I agree with all you say here, Thom....and I would go one step further to bring in America's predominant religion -- capitalism. Americans (especially white Americans!) are so ingrained with this notion that unbridled (freedom!) capitalism is the unquestioned, holy foundation of our society--and each person's sense of identity--that th…
I agree with all you say here, Thom....and I would go one step further to bring in America's predominant religion -- capitalism. Americans (especially white Americans!) are so ingrained with this notion that unbridled (freedom!) capitalism is the unquestioned, holy foundation of our society--and each person's sense of identity--that they are not repulsed by the excesses of wealth...but actually admire and desire such wealth for themselves...as a sort of salvation. Thus they are blind--just like the "Christian Nationalists"--to the reality of their own hypocrisy & folly of denying themselves in order to support the "morbidly rich." I like the way Ginger put it in her comment: "Greed, Lust, Envy"...with the reminder of Saint Ronnie's slogan "Greed is Good !"....eh? Combine this religious, political, capitalistic fervor with the Republican followers' desire for a rich, "Big Daddy" to take care of them, and you've got a bunch of hard-core true-believers who will swallow the spin, deceits, lies, and other garbage the Repug elite put out to coldly manipulate them in order to gain or stay in power. Case in point: Donald J. Trump. I'm waiting for the real truth be told about him: He is.....and always has been...a penniless loser--who created his "fabulous life style" by floating on a mountain of debt as he wasted his Daddy's inheritance. He apparently once spoke the truth to his children as they were leaving Trump Tower when he pointed to a homeless person sitting against the building and said, "That guy is richer than I am." Are they in Crazyville..........or what?? 🙃
I agree with all you say here, Thom....and I would go one step further to bring in America's predominant religion -- capitalism. Americans (especially white Americans!) are so ingrained with this notion that unbridled (freedom!) capitalism is the unquestioned, holy foundation of our society--and each person's sense of identity--that they are not repulsed by the excesses of wealth...but actually admire and desire such wealth for themselves...as a sort of salvation. Thus they are blind--just like the "Christian Nationalists"--to the reality of their own hypocrisy & folly of denying themselves in order to support the "morbidly rich." I like the way Ginger put it in her comment: "Greed, Lust, Envy"...with the reminder of Saint Ronnie's slogan "Greed is Good !"....eh? Combine this religious, political, capitalistic fervor with the Republican followers' desire for a rich, "Big Daddy" to take care of them, and you've got a bunch of hard-core true-believers who will swallow the spin, deceits, lies, and other garbage the Repug elite put out to coldly manipulate them in order to gain or stay in power. Case in point: Donald J. Trump. I'm waiting for the real truth be told about him: He is.....and always has been...a penniless loser--who created his "fabulous life style" by floating on a mountain of debt as he wasted his Daddy's inheritance. He apparently once spoke the truth to his children as they were leaving Trump Tower when he pointed to a homeless person sitting against the building and said, "That guy is richer than I am." Are they in Crazyville..........or what?? 🙃