Chad LoderJan 8, 2023

When you see someone like Elon Musk embracing the far right, it's not because the far right has any kind of coherent political or intellectual worldview he agrees with. It's because the far right is the last bastion of shitty people - they will accept anyone regardless of their personal behavior.

The far right have no standards for behavior, identity or beliefs - you only need to share the raw desire to dominate others. The far right welcomes all manner of abusers, thieves, grifters, and scoundrels.

Logically therefore if you're an abuser, thief, grifter or a scoundrel you will eventually find that the only friends you have remaining are far right extremists.

Show threadWitchyDianaJan 8, 2023

@chadloder

Eh, there are a lot of shitty people who aren't chums with far right people, the difference is in covert vs overt behavior, I think. There are abusers who have leftist or at least liberal politics and are good at behaving in public, while indulging in their abuse in private, and only towards their victims. That's part of how they acquire victims.

Show threadChad LoderJan 8, 2023

@witchydiana I never said that right-wingers are the only shitty people. I am describing a very specific dynamic.

In fact, when an abuser is outed from leftist circles, you often see them move to the far right where they run the "I was a leftist until cancel culture came for me" grift.

Show threadHegelian PrincessJan 8, 2023
@chadloder @witchydiana Taibbi being a case in point
Show threadrobinJan 8, 2023
@julieofthespirits
What was it that Taibbi did to be ostracised? I don't know as much about Taibbi as Greenwald, but in Greenwald's case it feels kind of like he wandered over to the right of his own volition. I mean, he's always been pretty unpleasant to people online, but I don't remember him being cancelled for it.
@chadloder @witchydiana
Show threadHegelian PrincessJan 8, 2023
@nottrobin @chadloder @witchydiana after metoo people dug up his first, not very widely distributed book where he brags about sexually harassing his Russian coworkers while working as an expat journalist there, he went (back) to the right immediately afterwards
Show threadrobin
@julieofthespirits
Ah ok. Yeah that sounds like it'll do it.
@chadloder @witchydiana
Jan 8, 2023 at 7:58pmWeb