bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 2 weeks ago
I can’t imagine we will ever have another president whose whole presidency is remembered by its scandals, terrible marriage, his coming out of nowhere to win the office, and the general incompetence and corruption. His slogan didn’t even mean anything, but people just went with it.
One Warren G Harding was enough. America won’t be fooled twice.
okamiueru@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Isn’t Trump just a symptom? What scares the shit out of me, isn’t Trump. It’s that Americans voted for him once, but that it’s still a remote question. Even 5% thinking that could be a good idea, is cause for concern.
Remove Trump from the picture, and that issue is still there. Imagine someone as vile as Trump, but not dumb as a sponge…
jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 2 weeks ago
A lot of people are really quite stupid. On top of that, they’re in social groups (ie: tribes) that have shitty values.
Long term investing in education would help. So would things like removing lead from the environment, and fixing healthcare and labor laws so people aren’t so stressed all the time trying to survive.
Something like half of US adults can’t read at a 6th grade level (Snopes says this is basically true but there are complexities www.snopes.com/news/2022/08/02/us-literacy-rate/ )
InternetUser2012@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
He’s not just a symptom. If he was, they’d have someone else running they can better control. If we passed laws that news agencies are required to be truthful and neutral, we wouldn’t be in this mess. With the red states undermining education and fox “news” stirring up hatred, fear, and lies, you get a cult/base that won’t listen to reality or facts. When they’re presented with irrefutable evidence that contradicts what they’ve been told, they put their fingers in their ears and start yelling shit like "but her emails!!!, well Obama did (insert some random bullshit lie), Clinton did (another bullshit lie), or "what about Hunter’s laptop huh???.
They don’t care, they can’t comprehend what’s really happening and it’s mind blowing. I work with a guy that I asked why he’s voting for Mr Orange and he brings up points that he says the republicans are doing when in fact it’s the democrats doing that, the repbulikkklowns are voting against it. I point that out to him and he tells me I’m full of shit. I tell him do a quick web search, and he comes back with fake news and walks away. It’s scary and sad.
okamiueru@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
You’re kinda arguing my point tho, so maybe I didn’t communicate it very well.
If a character such as Trump gaining power can be considered a symptom, then the conditions that allow it is the disease. News networks not beholden to facts, lack of education and critical thought.
All of this is what I would argue is the underlying cause and conditions that are fertile grounds for populists. Just a little reminder that Hitler first succeeded on his second attempt at becoming a dictator. And unlike in the US, he was imprisoned for the first attempt.
thermal_shock@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I really just think it’s trump. he has zero shame or self inflection, or respect for himself, so he doesn’t care. he just lies and lies and feeds people bullshit. didn’t do anything, but told people what they wanted to hear, that news was fake, trust him not your eyes, and anyone not white is a problem. it was all the fuel idiots needed to “team up” and wear diapers. their boring lives now had a purpose and a team lol.