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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:49:01 GMT
CONSERVATISM IS A CULT"Today's conservatives are yesterday's confederates. They may have switched political parties but don't be fooled." The idea that a few people - a few men - a few white men should control American society is not at all unlike the ideology of the people currently in charge of the Republican Party. And the argument that, in fact, they are the ones who should say what is right for America, despite what the rest of us think, is not at all unlike what the Confederates were doing in 1879. (TYRANNY OF THE MINORITY) "The Republican Party’s ratings now stand at a 20-year low, with just 33 percent of the public holding a favorable view of the party and 58 percent judging it unfavorably, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Although the Democrats are better regarded (47 percent favorable and 46 percent unfavorable), the GOP’s problems are its own, not a mirror image of renewed Democratic strength.
"Americans’ values and beliefs are more divided along partisan lines than at any time in the past 25 years. The values gap between Republicans and Democrats is now greater than the one between men and women, young and old, or any racial or class divides.
"But while members of the Republican and Democratic parties have become more conservative and liberal, respectively, a bloc of doctrinaire, across-the-board conservatives has become a dominant force on the right. Indeed, their resolve and ultra-conservatism have protected Republican lawmakers from the broader voter backlash that is so apparent in opinion polls."
As "people are waking up and recognizing the far right-wing media for what it is, and the dangers it poses to this country," Conservatism, the vast, right-wing criminal conspiracy hiding under the front groups of the Republican Party and Tea "Party," has all the earmarks of a cult.
"By definition, a cult is a group or sect bound together by adoration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
"A cult promises you redemption. It tells you that if you do what it says, and as it believes, you will be protected from the evil people that are out to get you and the rest of society.
"A cult purges the non-believers. And it actively tries to vilify all those who are not part of the cult, saying that they're doomed and destined to go to hell.
"So how did Limbaugh become the leader of such a large, and influential, cult?
"Like with any cult, the power that Limbaugh has over his flock as grown over time.
"Right wing radio started out in conflict with mainstream society, and outside of mainstream politics.
"What was once a little cult guided by Limbaugh has transformed into a massive cult that today has enveloped much of the Conservative movement.
www.criminalizeconservatism.com/2013/05/is-conservatism-cult.htmlLiberals in the United States have been losing political debates to conservatives for a quarter century. In order to start winning again, liberals must answer two simple questions: what is conservatism, and what is wrong with it? As it happens, the answers to these questions are also simple:
Q: What is conservatism? A: Conservatism is the domination of society by an aristocracy. Q: What is wrong with conservatism? A: Conservatism is incompatible with democracy, prosperity, and civilization in general. It is a destructive system of inequality and prejudice that is founded on deception and has no place in the modern world.
These ideas are not new. Indeed they were common sense until recently. Nowadays, though, most of the people who call themselves "conservatives" have little notion of what conservatism even is. They have been deceived by one of the great public relations campaigns of human history. Only by analyzing this deception will it become possible to revive democracy in the United States. EMPATHYDuring the course of the last 30 years Conservatives created and collapsed our false "supply side" economy and this is how they want to help those afflicted by their actions:What sort of monster tells tell those in poverty to dumpster dive for food? Conservative media have spent years launching sleazy attacks on the food stamp program, and now the program is in the balance. Watch this video to see how we got to such a place of moral turpitude.
John Whitehouse TRICKLE DOWN (SUPPLY SIDE) ECONOMICS Sean Hannity says "Pretty classy Mr. Asner." How classy is it for the rich like Sean Hannity himself to rig the political and economic system so that he and his corporate and rich cronies can steal from the poor and middle class? ECONOMIC LIESLies get believed, notes the great Robert Reich, unless they're rebutted by the truth. In two and a half minutes, he offers the seven biggest economic lies, complete with speed drawings, in hopes people won't fall for them again. Pass 'em on. 1. Lie: Tax cuts for the rich trickle down to the rest of us. Truth: Both Reagan and Bush II cut taxes, but wages dropped, and nothing trickled down. 2. Lie: High taxes on the rich hurt the economy. Truth: Between WWII and 1980 the top tax rate was over 70% and the economy grew faster than it has since then. Fewer than 2% of small business owners are in the top tax bracket. 3. Lie: If we shrink government we'll create jobs. Truth: A smaller government means fewer teachers, police officers, fire fighters and all others who deliver public services; private contractor companies will hire fewer employees. 4. Lie: Cutting the budget deficit now is more important than spending to boost the economy and create jobs. Truth: The goal is to reduce the debt as a % of the economy. That ratio worsens unless we grow the economy and jobs are created. Watch the video for the rest of the LIES. and now a dedication to Conservatives from our own Linda: companion thread(s)
ronstadt.proboards.com/thread/5464/deplorable-nation-tyranny-minority
ronstadt.proboards.com/thread/4427/wasting-time
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:49:55 GMT
Welcome to TRUMPLAND, the NEW McCARTHYISM is about to begin.
Alt-right college students made their own version of Rate My Professor — and it's terrifying
A new list targets progressive professors.
Here’s why that’s terrifying.
A conservative nonprofit irresponsibly launched a website this week to keep track of “college professors who discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom.” So basically all those super friendly alt-right and white nationalist folk have a catalogue of people to harass. Oh, and Donald Trump’s got a ready-made list of intellectual dissidents!
The president-elect’s clear lack of respect for the first amendment and one of his surrogates calling internment camps a “precedent” for a national Muslim registry makes the existence of such a list chilling and dangerous.
The website comes courtesy of Turning Point USA, which aims to educate “students about the importance of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.” Here’s a list of the transgressions of professors who made the list, courtesy of The Cut.
There are currently 197 academics on the TPUSA list; featured professors’ perceived offenses vary across the board and include having socialist leanings, saying that climate-change deniers are incorrect, addressing the concept of white privilege, and calling for stricter gun-control laws. More specifically, one professor landed on the list for reportedly saying Ted Cruz’s “New York Values” comment was anti-Semitic, while another allegedly “instructed students to write ‘Jesus’ on a piece of paper, then stomp on it.”
The creator of the site tells Slate’s Rebecca Schuman the intention isn’t to “threaten or harm professors.” Schuman writes:
I’ve no reason to doubt [Charlie] Kirk’s sincerity, but at this point, I also have to wonder whether the intentions of his watch list make a difference—and whether this is a bell that can be unrung…. Intentionally or not, the Professor Watchlist, simply by being a self-styled watch list, has aligned itself with the ugly, frightening new political status quo.
That’s great your intent isn’t to threaten professors, kid, but your vendetta on colleges and universities could actually put people in harm’s way. Take it down. Those white supremacists are emboldened and no one knows what Trump’s presidency is going to look like.
The Professor Watchlist is a digital catalog of professors who speak out against conservative viewpoints.
Much like Rate My Professor, the site invites students to submit anonymous reviews of their instructors. Unlike its mainstream counterpart, however, Professor Watchlist's larger agenda is "to expose and document college professors who discriminate against conservative students, promote anti-American values, and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom."
The list is the brainchild of Turning Point USA, a non-profit that promotes conservative values to college students. Turning Point USA claims to be the fastest growing youth organization in the country, with a presence on over 1,000 campuses. In the 24 hours since its launch, their watch list had catalogued an astounding 196 "liberal propagandist" professors.
"Everyday I hear stories about professors who attack and target conservatives, promote liberal propaganda, and use their position of power to advance liberal agendas in their classroom," Turning Point USA's founder Charlie Kirk wrote in a November 21 email to supporters. "Turning Point USA is saying enough is enough. It's time we expose these professors."
The Watchlist’s November 21 debut sparked outcry — and a corresponding hashtag — on Twitter.
Students and professors expressed their displeasure by spamming the site's submission box with false reports, and posting screenshots under the hashtag #TrollProfWatchList. Fictional submissions included professors from "Harry Potter," "Indiana Jones," and even the now-defunct Trump University.
But the list is no laughing matter for the featured professors.
As several professors pointed out, the site's allegations could permanently tarnish their reputations. Not only that, the allegations include issues resolved long ago, based largely on reports from conservative sites.
Take East Carolina chemistry professor Eli Hvastkovs for example. In 2014, Hvastkovs sent what he called a "poorly-worded" email to students, asking them not to thank God in their graduation remarks. Conservative news outlets quickly picked up the story, and the Professor Watchlist dutifully regurgitated it on their site.
Hvastkovs, however, told Revelist that the entire incident was a misunderstanding. The graduation remarks were never intended to be read aloud by the students themselves, but rather by a third party, who felt uncomfortable reading religious statements. In the interest of protecting this third party, Hvastkovs directed his students to forgo references to God.
The incident eventually blew over, and Hvastkovs is still at the university. But he told Revelist he doubts that anyone reading The Watchlist will see it that way.
"The folks that will be influenced by this list — that will scream about the First Amendment violations — will most likely not read these critically, and fail to realize that there is usually a pretty reasonable explanation that explains the sensationalist initial report that demonized the professor," he said.
Hvastkovs added that he is all for free speech, but not if it is "patently false or horribly misleading."
One professor, however, doubts the site will do much damage to individual professors. The Watchlist accuses Abdul-Malik Ryan, DePaul University's assistant director of religious diversity, of being a terrorist sympathizer. He told Revelist he's not concerned about the site’s effect on him.
"Although it is unfortunate that someone Googling my name will come across this and other articles that are disingenuous attacks, the only reputation with which I am concerned are the views held by students, colleagues and other people with whom I actually interact," he told Revelist.
A larger issue, some argue, is that the list may put a target on professor's backs.
"The language of this 'expose and document' call from Professor Watchlist is designed to silence and intimidate," Bettina Aptheker, a distinguished professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, told Revelist. She likened the list to the "red scare" of the 1950s, when the House Un-American Activities Committee sought out and blacklisted Communist sympathizers in the US.
Ironically, the Watchlist targets Aptheker for being raised by members of the Communist party, and for teaching from a "female-centered perspective." Aptheker, who teaches in UC Santa Cruz's Department of Feminist Studies, said she advocates for serious debate in her classroom, but she feels this site will only silence minority voices.
"This kind of listing is a form of intimidation to silence anything that those who are most privileged and most powerful in the society might disagree with," she told Revelist.
Temple University political science professor Joseph M. Schwartz went so far as to suggest that the list could make professors targets for "Trumpist" state legislatures. However, Tobin Miller Shearer, director of the African-American Studies program at the University of Montana, thinks professors will not be so easily intimidated.
"If the organizers of this so-called 'watch list' thought that including our names and pictures on their website would somehow curtail our voices, our intellects, or our pedagogical commitments, they seriously misjudged the professoriate," Shearer told Revelist.
The majority of professors were most concerned about what the list signifies for the country.
After all, The Watchlist is not the first registry proposed by conservatives. Just this week, the president-elect's chief of staff said he's "not going to rule out" the possibly of a registry for Muslim Americans. At the time, the idea drew comparisons to the Japanese internment camps of World War II. The growing presence of anti-semitic groups in Washington have also stirred up fears from that time period, too.
But Shearer believes the future may be darker than any of these examples.
"Without being alarmist or claiming the ability to foretell the future, I simply want to observe that labelling and listing — and the intimidation it implies — is one of those first slow steps toward a horrific future that none of us want to imagine," Shearer said.
Because of this, many professors said they're taking extra pains to protect people of color, LGBTQ students, and other marginalized populations. And they see their inclusion on this list as testament to that.
"I take my place on this list for a badge of pride, although I doubt I am worthy of such a distinction," Julio Cesar Pino, history professor at Kent State University, told Revelist. "Conducting oneself as an honorable human being and telling the truth inside and outside the classroom should be par for the course, not anything worthy of mention."
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:50:35 GMT
I have said all along that you cannot argue with a brick wall. Facts don't matter. You can't argue with stupid. We just need to keep them out of power and we are doing a terrible job of it. ronstadt.proboards.com/thread/4427/wasting-time Bill Maher Urges Liberals to ‘Stop Trying To Win Over Trump Voters With Facts’ (Video)
Rosemary Rossi,The Wrap 15 hours ago .
Bill Maher thinks it’s time liberals wake up and smell the coffee about flipping Donald Trump supporters to their way of thinking.
“Liberals have to stop trying to win over Trump voters with facts. You’re wasting your breath… and you’re going to need it because the air isn’t getting any better,” the comedian said during his Friday night show “Real Time With Bill Maher.”
“The point is, Trump supporters aren’t changing their minds because the problem isn’t in the mind. It’s lower. It’s emotional,” Maher said. “Stop clinging to false hope that if we just share this Facebook story about the time that he tried to have lunch with Frederick Douglass or high-fived Stevie Wonder or criticized Obama for playing golf and now he plays more golf! You’re preaching to the yoga studio.”
Maher believes that Trump supporters are here to stay, and that given the chance, they’d vote for him again.
“The question is why? Why do they stick with him?” Maher asked. “I think it’s because of a gut feeling that the world has changed, and they don’t like it and Trump is going to change it back to the way it was. … This is why building that stupid wall is still the key issue for them, because it represents keeping out not just immigrants but everything that’s new and different and scary and unfamiliar.”
Watch the clip above.
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:51:04 GMT
In this article the traditional conservative arguments are thrown out because of certain elements. What are those elements? Donald J Trump understood the base of the Republican Party. He understood what defines a conservative and how to manipulate them with catch words and phrases that bring out their basic (reptilian) instincts...fearfulness. This fear instinct is overwhelming and trumps their economic fears which explains why they are willing to vote against their own best interests. They are easily polarized. Now this doesn't mean I believe Trump actually won the election. Exit polls prove he didn't but that is a whole nother argument.
Now that Republicans know how to move and radicalize their base I see all future elections worse than the ones before. In my opinion we on the left need to play on their fears, make them SO AFRAID elections are rigged and easily stolen that they will agree to fail safe election processes. When elections are held and votes are accurately counted Democrats and Liberals win. Right now our system IS easily rigged. That needs to be fixed and we fix it with fear. We also need to make them AFRAID of their own candidates. That will keep them home on election day.Why Authoritarianism Refuses to Die
There's a fascist in every one of us. Yeah, you too. At least that's the thrust of an argument first made in the 1930s by an Austrian psychoanalyst who studied under Freud, developed theories on politics and sexuality that infuriated both communists and Nazis, and eventually came to the conclusion that you're more likely to warm up to the idea of fascism if you're sexually repressed. Wilhelm Reich, to put it mildly, pissed a lot of people off. But before his theory linked fascism to stifled orgasms, Reich posited his idea on right-wing nationalism in his 1933 text "The Mass Psychology of Fascism."
"My medical experience with individuals from all kinds of social strata, races, nationalities, and religions showed me that 'fascism' is only the politically organized expression of the average human character structure," he wrote, "a character structure which has nothing to do with this or that race, nation, or party but which is general and international. In this characterological sense, 'fascism' is the basic emotional attitude of man in authoritarian society." Meaning the way we defer to authorities—first our parents, then our teachers, then our bosses, and so on—bakes a potential predilection for fascism into every society.
Fast-forward to 2016. It's been a year when we've struggled to even verbalize the direction in which Western politics has drifted. Some call this wave of Anti-Establishment surprise election results and anti-immigrant sentiment a form of right-wing populism. Others, a pivot toward conservatism or perhaps nationalism. People first started using the word "fascist" to describe Donald Trump in 2015, before he was even made the Republican presidential nominee. We've ended up with a load of different ways to try to express a basic concept: There are lots of people worried about safety and security who want the firm hand of an authoritarian state to shield them from the perceived trauma of globalization, migration, and international terrorism.
Left-wing politics as we've come to know it—centered on the ideas of welfare, openness to other nation states, and accepting multiculturalism—has lost ground to a politics steeped in law and order with just a touch of protectionism. And as Reich observed in the 1930s, cash-strapped, overworked people who feel afraid can vote (some against their interests) to pick authoritarianism over liberalism.
But the question is: Why? Just what is it about, say, Brexit or Trump that psychologically appeals to millions? Voting emotionally isn't really understood, and we easily descend into damaging stereotyping.
But politics professor at Birkbeck University of London Eric Kaufmann quickly discovered a unifying thread running through these types of people and it had nothing to do with class, wealth, or location.
"Culture and personality, not material circumstances. "Culture and personality, not material circumstances, separate the two. "This is not a class conflict so much as a values divide that cuts across lines of age, income, education, and even party." And those values relate more to authoritarianism.
Those more likely to favor a tough-on-crime, conservative approach to punishment leaned toward wanting Trump. This not only explodes the idea that the white working class somehow voted as a monolithic bloc in favor of leaving the EU, but also hints at why times of economic and social upheaval push populations toward the right. "Right-wing authoritarianism is on a level of psychology almost." "In one population, you're not going to have one response—it's not like 'all whites' are going to say no to immigration. What you have is one group of whites, to put it crudely, interested in change and novelty and experience. They're quite accepting of change, or even embrace it. Another group sees the world as a dangerous place and wants to be protected from it—they embrace law and order." Authoritarian populist ideas—once consigned to the margins—were held by about half the population.[THESE ARE PEOPLE CONTROLLED BY THEIR REPTILIAN BRAIN, THE AMYGDALA WHICH I HAVE TALKED SO MUCH ABOUT]
Academics have tried to define it for years. In the 1980s, now-retired psychology professor Bob Altemeyer came up with his own extension of a 1940s right-wing authoritarian scale, which is exactly what it sounds like: a sort of ranking system to make sense of why people gravitate to the right. It encompasses traits like a submission to authority, aggression toward outsiders, and loving social norms or traditions. Though Kaufmann isn't a fan of the term "right-wing authoritarianism," he acknowledges its complexities.
"There are really two types (of right wingers): one, social dominance, who really believe in survival of the fittest; and two, those who are fearful and seek order and security and routine," he says. That bid for comfort feels magnified when life is hard—for example, during the Great Depression, before World War II, and in today's post-recession uncertainty.
"At the moment, people do not perceive their future as vivid or certain," says Dr. Simon Moss, associate professor in psychology at Charles Darwin University. "Because of this uncertainty, they tend to prioritize their immediate needs over their future goals." In turn, that leads to a heightened response to perceived threats. "When people bias their attention to information that aligns with their preferences and preconceptions," Moss continues, "they tend to perceive their own group as superior and other groups as inferior. That is, they want to feel better rather than seek accurate information. Consequently, prejudices are rife. They gravitate to leaders that reinforce these prejudices. Brexit and Trump follow."
Academic Matthew MacWilliams pointed this out as early as January, in relation to Trump. Again, authoritarianism looks to be the unifying factor among the president-elect's supporters. "Authoritarians obey," MacWilliams wrote. "They rally to and follow strong leaders. And they respond aggressively to outsiders, especially when they feel threatened. From pledging to 'make America great again' to building a wall on the border to promising to close mosques and ban Muslims from visiting the United States, Trump is playing directly to authoritarian inclinations."
And that's where the appeal lies. A strongman becomes both a comfort blanket and a stern, trusted figurehead. They're the ones who can help people "take back control of their borders" or make their country great again.
And if there's apparently a little fascist inside each of us, that may be just what they want to hear.
Lead photo: Eva Braun / NARA via Follow Tshepo Mokoena on Twitter. www.vice.com/en_us/article/ypve8y/what-it-is-about-authoritarianism-that-has-drawn-so-many-people-in
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:52:22 GMT
A third of Americans think white people are “under attack” MATTHEW ROZSA - Salon
Think about what this well conducted survey is telling us — and I urge you to click through and read the actual paper not just this report. More than a third of White Americans feel that White people are under attack. Rationally it is an absurd conceit. But rationality is not operative here.
You can’t reason with these people because they are not rational; they are in a fear fugue because of their terror about change. These are the White Supremacists, the Evangelical “Christians,” the Christofascists, the Trump supporters.
The only thing I can see that will dissipate this fear is for those who don’t have this dysfunction to band together and commit to creating social policies based on wellbeing. Reducing their fear will allow these millions to think rationally again.
Credit: Tim Boyle/Newsmakers
A new poll by Reuters/Ipsos/UVA Center for Politics reveals that Americans are, to a remarkable degree, buying into white delusions of persecution.
More than half of the population, 57 percent, — believe that Confederate monuments should remain in public spaces. Meanwhile, 39 percent either strongly or somewhat agree with the idea that white people are currently under attack in the United States. (emphasis added) Thirty-one percent also felt that “America must protect and preserve its White European heritage,” although 54 percent did agree that “racial minorities are under attack in this country,” and 77 percent say that America should “protect and preserve its multi-cultural heritage.”
On a more positive note, 52 percent of respondents say they oppose the “alt-right,” while only 6 percent support the movement. The same can be said for white nationalism (65 percent against, 7 percent for) and neo-Nazism (77 percent against, 4 percent for).
Things aren’t all good though: 32 percent support Black Lives Matter. That’s less than the 37 percent who oppose the movement. Antifa is less popular, earning the support of 8 percent of the population.
There have been a series of polls that have found surprisingly inaccurate views of persecution regarding the experiences of American whites. A poll in March by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 57 percent of white evangelicals believed they faced a lot of discrimination, while only 44 percent believed the same was true for Muslims. As far back as 2014, a Pew study found that white evangelical Christians in America believed themselves to experience more discrimination than African-Americans, Hispanics, Muslims, atheists and Jews.
This is in spite of the fact that the very notion of “white” identity is, objectively, inherently racist.
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:52:48 GMT
These articles were published in Psychology Today long before Donald J Trump and his minions made him president. Conservatives almost seem to have some sort of a conversion disorder with mass hysteria as a major symptom.Conservatism as a Mental IllnessRepublican pols have recently exhibited 10 telltale signs of mental illness.
This post is in response to Creationism as a mental illness by Robert Rowland Smith In Creationism as a Mental Illness, Robert Rowland Smith argues that creationists exhibit several signs of mental illness including denial, psychosis, and inability to grasp irony.
Source: The specter of mental illness does indeed loom large over creationists, but they are not alone. Signs of psychopathology can also be seen among their political bedfellows, conservative politicians, especially when you consider a wide range of illness indicators. In his award-winning 2005 book, Dr. James Whitney Hicks discusses 50 signs of mental illness including denial, delusion, hallucination, disordered thinking, anger, anti-social behavior, sexual preoccupation, grandiosity, general oddness, and paranoia. Now I'm no clinician, but in my (admittedly biased brown) eyes it seems that prominent Republicans have evidenced each of these ten telltale signs of mental illness over the past year:
1) Denial: humans did not evolve; Obama is not a native-born American Christian 2) Delusion: climate is not changing 3) Hallucination: God ordained me to be President 4) Disordered Thinking: being for small government that's huge in the bedroom; being anti-contraception and anti-abortion 5) Anger: Newt Gingrich’s perpetual scowl 6) Anti-social Behavior: toward women, gays, minorities, anyone without an umbilical cord or trust fund 7) Sexual Preoccupation: a fervent compulsion to control when we can mate, with whom we can mate, and precisely how we are allowed to mate (which I lampoon in Why Do Politicians Want to Police Dick and Jane's Private Parts?) 8) Grandiosity: even Rick Santorum recognizes Gingrich’s “over the moon” grandiosity 9) General Oddness: Ron Paul 10) Paranoia: pretty much all of them, all of the time
Even (the not necessarily dumb) Pope Francis appears to recognize that “it is a serious illness, this of ideological [conservative] Christians. It is an illness, but it is not new, eh?”
Regrettably, the Republican who least exhibits anti-science stances is the only one who (tongue-in-cheek) acknowledges his mental illness:
Source:
Until Jon Huntsman becomes the sane voice of his insane party, maybe "Republican Syndrome" should be added to the DSM-V so that crazy conservative pols can receive the mental health treatment they need. I bet "Obamacare" would even cover it.
See also Conservatism as a Mental Illness, Part II: Does the GOP Suffer from MSBP? Follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Copyright © 2012 Barry X. Kuhle. All rights reserved. www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-entertainment/201206/conservatism-mental-illness
Conservatism as a Mental Illness: Part II Does the GOP suffer from MSBP?
Source: In a previous post I mused—largely tongue-in-cheek—that prominent Republican pols were mentally ill. I identified myriad examples of Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and other pillars of the GOP exhibiting telltale signs of mental illness including denial, delusion, hallucination, disordered thinking, anger, anti-social behavior, sexual preoccupation, grandiosity, general oddness, and paranoia.
Now, I'm still no clinician, but it seems to my (admittedly biased, brown) eyes that the GOP’s recent (in)actions indicate that they’re collectively afflicted with yet another mental illness…One I had not before considered. With John Boehner and company shuttering the Federal Government and threatening to not raise the debt limit ceiling, the GOP are purposely hurting We The People, as well as America's standing in the global marketplace. And for what? To draw attention to themselves and sympathy for their issues.
That’s classic Münchausen syndrome by proxy!
To appropriate Wikipedia’s MSBP definition, the Republican leadership are attempting to “fulfill their need for positive attention by hurting their own child [government and citizenry], thereby assuming the sick role by proxy."
Moreover, with their calls for President Obama to 'negotiate' they are trying to "assume the hero role and garner still more positive attention by appearing to care for and save their child [government and citizenry].”
So, to recap: The Grand Old Party is having a grand old time abusing their positions of power by hurting their constituents just to garner attention on how sick the GOP is over President Obama's sickness safety net. Nothing pathological about that. Nothing at all.
I’ve long been fascinated by Münchausen syndrome by proxy and I've long thought that the only notable person to have it was Eminem’s mother (per his Cleanin' Out My Closet lyrics). But maybe I was wrong. Maybe the GOP collectively suffers from MSBP...and we from them.
And maybe Eminem’s next single should be Cleanin' Out My Government.
See also Conservatism as a Mental Illness: Republican Pols have Recently Exhibited 10 Telltale Signs of Mental Illness
Follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Copyright © 2013 Barry X. Kuhle. All rights reserved.
www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-entertainment/201310/conservatism-mental-illness-part-iiThe pope regards Christians who turn their faith into an ideology is mentally ill. One only need look at the behavior of the Christian right all whom consider themselves conservatives and they all vote Republican. It makes them arrogant and hostile. They don't actually pray, they only repeat prayers which is similar to conservatives who ignore facts and repeat Republican talking points. Something to consider.Pope Francis States Ideological Christians Have An “Illness”Posted 3 years, 5 months ago by Satyapriya Articles Psychological Christianity Religion
Source: www.collective-evolution.com | Original Post Date: October 30, 2013 –
pope-francis-states-ideological-christians-have-an-illness
Pope Francis recently made quite the stir after commenting on the ideological purity in religion, particularly with regards to Christianity, claiming that such ideological extremism is dangerous to the entire world. This statement is pretty massive in respect to the current state of Christianity. During a daily Mass in late October, the Pope spoke about economic inequality and anti-gay/anti-abortion opinions which have been at the forefront of American Christianity for the longest time.
According to a report from Radio Vatican, the Pope was quoted as stated the following:
“In ideologies there is not Jesus: in his tenderness, his love, his meekness. And ideologies are rigid, always. Of every sign: rigid. And when a Christian becomes a disciple of the ideology, he has lost the faith: he is no longer a disciple of Jesus, he is a disciple of this attitude of thought… For this reason Jesus said to them: ‘You have taken away the key of knowledge.’ The knowledge of Jesus is transformed into an ideological and also moralistic knowledge, because these close the door with many requirements. The faith becomes ideology and ideology frightens, ideology chases away the people, distances, distances the people and distances of the Church of the people. But it is a serious illness, this of ideological Christians. It is an illness, but it is not new, eh?”
Pope Francis’ statement is a radical one to say the least; no Pope prior to his reign has ever talked about Christianity in such a light. The beliefs around homosexuality, abortion, and contraception have held strong within the religion for many years now, and have been the cause of much protest and disagreement within North American society. Pope Francis suggests that the war on abortion has gone too far, and that homosexuals should not be hated in the way that is promoted by the extreme ideals of the Christian Right. He also states that this extremism has damaged religion today by abandoning the true teachings of Jesus, turning many away from its following.
The question begs, what could be the reason Pope Francis is suddenly speaking out against the theology in a way that rejects its deepest dogmas? Perhaps the goal of Pope Francis is to transform the rigidity of a religion that has been so established in its views. Maybe the Pope is trying to attract a wider audience by promoting more liberal beliefs after the controversy that has plagued the Vatican the past few years, with allegations of pedophilia within the hierarchy circles and the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI earlier this year. It could be that Pope Francis is the radical leader who is going to make some changes within the archaic traditions of Christianity.
What is clear is that this is a major moment in the history of religion, and the words of Pope Francis could be the spark for a large divide within the religious communities. What do you think of Pope Francis’s words?
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:53:15 GMT
Trump's political views and actions are not much different than conservatives. He just says what they won't. Let's hope he assists the conservative movement to destroy itself.Is Trumpism the New Conservatism? In the first half of the 20th century, the GOP wasn’t considered “conservative.” It included liberal Republicans who supported social security, infrastructure spending, and civil rights. But in 1964, Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater became the Republican candidate running on an unabashedly conservative platform and shocking the establishment. Goldwater’s conservative movement ended up dominating Republican politics for 50 years. Trump’s takeover of the Republican party looks a lot like Goldwater’s, so could an ideological movement resembling Trumpism dominate the next 50 years?
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:54:09 GMT
Quote by ronstadtfanaz: There is one distinct different between the Goldwater brand and the Trump brand. Goldwater. although he was considered a radical extremist in his day who did indeed upend the establishment ("In your heart, you know he's right"), did embody a kind of conservatism that had a conscience. Trump and his Deplorables have no conscience whatsoever; they are radical opportunists who not only hate government, but seemingly hate any and all forms of freedom.
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:54:46 GMT
Yes, that is why Trump represents today's conservative perfectly, with all its warts. Ironically, Goldwater became more of a liberal in his final years. That might have had a lot to do with his second wife, his life experiences and other reasons. I think Reagan brought a definite meanness to the conservative brand and he also empowered the nutty Christian right and evangelical fundamentalists. That somehow got their movement to think GOD was behind them and their crimes on humanity. It was also where American Exceptionalism seemed to crystalize as an excuse for Republican right wingers to do as they might no matter who gets hurt here at home and around the world. To me that is Conservative Exceptionalism trying to infringe on American Exceptionalism, to remake its meaning.
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:55:14 GMT
What do you want to bet that most of these deaths of white middle class males were FOX News watching conservatives? This report is blaming their back problems (which necessitate opiod use) as the downfall of white males but if you know anything about back problems they are directly related to the autonomic nervous system which has a real psychological component. Watch FOX news or listen to right wing hate radio and how they stir things up, anger, rage, hatred and if it is turned inward then there goes the back and the immune system. This CRISIS seems to have hit the scene shortly after FOX first aired in the mid 1990's and as its popularity rose so did the white male death curve.
Not only do Republiconservative policies kill but evidently so does their propaganda arm FOX News.
'Deaths of despair' are cutting life short for some white Americans
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:55:59 GMT
The American electorate needs to stop voting for people because they are good looking or former military, wealthy or religious. Those seem to be the 4 main criteria Republiconservatives look for in their candidates. It is all about showboating but when you dig down under that fascade you find a bunch of rotten apples. This guy doesn't have enough hair to need a hairdresser. Stick with BoBo the barber Gov. Be careful when you vote Republican. The odds are good that the goods are odd.Meet Governor Bondage & Blackmail: "Family Values" Conservative Eric Greitens by Dan Savage • Jan 11, 2018 at 9:12 am www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/01/11/25702815/meet-governor-bondage-and-blackmail-family-values-conservative-eric-greitens
Shortly before running on family values, assault rifles, and his record as a "husband and father," the Republican who would be elected governor in Missouri had an affair with a woman he met in a hair salon. Because of course he did. That affair led to the breakup of the other woman's marriage. Governor Eric Greitens' affair partner shared the details of the affair in a phone conversation with her then-husband, who taped the conversation without his then-wife's consent. The details reveal Governor Greitens to be a manipulative, abusive, blackmailing creep. Take it away, KMOV TV:
She stated she agreed to go to his house to "talk." It's unclear where Greitens' wife or children were at this time. The woman said that when the sexual encounter began that Saturday and said it was consensual.
Woman: "He said: "I'll make you feel better. I'll make you feel good. Come downstairs. I want to show you how to do a proper pull-up. And I knew he was being sexual and I still let him. And he used some sort of tape, I don't what it was, and taped my hands to these rings and then put a blindfold on me.”
She went on to say that some of his actions-scared her.
Woman: "I didn't even know. I feel like I don't even know. I was just numb. I just stood there and didn't (expletive) know."
She went on, describing what Greitens allegedly did next that made her feel sick.
Woman: “He stepped back, I saw a flash through the blindfold and he said: "you're never going to mention my name, otherwise there will be pictures of [you] everywhere."
Greitens tied her up, blindfolded her, took pictures of her naked body without her consent and threatened to post them to the Internet if she ever told anyone about their affair. Bondage without prior negotiation, non-consensual sex acts, threats, revenge porn. That may be what passes for "family values" in Missouri but that kinda of shit will get your ass drummed out of the BDSM community in San Francisco. You wouldn't be welcome to sweep up after a munch, much less allowed to be governor of the kink scene.
Governor Bondage & Blackmail and his wife released a joint statement late last night:
“This was a deeply personal mistake. Eric took responsibility, and we dealt with this together honestly and privately. While we never would have wished for this pain in our marriage, or the pain that this has caused others, with God’s mercy Sheena has forgiven and we have emerged stronger. We understand that there will be some people who cannot forgive — but for those who can find it in your heart, Eric asks for your forgiveness, and we are grateful for your love, your compassion, and your prayers.”
Nothing to see here, kids, Governor Bondage & Blackmail has "taken responsibility," his marriage is stronger than ever, and his loving wife has forgiven him — and if you can't forgive him too, well, then you're a heartless monster who lacks compassion and there's something deeply, deeply wrong with you. See how that works?
Governor Bondage & Blackmail's wife released a standalone statement:
"We have a loving marriage and an awesome family; anything beyond that is between us and God. I want the media and those who wish to peddle gossip to stay away from me and my children."
We have a loving marriage — too bad about that other woman's marriage, which fell apart after my husband tied her up and took her pictures and threatened her with revenge porn, which, luckily enough for my husband, isn't a crime in Missouri. (Whew!) And now, if you'll excuse us, my husband is going to resume attacking other people's families — excuse me, he's going to get out there and defend "family values." And please focus on the real victims here: me and my kids. Not the woman my husband sexually assaulted, blackmailed, and stalked:
In October 2015, the woman allegedly sent an email to a Gmail account she told her husband she had previously used to get in touch with Greitens. It stated "Eric, I am asking you to please consider all who are involved and the circumstances around us. I need you to not book at the salon anymore. This isn't fair to me, nor anyone close to us. Please respect me and my wishes."
Nice governor you've got there, Missouri.
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:56:33 GMT
It appears conservatives are willing to get help from anywhere and anybody just to promote their cause. They are continually in survival mode and will sell out our country just to stay in power. With increased pressure about Trump's ties to Russia and possibly being a Russian agent his administration decided to act in this case.www.npr.org/2018/05/11/610206357/documents-reveal-how-russian-official-courted-conservatives-in-u-s-since-2009?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20180511&utm_campaign=breakingnews&utm_term=nprnewsDocuments Reveal How Russian Official Courted Conservatives In U.S. Since 2009May 11, 2018·5:00 AM ET Russian official Alexander Torshin, appearing in Moscow in 2016, was sanctioned by the U.S. government in April, suspending years of travel back to 2009 during which he cultivated ties with American conservatives. Alexander Shalgin/Alexander Shalgin/TASS
Kremlin-linked Russian politician Alexander Torshin traveled frequently between Moscow and various destinations in the United States to build relationships with figures on the American right starting as early as 2009, beyond his previously known contacts with the National Rifle Association.
Documents newly obtained by NPR show how he traveled throughout the United States to cultivate ties in ways well beyond his formal role as a member of the Russian legislature and later as a top official at the Russian central bank. These are steps a former top CIA official believes Torshin took in order to advance Moscow's long-term objectives in the United States, in part by establishing common political interests with American conservatives.
"Putin and probably the Russian intelligence services saw [Torshin's connections] as something that they could leverage in the United States," said Steve Hall, a retired CIA chief of Russian operations. "They reach to reach out to guy like Torshin and say, 'Hey, can you make contact with the NRA and some other conservatives... so that we can have connectivity from Moscow into those conservative parts of American politics should we need them?' And that's basically just wiring the United States for sound, if you will, in preparation for whatever they might need down the road." Torshin's trips took him to Alaska, where he requested a visit with former Gov. Sarah Palin; to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.; to Nashville, where he was an election observer for the 2012 presidential race; and to every NRA convention, in various American cities, between 2012 and 2016.
But the jig is up. Last month, Torshin was designated for sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department.
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:57:09 GMT
What Is Conservatism and What Is Wrong with It? Philip E. Agre August 2004 Liberals in the United States have been losing political debates to conservatives for a quarter century. In order to start winning again, liberals must answer two simple questions: what is conservatism, and what is wrong with it? As it happens, the answers to these questions are also simple:
Q: What is conservatism? A: Conservatism is the domination of society by an aristocracy. Q: What is wrong with conservatism? A: Conservatism is incompatible with democracy, prosperity, and civilization in general. It is a destructive system of inequality and prejudice that is founded on deception and has no place in the modern world.
These ideas are not new. Indeed they were common sense until recently. Nowadays, though, most of the people who call themselves "conservatives" have little notion of what conservatism even is. They have been deceived by one of the great public relations campaigns of human history. Only by analyzing this deception will it become possible to revive democracy in the United States.
Here's a collections of audio and web links expanding on this topic: Alex_Carey_-Corporations_and_Propaganda_1230alex.mp3 www.takeoverworld.info/mp3/Alex_Carey_-Corporations_and_Propaganda_1230alex.mp3 Alex_Carey_2_-Corporations_and_Propaganda_1230alex.mp3 www.takeoverworld.info/mp3/Alex_Carey_2_-Corporations_and_Propaganda_1230alex.mp3 PC_Roberts_EP2006.02.07.mp3 Paul Craig Roberts - Asst. Treas Secy for Reagan www.takeoverworld.info/mp3/PC_Roberts_EP2006.02.07.mp3 www.Takeoverworld.info/overclass.html Origins of the Overclass -Steve Kangas (killed) www.takeoverworld.info/overclass.html
www.takeoverworld.info/conservatism.htm
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT CONSERVATISM IS ALL ABOUT HISTORICALLY AND TODAY GO TO THIS LINK:
www.takeoverworld.info/overclass.html
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:57:37 GMT
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Post by the Scribe on Apr 9, 2020 1:58:43 GMT
How Ultra-Conservative Vermin at "American Thinker" Propaganda Blog Started the Rumor that Bill Ayers Ghostwrote Obama's Autobiography THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015 www.constantinereport.com/verminously-ultra-conservative-american-thinker-propaganda-blog-started-rumor-bill-ayers-ghostwrote-obamas-autobiography/Rational Wiki informs us that "American Thinker (affectionately nicknamed "American Stinker" by its fans) is an online wingnut publication that's more or less the poor man's WorldNutDaily or Newsmax. They've published articles by such conservative luminaries as Noel Sheppard and Pamela Geller and such climate experts as S. Fred Singer and Christopher Monckton, as well as an interview with (and hagiography of) white nationalist Jared Taylor. The magazine, of course, is chock-full of right-wing conspiracy theories, woo, and pseudoscience. On the conspiracy side, they promote birtherism, 'creeping sharia,' red-baiting, and still occasionally prattle on about Vince Foster. On the science side, they concentrate on creationism and global warming denialism." Interesting articles Time for Congress to Declare War on Obama (Obama is destroying 'Merica; Congress should declare war!) Is This the End Game for Liberal Racism? (Liberals are the true racist, sexist, homophobic bigots.) Giving thanks to a brave congresswoman whose life is now in danger (Poor Michelle Bachmann has been the sole voice of reason when it comes to the Muslim Brotherhoods "infiltration" of the US government.) A Suicidal Collapse of Western Civilization? (Islamo-Fascist immigrants and attempts to stop global warming will destroy civilization!!1! Only Russia can save us!) Learning from Russia's Return to Its Historical Roots (Fascist LGBT activists are destroying the West only learning from Russia and Islamic Jihadists can save us!) If the Birther Issue Comes Up in Debate: (Could you imagine how AWESOME it would be if Mitt Romney disproved Barack Obama's citizenship during a presidential debate? NO?! That's ok I have the whole thing scripted here!)[3] Who Wrote Dreams Of My Father (Bill Ayers probably wrote Dreams Of My Father because Obama's too dumb to write so well and they have a lot in common)[4] RationalWiki: American Thinker is Wingnut Publication (The Thinker (or, sorry, Paul Austin Murphy, who was apparently on break from rambling about Muslims, Marxists, and Wikipedia articles[5]) is upset that RationalWiki labelled it "wingnut" and attacks RationalWiki's article for not having "a single argument of any kind", while in no way disproving the wingnuttiness of the Thinker. The Thinker claims that RationalWiki would not be willing to cite "good" conservatives and that RationalWiki doesn't ever attack leftists or left-wing conspiracy theories. When whining about being labeled conspiracy and pseudoscience prone they leave out their strong history of global warming denialism (though Murphy himself is something of a raving denialist) and apparently ignore the external links below, nor do they even deny being birthers. They also attack "rational" in the name. To the taps! And a response to our response. This Week In Stupid: Conservatives Claim Google Endorses Obama/Ayers Book Conspiracy American Thinker (affectionately nicknamed "American Stinker" by its fans) is an online wingnut publication that's more or less the poor man's WorldNutDaily or Newsmax. They've published articles by such conservative luminaries as Noel Sheppard and Pamela Geller and such climate experts as S. Fred Singer and Christopher Monckton, as well as an interview with (and hagiography of) white nationalist Jared Taylor.[2] The magazine, of course, is chock-full of right-wing conspiracy theories, woo, and pseudoscience. On the conspiracy side, they promote birtherism, "creeping sharia," red-baiting, and still occasionally prattle on about Vince Foster. On the science side, they concentrate on creationism and global warming denialism. Sometimes you just have to marvel at the almost-transcendent inanity of the conservative blogosphere. For a few years now, some conservative media figures -- led by conservative bloggers like Jack Cashill -- have been obsessed with proving that Bill Ayers is the true author of President Obama's autobiography, Dreams from My Father. If you were under the impression that this conspiracy theory couldn't sink any lower than Cashill's column in February highlighting how Obama and Ayers both use words like "skillet" and "ice cream" in their writing, you were mistaken. This week, seeking to add more "evidence" to this theory, some conservative blogs are running with the claim that Google has joined in on the conspiracy and is now listing Ayers as the author of Dreams on Google Books. In a post yesterday at the frequently-embarrassing American Thinker website, Thinker publisher Thomas Lifson got the ball rolling, alleging that "Google Books lists Bill Ayers as author of Dreams from My Father." In what we in the business call "making a journalism," it appears the extent of Lifson's research for this piece involved doing a search for "Bill Ayers" on Google Books and then taking a screenshot of the first page of results. Lifson ponders "what data are its algorithms sifting through to come to the conclusion that yes, the stylistic parallels to Ayers' other books are formidable" and includes this screenshot as proof that "Google Books lists Bill Ayers as author of Dreams from My Father": How Ultra-Conservative Vermin at “American Thinker” Propaganda Blog Started the Rumor that Bill Ayers Ghostwrote Obama’s Autobiography Unfortunately for Lifson, while his screenshot does show that Dreams from My Father appears on the first page of book search results for Bill Ayers (likely a product of conservatives' years-long crusade to link the two and Google's search algorithm closely associating them as a result), it also quite clearly lists "Barack Obama" as the author of said book: How Ultra-Conservative Vermin at “American Thinker” Propaganda Blog Started the Rumor that Bill Ayers Ghostwrote Obama’s Autobiography I suppose a post titled "Google Books lists Barack Obama as author of Dreams from My Father" would have been more accurate, but likely wouldn't have gotten this exciting scoop picked up by WorldNetDaily and Gateway Pundit. But if we're to follow Lifson's line of reasoning here, I think he missed out on a bigger story. Using the daft standard that "Bill Ayers wrote every book that appears in Google Books search results for 'Bill Ayers,'" by sorting through the pages of results Lifson links to, it becomes apparent that Ayers has been quite prolific over his career. Not only has he written several books we were led to believe had been penned by WorldNetDaily writers, including The Obama Nation by Jerome Corsi, and Red Army by Aaron Klein, but he also ghost-wrote books by Ann Coulter, Keith Olbermann, Michael Savage, Pam Geller, Hugh Hewitt, and Dinesh D'Souza, among others. Perhaps most startling is the revelation that Ayers wrote Jack Cashill's Deconstructing Obama, one of the books credited with popularizing the theory that Ayers is the true author of Dreams from My Father.
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