This stood out as particularly important: "Trump is best understood as fully servile to a radicalized GOP base. And Trump didn’t radicalize them. They radicalized him."
Their cheers became his cheers. Getting those cheers was all that mattered. Even if it meant self-radicalization.
This is all excellent and helpful, Gabe! Here’s a question: Why is the right more likely to piece together shimmering things, or even to see the shimmer in the first place, than the left? Or is it?
If people on the right _are_ more likely to practice apophenia, my hypothesis is that it’s related to (a) their suspicion of authority -- “If the government or MSM says something, the opposite must be true” – and (b) their fear of becoming a minority as society changes around them.
Let’s say I’m a person who knows something is true when Facebook or Twitter flags it, and who knows my country is being taken over by radicals. At that point, it could make sense for me to devote my life to a hunt for The Truth. Granted, the battle will be tough. Because of my worldview, I can only piece together Truth via the “winks” you describe, and I can only know Truth if it generates a narrative that runs counter to authority – but at the very least I can feel empowered in the process.
I often describe evangelical churchs as "check your brain at the door and here's your crayons" - and realize it's a lot "I can't draw, but I can color - tell me what to fill in; I'll stay within the lines"
Beautiful as ever.
This stood out as particularly important: "Trump is best understood as fully servile to a radicalized GOP base. And Trump didn’t radicalize them. They radicalized him."
Their cheers became his cheers. Getting those cheers was all that mattered. Even if it meant self-radicalization.
This is all excellent and helpful, Gabe! Here’s a question: Why is the right more likely to piece together shimmering things, or even to see the shimmer in the first place, than the left? Or is it?
If people on the right _are_ more likely to practice apophenia, my hypothesis is that it’s related to (a) their suspicion of authority -- “If the government or MSM says something, the opposite must be true” – and (b) their fear of becoming a minority as society changes around them.
Let’s say I’m a person who knows something is true when Facebook or Twitter flags it, and who knows my country is being taken over by radicals. At that point, it could make sense for me to devote my life to a hunt for The Truth. Granted, the battle will be tough. Because of my worldview, I can only piece together Truth via the “winks” you describe, and I can only know Truth if it generates a narrative that runs counter to authority – but at the very least I can feel empowered in the process.
I often describe evangelical churchs as "check your brain at the door and here's your crayons" - and realize it's a lot "I can't draw, but I can color - tell me what to fill in; I'll stay within the lines"