@RickiTarr @theropologist Certain personality types are strongly attracted to right-wing ideas (and police work). Some "social misfits" (for lack of a better term) is one such.

But before we point fingers It's good to bear in mind that these social misfits were created by society / family / circumstances and we're not dealing with that. The young man with an eating disorder, who can't succeed with the ladies or jobs, who lives in his mother's basement and plays with guns has problems and needs that society is not addressing. He's marginalized and looks for ways to gain more personal power. Right-wing ideas are very attractive to him. Joining a right-wing group also provides camaraderie and sense of belonging to a family.

@shuttersparks @RickiTarr @theropologist With respect, trying to understand or empathise with the motivations of Nazis benefits nobody but the Nazis.

When your belief system is rooted in the idea that certain people are sub-human and that the only sensible course of action is to eradicate them, it doesn't matter what your origin story happens to be.

Far-right ideologies regard kindness and empathy as weaknesses and they'll exploit anyone who tries to negotiate with them in good faith.