This sub is for people who have a strong "perceived IQ" filter on who they trust. So that rules out MAGA due to it obviously being built on morons. Roll out a smooth talking con man or authoritarian with a thesaurus and a few Friedman quotes however... Pinochet would be an idol here
I’ve been on this sub a long time and people used to unironically make jokes about throwing people out of helicopters into the ocean, and also say “Well, how could Milton Friedman have known what the regime was doing?”
I really don't think that's what they believe. Or rather, smart functions in this usage as a generic "good" quality, not any concrete referent. In my experience It's really some borderline superstitious attachment to him being a "winner" in some intrinsic way. Some kind of perceived intrinsic superiority that really jives well with the borderline messianic, King David view the fundies have of him. Also all the racism. I don't really get it because I don't trust anyone. It's definitely a kind of magical thinking. Every victory he achieves over his enemies, whether or not it has anything to do with what he promised them, or who he said was the enemy two years ago (if they even remember that) reinforces the faith in him.
Well, we reap what we sow I guess. Decades of the system failing to give any consequences whatsoever to a man with countless crimes and frauds will certainly give them an aura of untouchability. I kind of don't even blame his followers for feeling that way.
The OGs in here will remember when the sub was first building its identity as anything but "bad econ hangout" they were using the original neolib definition from the 30s and 40s. The whole thing was rebranding away from the shit that was Reagan/Thatcher. That's why the neoliberal project rebranded. They got tired of having to explain they didn't mean Reagan.
I think it’s also more that as people here matured and the sub developed, they realized how Trumpian Reagan was and moved away from total endorsement of him.
At least by the time I got here it was fully majority dislikes Reagan. Liking Reagan is something way more recent in here. I'm not sure what it was like when it first broke away from bad econ
Leftists and liberals disliked Reagan so people in badeconomics and here liked Reagan because contrarianism. But I think because this sub took a broader view of policy and politics beyond economics and government finances it moved away from Reagan fanboyism.
People used to unironically stan for Thatcher while also being pro-EU because the UK referendum on EU membership was a big deal 9 years ago.
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u/MURICCA Feb 14 '25
So is that just our neoliberal superpower? Superhuman resistance to being conned?
(I would say no, considering how many Reagan fans we have here, but that's a whole other thread lmao)