Sean CastenI don't judge anyone for who they voted or intend to vote for. Most folks treat government the way they treat GE appliances; they expect them to work but don't pay a lot of attention to leadership until they fail. But *elected* GOP officials in DC are a whole different story.
Those folks know how government works. They know how much Trump broke it. They know how close it came to collapsing on Jan 6. They know how many crimes Trump committed and how few he's been charged with, much less prosecuted for or convicted. They cannot plead ignorance.
Some are racist / misogynistic / hostile to the rule of law and genuinely like what Trump offers. Some are cowards who see Kinzinger and Cheney not as role models but as cautionary tales for what happens when you speak up - so they sit in positions of leadership, afraid to lead.
But there is a third group who is deep down the rabbit hole. They keep RW media on in their office, drink the Kool Aid and truly believe all the conspiracy theories, no matter how outlandish. They have a coherent worldview but it is completely bonkers.
I have a weird empathy for that latter group; they are your crazy uncle, your college friend who drifted down Fox rabbit holes. You know they are good people. But they need help and deprogramming. Detailing all the inconsistencies of their beliefs only makes them defensive.
In the short term, we have to vote them out. Not because of what they believe but because of their inability to seek information that challenges those beliefs. You can't be an effective legislator with that world view. For the good of our country, they need to be unemployed.
But as human beings, they still need help, and love and support. And as a society - let's be honest here - sudden upticks in the unemployment rate of mediocre white men has never been particularly stabilizing. Especially ones who used to have power.
See, for example, the hopelessness that is Kevin McCarthy today, or the fear that flashes across Don Jr and Eric's face every time it looks like they might have to live in a world where they will be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin.
Anyway, I don't know what good this little rant does. But when the Trump era ends, as it must we're going to have to do something constructive with all the broken souls who got dragged down that rabbit hole. #LeadWithLove /fin
Kevin Leecaster@SeanCasten
Thanks again for posting on Mastodon congressman, but please consider changing your handle to reflect your status as an elected official in the U.S. as I doubt many of my followers may realize that you are otherwise.
Thanks again for posting on Mastodon congressman, but please consider changing your handle to reflect your status as an elected official in the U.S. as I doubt many of my followers may realize that you are otherwise.
Chris Dashiell@SeanCasten They should have the same opportunities as others, but besides that, I don’t see how we deprogram them unless they take responsibility for themselves, which is something only they can do.
The Old Fart 💙🐸🇨🇦🇺🇦@SeanCasten I believe that those who are not too far down the hole should be reached out to and helped out if possible. Those that are too far down the hole should be left, they are happy there with their delusions. Trying to make them see the light might be detrimental to their sanity.
SearingTruthForgive those who only followed and did not engage in violence fellow citizen Sean Casten.
They will remedy themselves.
ST
"There are few truly evil among us.
Just many misled."
SearingTruth
KrazyKat@SeanCasten Composting?
Bad Katie! BAD! Take your MEDS!
Bad Katie! BAD! Take your MEDS!
bouriquet@SeanCasten They never really go away, but go back into hiding in the dark corners of society, coming out and becoming stronger again like a dormant virus when our immune defenses are down.