2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumA Trump supporter told ME this
That he voted for Trump because, "The white man now only has as much rights as anybody else. Do you BELIEVE that? And we fucking FOUNDED this place. Do you think that's right?"
I *promise* you: they need to be TOLD. Not asked...not...'draw your own conclusion' TOLD.
They *like* being told to shut up and that they're stupid. Or that they just don't know what they're talking about
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(4,835 posts)"Make America Great Again" it is code for "Everyone will know their place, again".
This is why Trump supporters can't tell you when America was great. Why its not great now.
They can't tell you what is it about now, versus then, that made America great then, but not great now.
It is because they aren't really saying "America is not great" they are saying we are going to turn back the clock where the wife was the husbands property and minorities had no voice.
Ask your conservative friends what "Make America Great Again" means. They can't tell you because it is unspeakable, some of them (women, minorities, disabled persons) believe that it means something different, but the deadbeat dads at the trump rallies, they know what it is code for. They won't tell you, but they know.
LaydeeBug
(10,291 posts)Blanks
(4,835 posts)There's no doubt about that. However, not too far behind is misogyny, and oppression of members of the LGBT community.
These men who didn't have the guts to leave their home town to go to college or join the military (or anything else that would get them out of their home town) want to be able to get a job and take care of their family. Their wives/girlfriends want their man to be able to get up and go to work at a good paying job.
Which isn't an evil thing to hope for, but they've been convinced through fake news and hate radio that it's all Obama's fault and Hillary was just going to continue those programs.
From my perspective (as one who left my home town of about 3500 people almost 40 years ago) that Ronald Reagan is the one who destroyed small town America.
When I left home, there were still family farms. It was during the Reagan administration when no assistance was provided to these small farmers that had been encouraged to take out bigger loans, and then there was no program to help small farmers weather the hard times. By the time Reagan left office, too many of them had moved on.
There are programs that could be implemented to revive these small communities, but Trump hasn't laid out any kind of plan, let alone a plan to help rural Americans.
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)
Buckeye_Democrat
(15,044 posts)The "conservative narrative" according to the author:
Once upon a time, America was a shining beacon. Then liberals came along and erected an enormous federal bureaucracy that handcuffed the invisible hand of the free market. They subverted our traditional American values and opposed God and faith at every step of the way. … Instead of requiring that people work for a living, they siphoned money from hardworking Americans and gave it to Cadillac-driving drug addicts and welfare queens. … Instead of adhering to traditional American values of family, fidelity, and personal responsibility, they encouraged a feminist agenda that undermined traditional family roles. … Instead of projecting strength to those who would do evil around the world, they cut military budgets, disrespected our soldiers in uniform, burned our flag, and chose negotiation and multilateralism. … Then Americans decided to take their country back from those who sought to undermine it.
Notice how it's pretty much an anti-liberal message rather than something that stands on it's own? I think it hits the mark in that way! Conservative propagandists can barely say anything without "liberal" rolling off their tongues.
Here's the "liberal narrative" according to the author, which I personally like since it's historically BROAD and doesn't have particular "identity politics" in it. It instead portrays history as a long series of (psychopathic) people in power exploiting others, which I think is accurate!!:
Once upon a time, the vast majority of human persons suffered in societies that were unjust, unhealthy, repressive, and oppressive. These traditional societies were reprehensible because of their deep-rooted inequality, exploitation, and irrational traditionalism. … But the noble human aspiration for autonomy, equality, and prosperity struggled mightily against the forces of misery and oppression, and eventually succeeded in establishing modern, liberal, democratic, capitalist, welfare societies. While modern social conditions hold the potential to maximize the individual freedom and pleasure of all, there is much work to be done to dismantle the powerful vestiges of inequality, exploitation, and repression. This struggle for the good society in which individuals are equal and free to pursue their self-defined happiness is the one mission truly worth dedicating one’s life to achieving.
gollygee
(22,336 posts)I've been told, "Let's see how you like it when YOU'RE a minority, because that's where we're headed!"
Anyone who doesn't see this election for what it is is fooling themselves.
LaydeeBug
(10,291 posts)You need to lay down the LAW. We've been approaching them with facts and reason...they want righteousness and STFU. Really. Truly. They want to be TOLD.
I laid it *down* with that motherfucker. I started like this: "I love MY country. I *don't* love Russia. Obviously, you feel differently since Donald Trump was on Vladimir Putins DICK all election long. But emails were more important to you because that is what Russia *TOLD* you to think. Now, we'll bend over while Russia shoves it up our ass and Donald begs to slurp on Valdmir's dick because emails. Because Monica. Nice goin', DUDE. Thank God our state is sold blue"