RodneyFeb 8, 2025
kottke.org
This short video is best explanation I’ve seen of why the racism, sexism, and hate of the MAGA movement has getting more extreme. It’s because of a psychological concept called an extinction burst (basically, things get worse before they get better). https://kottke.org/25/02/extinction-burst-explains-maga-voters-racist-anger
Extinction Burst Explains MAGA Voters’ Racist Anger

This fantastic two-minute video, from a guy named Rich, neatly explains why the anger and frustration of Trump’s supporters has been growing over time — why t

kottke.org
Feb 7, 2025 at 11:32pmkottke bot
Show threadJames 🦉 #FBPE 🇪🇺Feb 8, 2025

@kottke Nah, that's not it. It's simpler than than that. Their problems have been blamed on others. And therefore the solution is to attack others. As others aren't really the cause of the problems, attacking them doesn't solve them, so they have to attack harder. As the attacks grow, so does their frustration, because their problems only get worse.

This is why, with Fascism, the slippery slope fallacy ain't a fallacy.

I'm afraid it doesn't end in extinction burst, it ends in death camps.

Show threadJames 🦉 #FBPE 🇪🇺Feb 8, 2025
@kottke I'm not actually saying "extinction burst" isn't a factor or a tool being used by the demagogues, but it's not the essence of what's occurring. The origin, or trigger, identified in the video is accurate and succinct - a Black president - but really the origin is dissatisfaction (the rust belt, decline, poverty etc) and fear (terrorism) which are all that is needed by Fascists to exploit.
Show threadJames 🦉 #FBPE 🇪🇺Feb 8, 2025

@kottke One answer lies in an analogue from software development - it's called solutionising. Clients invariably come to you with solutions. "I need an app." Our job though is to start with *requirements*, so we have to walk them back. "What for?" "I'm a plumber, I need more costumers." Now starting from a requirement, we can reach different, more appropriate solutions - business listings, advertising, SEO, etc.

Attacking others is a "solution", but it was never derived from their requirements.

Show threadJames 🦉 #FBPE 🇪🇺Feb 8, 2025
@kottke And here's the thing, if you start with the kind of requirements citizens have, you'll see on these we are very much *not* divided - we all want a decent standard of living, healthcare, safety and stability, disposable income, good education and prospects for our offspring. Look at healthcare - bitterly divided over the *solutions* (private vs universal) but are we over the *need*? When a child is sick? No, of course not. Somehow MAGA, and in the UK, Brexiters need to understand this.
Show threadJames 🦉 #FBPE 🇪🇺Feb 8, 2025
@kottke
Show threadGreenboyFeb 10, 2025
@kottke Huh... So that's why there's been a spike in rage lately...