Steven BeschlossNov 22, 2023
It amazes—and alarms—me how much hatred some people express toward Joe Biden. You can disagree with his politics and worldview, but any normal person paying attention can grasp his empathy and decency. That hate is the outgrowth of propaganda.
Show threadGeorge Liquor, American

@StevenBeschloss That sounds reasonable, but I'm pretty confident that a segment of the population literally does not value empathy or decency, and actually resents those qualities in others.

It's an unrelatable mindset to the rest of us, but I think it's a mindset that would still exist independent of propaganda. There will *always* be miserable bastards !

Nov 22, 2023 at 4:04pmWeb
Show threadDarwin WoodkaNov 22, 2023
@liquor_american @StevenBeschloss A lot of it is the propaganda. I've watched right wing media turn former friends into paranoid, selfish assholes and they weren't that way before they got hooked on Fox.
Show threadGeorge Liquor, AmericanNov 22, 2023
@darwinwoodka @StevenBeschloss If they were receptive to the propaganda, there was already something wrong IMO
Show threadrexiNov 22, 2023

@darwinwoodka @liquor_american @StevenBeschloss

there seems to be a deep reward gratification syndrome in play with continuous streamed media, like rides home in their car with #AMtalkradio and #FoxNews on their La-Z-Boy.

loneliness or spiritual emptiness?

Show threadDarwin WoodkaNov 22, 2023

@rexi @liquor_american @StevenBeschloss

I think it just plays to their personal biases and then starts reinforcing the homophobia, misogyny, racism, etc. Trump in particular made it "ok" to be your real hateful, spiteful self for them. And then the idea that "the government" is the root of all their problems and right wing candidates will "fix" it all for them. Take care of "those people" and the "nasty women" and put THEM in charge again. Heh.

Show threadSteve PopovichFeb 4, 2024
@liquor_american @StevenBeschloss exactly; they see empathy and decency as weakness, and above all, the one thing they don't want to be seen as is weak.