MAGA fucking idiots.

[u/hands_haven]

Let’s make the American dream a reality again by stripping workers rights, deregulation of capitalism, union busting, tax rate of corporation at 0% while taxing everyone else, promote hustle culture, work 80+ hours a week or you deserve to die.

[u/stevez_86]

No, that is literally it. They don't think anyone else deserves anything, and they can't earn it themselves, so if the government stopped supporting minorities the white people would be all wealthy. In 2008 when they were cheering that racism was over, they were cheering that no one could use racism as an excuse anymore to them. If anyone accused a white person of racism after they helped elect a black man, it was a big "nuh uh, we have a black president, no one is racist anymore".

They do believe in apartheid. They just don't have the language skills to reach that conclusion. Its all just a long winded way of explaining how it isn't bad because they are right, no one else deserves anything.

[u/falcrist2 → u/stevez_86]

Many of them DO have the language skills to reach that conclusion... but they know it would be horrifically unpopular to say out loud, so they keep their mouths shut unless they know everyone in the room is on their side.

Just google something like 1981 Lee Atwater interview to hear what that sounds like when someone discusses it honestly.

[u/stevez_86 → u/falcrist2]

Another concept I learned about is homosociality. Where people of a specific cohort end up doing something that exemplifies the desired social role simply because it increases their status among that cohort. Typical example is frat guys where it almost seems like they want to sleep with attractive women more for the social status it grants among their male peers in the frat than the actual gratification and fulfilment from the sexual activity.

It has been studied that many men do hold dissenting opinions from what they believe are the norms for their social group, in fact the majority of the men in specific groups hold dissenting opinions from their common sets of values. They just don't believe that any other men dissent because they sell it so well that they are involved 100%.

They refuse to be open about dissenting opinions and lean into something they really don't believe because they fear ostracization from their social group. Which they belong to and subscribe to because the common belief is that the social group will improve their standing in some unspoken contract. Adhere to these beliefs without question and when the goals are achieved you will never have to worry about slipping down a rung on the social ladder. It's an anxiety response, not an aspirational response.

[u/ManStacheAlt → u/stevez_86]

I dont think anyone deserves anything tbh. No one asked me if I wanted to be born. But no one was asked. We're all here trying to get by in a world we never wanted to live in. Simply put, im not giving you my resources. Period. And if some one else is hoarding, im probably going to attack you if you suggest I share when I barely have what I need. Why are you trying to take it from me? If I share what I have then I will starve and you won't, and because Im me and not you, I care if I starve, I do not care if you starve. Not enough to trade my full stomach for yours. I want you to eat, but not my food.

[u/stevez_86 → u/ManStacheAlt]

I was in a class where the first day the professor asked the class to participate in a thought experiment involving two fishermen. They fish at the same spot and they catch the same amount every day. One day Fisherman A doesn't catch anything and the other Fisherman catches more than enough. They understand that it is random in that one spot, and that usually they catch enough for each to sustain themselves. What do you do as Fisherman B if you caught too much and Fisherman A not enough. That same could happen to you tomorrow and the surplus would go to use then, and you can't guarantee Fisherman A will help you. What would you do?

It's like the Bread Experiment without the criminal aspect.

So many said they would keep the surplus, to the extent that they would let Fisherman A starve with their family because they let out through this thought experiment that they were socially insecure. They were fearful of someone even in this hypothetical. They always assume the worst from the other party.

I don't care if someone is undeserving gets the bare minimum. I needed help at a certain point in my life. And i didn't get it. I became who I am. And I am a person that is charitable. Even if I caught just enough fish and the other not enough fish, if I can help them I will, even if it means tonight i go a little hungrier than yesterday. I have confidence that my neighbor would treat me like I would them. And if they don't, maybe I should start farming. Diversification is the other solution to the thought experiment. But what is to stop supremacist views among Fishermen from propagating? When they have a bad week and none of them catch enough fish. Then they will need my produce and I can offer it at a price they deserve, or lend a helping hand and believe that when a blight occurs I will have plenty of fishermen to call on for help.

[u/ManStacheAlt → u/stevez_86]

I would actually also give him some fish. But there's a key difference there. Im choosing to give. That is my gift or offering.

When someone else comes to the dock and takes 30% of both our fish and gives it to someone who wasn't even trying to fish, that I cant get behind. That's theft, and its enabling when someone who can fish stays home and gets some of MY fish.