We can't stop the Republican "othering." What we CAN do is terrify them, because fear is how they relate to the world. They need to be terrified of handing Trump the nuclear codes because he has dementia - something the mainstream media knows, but refuses to acknowledge. They need to be terrified …
We can't stop the Republican "othering." What we CAN do is terrify them, because fear is how they relate to the world. They need to be terrified of handing Trump the nuclear codes because he has dementia - something the mainstream media knows, but refuses to acknowledge. They need to be terrified that IVF will be taken from them. They need to be terrified of Project 2025's impacts to each and every family. They need to be terrified that birth control will be taken from them. They need to be terrified that the psychopath billionaires are destroying the planet and lying to them about it. They need to be terrified of dying due to preventable illness because of a predatory medical system. Appealing to the conservative sense of fair play or justice is a losing strategy. They see the world as a zero sum game.
Harris's strategy of bringing joy is good - for those who already support the Democrats. Conservatives are, in my experience, not people who see the world as a place for joy, but of suffering. They glorify this suffering as they worship a dead man on a dead tree - destruction of both humanity and the planet - for those who care to think deeply about their religious mythology. That is the reality of it. When I did a search just now on "suffering is what gives our lives meaning," there were 325 million hits.
Your approach may be necessary due to the short time until the election. I prefer the "carrot" approach rather than the "stick." For example, the Republicans are banning abortion and birth control, while Harris proposes $6,000 for every newborn and childcare.
We are evolving, but we need to identify greedy hoarders as mentally ill and learn to deal with them to protect the rest of us. Hartmann's "Hidden History of American Democracy: Rediscovering Humanity's Ancient Way of Living" is another book with an audio version that I listened to recently. Part Four includes suggested solutions to the modern battle for Democracy.
I don't completely disagree, but if you check the right-wing sites, conservatives are against the $6K per child; they interpret it as giving black people or "slutty" single mothers "their money." Some people respond to the carrot and we should court them; others only recognize a stick. The Democrats have failed to see this and it has resulted in many losses. I think Harris is creating a balance; she doesn't hesitate to call out the conservative nightmares facing us, but she also appeals to those looking for joy instead of doom.
For many of the most entrenched Trump supporters, fear is the only thing that will reach them. Instilling fear is how Trump has succeeded so wildly. Unfortunately, the ratio of those driven by fear has reached a critical mass.
Yes, scare the feces out of them with the truth, something the democratic leadership will not do! A dictator can take their guns, rape their families, exterminate the unhealthy, hire immigrants only for less money, give them cancer, torture them, take their social security and lower the minimum wage....... They respond to force and fear, not mommy talk!
Thank you, Thom. Another brilliant essay!
We can't stop the Republican "othering." What we CAN do is terrify them, because fear is how they relate to the world. They need to be terrified of handing Trump the nuclear codes because he has dementia - something the mainstream media knows, but refuses to acknowledge. They need to be terrified that IVF will be taken from them. They need to be terrified of Project 2025's impacts to each and every family. They need to be terrified that birth control will be taken from them. They need to be terrified that the psychopath billionaires are destroying the planet and lying to them about it. They need to be terrified of dying due to preventable illness because of a predatory medical system. Appealing to the conservative sense of fair play or justice is a losing strategy. They see the world as a zero sum game.
Harris's strategy of bringing joy is good - for those who already support the Democrats. Conservatives are, in my experience, not people who see the world as a place for joy, but of suffering. They glorify this suffering as they worship a dead man on a dead tree - destruction of both humanity and the planet - for those who care to think deeply about their religious mythology. That is the reality of it. When I did a search just now on "suffering is what gives our lives meaning," there were 325 million hits.
Your approach may be necessary due to the short time until the election. I prefer the "carrot" approach rather than the "stick." For example, the Republicans are banning abortion and birth control, while Harris proposes $6,000 for every newborn and childcare.
We are evolving, but we need to identify greedy hoarders as mentally ill and learn to deal with them to protect the rest of us. Hartmann's "Hidden History of American Democracy: Rediscovering Humanity's Ancient Way of Living" is another book with an audio version that I listened to recently. Part Four includes suggested solutions to the modern battle for Democracy.
I don't completely disagree, but if you check the right-wing sites, conservatives are against the $6K per child; they interpret it as giving black people or "slutty" single mothers "their money." Some people respond to the carrot and we should court them; others only recognize a stick. The Democrats have failed to see this and it has resulted in many losses. I think Harris is creating a balance; she doesn't hesitate to call out the conservative nightmares facing us, but she also appeals to those looking for joy instead of doom.
Give them joy or else a dictator will give them a hell on earth (doom)! Both can be done!
For many of the most entrenched Trump supporters, fear is the only thing that will reach them. Instilling fear is how Trump has succeeded so wildly. Unfortunately, the ratio of those driven by fear has reached a critical mass.
Yes, scare the feces out of them with the truth, something the democratic leadership will not do! A dictator can take their guns, rape their families, exterminate the unhealthy, hire immigrants only for less money, give them cancer, torture them, take their social security and lower the minimum wage....... They respond to force and fear, not mommy talk!