To accept the things we cannot change ...

[NanceGreggs]

It is now abundantly clear that some of our fellow citizens have lost all touch with reality.

They continue to believe that the 2020 election was wrought with fraud, despite the fact that not a single iota of proof thereof has been profferred, and that those who declared they have such proof have failed to produce it.

They persist in the belief that Covid is a politically-driven hoax, and that vaccines are ineffective - despite the fact that hospitals are overwhelmed with the sick-and-dying who are unvaccinated, and their own anti-vax media "heroes" are dropping like flies.

They are willing to make public spectacles of themselves by physically attacking anyone who refuses to embrace their insanity, knowing that they could lose their own livelihood as a result of their behaviour.

Despite any effort by the sane among us to inform them, educate them, cajole them into seeing reason, they have decided that suicide-by-stupidity is preferable to admitting they've been "had" by the politicians who count on one last financial contribution before yet another constituent dies.

We have to accept what cannot be changed, and simply move on without those who are beyond our reach - drowning men who refuse to latch onto the lifejackets thrown their way, people who'd rather be swallowed by the sea than be rescued before it's too late.

This is the reality we face, as sad as that reality may be. Those who are against the survival of our citizens and our democracy are our enemies - and they must be treated accordingly.

[TheRealNorth]

1. Sadly, I have to concur

We need to seriously consider the possibility that at some point in the near future,, we may have no other option other than to submit, or go muzzle-to-muzzle with them. That is, if we don't want to live in a red-necked version of Putin's Russia or Orban's Hungary.

[ymetca]

3. Culling the weak for fun and profit

now that the nexus of profitability has moved to the Far East, as it were, and we Americans seem almost fully expendable.

We've been hearing it from Republicans for years --how the American worker is "lazy", wants "free stuff", etc.

Now that the chickens have come home to roost, turns out they're a wholly owned subsidiary of Pilgrim's Pride.

Also, I have suspicions that many of these folks' minds have been befuddled by Big Pharma.

[mwooldri]

4. Rachel Maddow often talks about Earth One and Earth Two.

I believe she's right .. they're living on a different planet.

[Jon King]

5. So true, they are lost forever and we must try to limit their damage.

It is what it is, these people are never coming back to the real world. Climate change, health care, infrastructure, Social Security running out of money, high tech education so we can compete with China and others....we have serious issues to address.

We might as well just govern as best as possible and let the chips fall where they may.

[skyesail]

6. It's Institutions All the Way Down

A big chunk of our fellow citizens have been lured and driven away from all touch with reality with institutional brainwashing for life and propaganda in the moment.
Every type of institution from corporations to schools and colleges to think-tanks, entertainment media and all, have conserative and Christian conservative sectors chartered to foster this voter pool.
It's not the victims who are our true enemies, it's those who inform, motivate and mobilize them.
You can rebut that the individuals are in fact evil and that's often true. The big enemy nevertheless is the power and organizing source.

[TheRealNorth]

8. At the start of WWI, some people on the left thought that way....

That only if we sung kumbaya together, the soldiers fighting for Germany, France, the UK, and Russia would realize that they were being used by elites as cannon fodder.

They were not successful then, and that was when propaganda was still pretty unsophisticated.

[Pobeka]

9. Could not agree more. I wish I had a great way to defang that power and organizing source.

It was apparent to me back in the early 2000's the extreme threat that Fox News was to our democracy. I tried to make a point of showing that to my father, and my brother, but to no avail. Confirmation bias was the tactic being used back then, and it has been put on steroids since.

[OMGWTF]

7. Two words: Fk 'em!