• kescusay@lemmy.world
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    13 days ago

    What the actual fuck is wrong with Republican politicians? I mean, I already know what’s wrong with Republican voters - brainwashing by years of Fox “News” - but the politicians? Are they all literal sociopaths?

    • MrVilliam@lemmy.world
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      13 days ago

      No, they’re just doing what they’re being paid to do by special interest groups aka big business. It’s not a bug and it’s not a feature; it’s the point. Optimal profits this quarter. Every quarter is a new quasi generation of executives who want a good quarter before moving on after x quarters.

    • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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      13 days ago

      The philosophy behind conservativism is to stay still. Conserve the status. Do not progress.

      • barsquid@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        But you’re describing a standard Dem. Repubs are actively trying to drag us backwards. They are regressives.

        • skatrek47@sh.itjust.works
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          13 days ago

          This is so infuriating, especially when it’s so easy to show that voting against progressive initiatives also hurts their own constituents…

          • Billiam@lemmy.world
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            13 days ago

            This is so infuriating, especially when it’s so easy to show that voting against progressive initiatives also hurts their own constituents…

            “I don’t care how much it hurts me, as long as the people I hate are also getting hurt!”

      • grue@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        That’s a popular misconception. The philosophy behind conservatism is to perpetuate hierarchy. The ideology was developed by literal monarchists, and when the “divine right” excuse became untenable they moved on to others like racism and capitalism, but the goal remained the same. It only seems like they want to maintain the status quo because the historical status quo was hierarchical, but rest assured: if society were magically egalitarian instead, conservatives would vigorously try to make sweeping, wholesale changes to create a hierarchy from scratch.

        • Resonosity@lemmy.world
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          12 days ago

          Interesting insight. Thanks for the correction. Perhaps the choice of lexeme “conservatism” would best be swapped for a neologism like “hierarchism” or something to better describe the principles of the school of thought. Otherwise, I made the connection like OC that conservatism = no change, whether good or bad.

          • grue@lemmy.world
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            12 days ago

            Otherwise, I made the connection like OC that conservatism = no change, whether good or bad.

            That’s exactly what they want you to think. It’s one of the more prominent ways in which they launder their ideology to make it seem appealing to more people than just sociopaths. (Or at least, used to, until they went full mask-off under Trump.)

          • XTL@sopuli.xyz
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            12 days ago

            Yes. The term has been kind of redefined in practise from massive misuse. Just like many others.

      • satanmat@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        Correct.

        They are in charge and are going to do everything to keep it that way.

        As you said.

    • evatronic@lemm.ee
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      13 days ago

      Nothing. They’re behaving quite rationally.

      You just have to understand that their motivation is not “successful governing” or “making the world better” but rather, “getting more money.”

      When you view their actions through the lens of self-enrichment, they’re behaving quite normally.

    • Sanctus@lemmy.world
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      13 days ago

      You gotta know at this point the system has feedback. Its possible most of them were raised on the same shit their constituents are huffing.

    • moitoi@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      13 days ago

      When you brainwashed for generations, you end with brainwashed in politics. This is just the beginning.

    • lolcatnip
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      12 days ago

      Are they all literal sociopaths?

      Yes. Just pick one and pay attention to what they do and say for a little while.

    • slaacaa@lemmy.world
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      13 days ago

      It’s just simple corruption (or lobby, as it’s called in the US), they are saying what the highest bidder asks them to say

    • freebee@sh.itjust.works
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      11 days ago

      rustbelting makes voters transition from democrat to republican. you could argue that they actually benefit from declining industry, so of course they’re going for it