I’m Running Out of Ways to Explain How Bad This Is | What’s happening in America today is something darker than a misinformation crisis.
What’s happening in America today is something darker than a misinformation crisis.
You're viewing a single thread.
What is the common thread that links almost all of these crazies? I mean, even more than religion.
Conservatism. Almost all of them vote for, or are elected representatives of, conservative parties.
And conservatism encourages divisiveness and bigotries like this. To be suspicious of and actively hate others, to find “evil” where none exist. To believe in falsehoods even when they have been demonstrably debunked.
Conservatism of all stripes is fundamentally evil. Conservatism is what will destroy civilization, and eventually, humanity.
People shit on religion, but it's rarely a problem until it's conservative.
You've hit the nail on the head.
Conservatism is the mistake of assuming outright that people are evil, and therefore need to be punished and conquered into being good, or at least restricted. Where the reality is people aren't quite good or evil, they're more marbled, and if you buy the conservative misunderstanding, the punishing and the conquering are morally good, whereas stopping them is bad. What conservatism won't acknowledge or doesn't see is that when you grow, encourage, support, and develop the good parts, you can safely drop a large portion of the punishment and conquering stuff.
Most of what conservatism is defending itself against is its own way of doing things.
Conservatism is "outgroups to bind, in groups to protect". It's pretty bad.
And conservatism is fundamentally hostile to democracy, as well. It gravitates naturally to oligopolies, monopolies, autocracies, dictatorships, and despotism.
I mean, just look at Trump and Project 2025, to say nothing of past conservative behaviour involving gerrymandering and other shenanigans.
Conservatives think freedom is protecting their way of life by eliminating anything that threatens their world view. That includes democracy.
Trump is demonstratively extolling fascist ideas such as rejection of the rule of law, rage against the elites, nationalism and race superiority, heroic strength through force, attacking the week, and disdain for women and gender minorities.
Conservatism
Have you ever met conservative atheists? I have and SOME of them have been the most hateful and vile people I ever met. It's like without any form of religion holding them back, you obtain the "purest form" of conservationism.
Some people think with no god, that means it's actually on humanity to take care of each other.
Other people think that with no heaven, better make this life count and fuck all y'all removed, carpe deez nuts. Every man for himself. (Not women though because those aren't people).
That sure is a divisive opinion...