. He called people names. I never heard real hate in the things he said, though if you wanted to hear it, I'm sure you did.
- asxd 6y ago
  Thanks for this. I suppose the reason people follow him is often because of his politics, not all of which I disagree with. But I think the hatred he inspires is packed into his rhetoric, and that's what I take issue with.
whotfru 6y ago
You may not be able to rationalize their thinking, but you do need to live in the same country together. If your hope is that now that you've lost patience; they can be pummelled into submission, you may be going down an even darker path... Some kind of concessions, and a demonstration that Biden is not what they feared might a good start. Or.. you can have them banned off the internet, thrown off planes, fired from their jobs etc.. sounds like a good plan.
- asxd 6y ago
  You may honestly be right. This division needs to soften, and that won't happen until everyone finds some common ground and feels accepted. Mocking or belittling will certainly only drive us further and further away from each other. On the other hand, I don't think we can allow this behavior to be validated in any way. As a people, we need to be able to politically disagree with one another amicably. This was not a protest for civil liberty, it was an attempt to undermine our current democratic process. They weren't calling for legislative reform, but to reverse the results of the election. We count the votes and the electorates use those numbers to certify our next president. If people are unhappy with the process, it's perfectly reasonable for them to try and change it. But lacking any evidence that the process wasn't followed, it needs to be respected, or there's not much point in having it in the first place.

by asxd 6y ago

throwaway201103 6y ago

He says things that resonate with their beliefs. America is great, America is good in the world, a strong America is a good thing, get out of foreign wars, get out of bad trade deals, bring back jobs, cut taxes. He did a lot of these things. He was completely unlike any other politician. He didn't try to waffle on both sides of every issue. He spoke his mind, in a brash, rude, blue-collar New York kind of way. He called people names. I never heard real hate in the things he said, though if you wanted to hear it, I'm sure you did.

asxd 6y ago
Thanks for this. I suppose the reason people follow him is often because of his politics, not all of which I disagree with. But I think the hatred he inspires is packed into his rhetoric, and that's what I take issue with.

whotfru 6y ago

You may not be able to rationalize their thinking, but you do need to live in the same country together. If your hope is that now that you've lost patience; they can be pummelled into submission, you may be going down an even darker path... Some kind of concessions, and a demonstration that Biden is not what they feared might a good start. Or.. you can have them banned off the internet, thrown off planes, fired from their jobs etc.. sounds like a good plan.

asxd 6y ago
You may honestly be right. This division needs to soften, and that won't happen until everyone finds some common ground and feels accepted. Mocking or belittling will certainly only drive us further and further away from each other. On the other hand, I don't think we can allow this behavior to be validated in any way. As a people, we need to be able to politically disagree with one another amicably. This was not a protest for civil liberty, it was an attempt to undermine our current democratic process. They weren't calling for legislative reform, but to reverse the results of the election. We count the votes and the electorates use those numbers to certify our next president. If people are unhappy with the process, it's perfectly reasonable for them to try and change it. But lacking any evidence that the process wasn't followed, it needs to be respected, or there's not much point in having it in the first place.