General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDo you know what members of the Democratic Party pretty much never do?
1) Issue death threats to people who are on the other side of the political spectrum, regardless of the amount of disdain they hold for those people.
2) Threaten the families of those on the other side.
3) Plaster their homes and trucks with flags and stickers of their party leader, ESPECIALLY when it is not election season.
4) Shoot their mouths off, at every conceivable social gathering, making sure that the entire room knows their political affiliation.
5) Take whatever their party leader says on blind faith.
6) Look at something that is put in front of them on Facebook or Twitter, and immediately accept it as the truth. This one bothers me the most. Somebody sitting in their home makes one of those Facebook memes, and that counts as "research".
Feel free to add your own observations.
I'm so fucking sick of these people, and I'm not looking forward to 2024.
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Sympthsical
(9,238 posts)The only thing that seems culturally unique is the flag/stickers thing in my experience. Unless it's Berkeley. But Berkeley's a weird place to begin with, and it isn't common.
But all the other stuff is just people, and I see plenty of that behavior regardless of politics.
LuckyCharms
(17,588 posts)I'm 65 years old, and I've never seen anything like the scale of this cult worship, in this country anyway.
Sympthsical
(9,238 posts)I've seen people go all in on politicians to an alarming degree before, but I think the sheer numbers of people who just blindly accept Trump's bullshit is pretty unique in modern politics.
But, you know, things like blindly accepting Facebook posts and whatnot. That's just people. I see people take obviously wrong/untrue things from Twitter on faith on the daily. It's just how people are.
But threats, seen those. People who announce their politics in social gatherings when absolutely no one asked is something I experience across the political spectrum.
But the stickers thing. Yeah. Even in California, I really only ever see it if they're on the Right. It's like a cultural thing. I don't get it. "I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on this vehicle. Behold as I totally ruin it!"
ProfessorGAC
(66,107 posts)...but the scale that's unique.
4' by 6' flags on their flagpole or pickup, signs 4 feet by 3 feet, with 6 inch lettering, jukbo flags paying homage even at businesses, and so on.
We've all seen political signs forever, but the "in your face"/"fuck your feelings" sentiment is punctuated by size.
That is unique to this movement, IMO.
progressoid
(50,128 posts)And FJB stickers. And NRA stickers, etc. I doubt Kelly's Blue Book would even give it a value.
It was in a part of town that is home to the Trump base. They are low educated and low wage earners. You see faded Trump flags on houses that are in dire need of repair.
It's really kind of sad. It's also frightening. I was a poll watcher in 2016 in that neighborhood. I vividly recall two older men who came in to vote who had never voted in their lives before. They were memorable because they were functionally illiterate. They had to have the ballot read to them by poll workers (we have machines that read it to them now). One voted for Trump and ignored the rest of the ballot. He proudly declared that was the only reason he wanted to vote. The other guy tried to get through the whole thing but gave up about half way through. He too voted for Trump.
Evolve Dammit
(17,077 posts)sop
(10,603 posts)One of those vehicles covered with lunatic Trump pronouncements and old campaign memorabilia, the requisite "Let's go Brandon" crappola, multiple threatening NRA stickers promising extreme violence if liberals even think about taking away their guns, a handful of crazy conspiracy theories about Covid vaccinations, the usual moronic climate science denialism, a couple of ghoulish anti-abortion stickers depicting "unborn children" and some vengeful Old Testament bible verses.
Just another day in Florida.
progressoid
(50,128 posts)Just another day in Florida...and Iowa too.
Beartracks
(12,897 posts)... and neither am I "offended" -- but, oh, how they wish our feelings to be hurt!!
Such babies.
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Maraya1969
(22,693 posts)I used to walk around here and there were 3 of them in front of houses. They are all gone now.
birdographer
(1,447 posts)in WNC. Four feet high.
Maraya1969
(22,693 posts)Just like they do with Nascar. It was weird.
appalachiablue
(41,404 posts)barbtries
(28,873 posts)this is not a both sides do it situation.
dchill
(38,734 posts)- a statement that I could make multiple times a day, if I didn't get tired of repeating myself.
Evolve Dammit
(17,077 posts)![](/emoticons/hi.gif)
paleotn
(18,150 posts)Lack of critical thinking and knee jerk memes fits their world view. They seem to enjoy being told what to think. Less.effort required I guess. Not that were immune. Some of that here but not nearly to the level of magats.
Attilatheblond
(2,496 posts)They think being with Trump makes them one of the cool kids, finally. And they want the other cool kids to notice them. A most sorry and underdeveloped crowd.
dchill
(38,734 posts)Over-the-topness definitely belongs to Republicans. Your results may vary, of course.
Kingofalldems
(38,616 posts)ShazzieB
(16,973 posts)I honestly can't remember any case of a Democrat issuing death threats to people they disagree or have a beef with, much less threatening their families, etc. We talk a lot of trash about various Republicans and their supporters here at DU, but we don't take it any further. The MAGA crowd learned that from their dear leader.
Sympthsical
(9,238 posts)Where people will tend to only see what is reported in their social media spaces. They'll focus on the other side's bad behavior while never having motivation or desire to see bad things on their own side.
I try to read a very diverse spread of spaces, so I see us discussing the worst parts of the Right, and I see the Right discussing nonstop the worst parts of the Left. And there are bad parts, because bad things exist wherever humans do.
I'll give you one prominent example. JK Rowling. That woman gets a crazy amount of violent threats on social media. I've seen them. There has been some very graphically violent imagery tossed in her direction. All kinds of fantasies about her rape and murder.
Will we ever discuss it? No, because we don't like her politics. No one's rushing to share the stories, talk about the violent threats, or get into it, because there's just no real interest to defend or protect someone from the other team. If we've created filters where we're only exposed to bad behavior coming from one place, we're just going to start to assume bad behavior largely exists in that place. Remove the filters and start paying attention, and all kinds of shit is made visible in all kinds of areas.
I think the recent antisemitism on campuses came as a shock to a lot of people, which illustrates this a bit. I knew it was there for years, because I didn't assume all antisemites were only right-wing, and I was reading critical articles about bigoted campus environments that almost never appeared in my Left social spaces. So, I knew that all people had the capacity to suck in that way. When it finally erupted, my initial thought wasn't surprise. It was surprise that people were surprised. What was everyone expecting when that behavior had already existed for years?
The only solution is to speak out against humans being shitty wherever one sees it. It'll never steer a body wrong.
ShazzieB
(16,973 posts)I'm familiar with the JKR controversy, but didn't realize just how bad it had gotten. The antisemitism didn't really shock me, as I know how deeply embedded it is in western culture it is. Somehow I didn't connect either that or JKR with this coversation, UT I totally get what you're saying now.
As for using filters, I plead guilty. I steer clear of RW websites, because they enrage me too much. We all have our limits, and that's one of mine!
yagotme
(3,274 posts)Guy was pro-gun control, and pro-abortion. I would hazard a guess he was from our side.
Kid Berwyn
(15,597 posts)Former FBI guy Frank Figliuzzi on MSNBC explained that the phenomenon of modern political violence in the USA is one-way: from MAGA Repuglians toward anyone who has opposed Trump via office, elections, the law or whatever. For an example, Figliuzzi noted the Colorado Supreme Court ruling, wherein the justices who voted to keep dip off the ballot are receiving all manner of hatred, including death threats, while the justices who sided with dip have not.
DBoon
(22,521 posts)We all get angry, but most of us are not constantly angry and don't make a political philosophy out of anger.
ismnotwasm
(42,080 posts)Trump actively encourages this so I think he must be doing it on purpose. A person cant be a republican and be a person of good willits impossible
usonian
(10,350 posts)See my previous posts on this matter.
Every accusation is a confession.
dalton99a
(82,121 posts)Sky Jewels
(7,312 posts)" Somebody sitting in their home makes one of those Facebook memes, and that counts as "research". " ...
Or, somebody is sitting at their Russian troll farm workplace making up shit to get right wing American dumbasses all fired up.
yardwork
(62,036 posts)Wednesdays
(17,746 posts)yardwork
(62,036 posts)orangecrush
(19,889 posts)Harker
(14,286 posts)I'll add one, since you invited it...
33) Ban books.
zanana1
(6,160 posts)The one where Lucy says "If you can't be right, be wrong at the top of your voice".
ShazzieB
(16,973 posts)There are some vintage Peanuts quotes that are priceless. That's one of them, but my personal favorite is Linus saying: "I love mankind. It's people I can't sand!"
OAITW r.2.0
(25,212 posts)Maraya1969
(22,693 posts)....... Posts that try to get you to respond by using guilt or some emotional need.
Like, "In this house we say, "Merry Christmas"
Type "AMEN" if you agree.
Or the ones that go into detail about cancer or other bad diseases and then end with "I want to see who reads my posts so if you get to the end respond with how we met"
Actually it doesn't mean they are conservatives but I think the vast majority of them are.
barbtries
(28,873 posts)especially with cancer. i stroll on. Never did chain letters back in the day either.
ShazzieB
(16,973 posts)They remind me of those email forwards that have a quote or statement about something and end with "if you agree, forward this to 10 more people." i haven't gotten one of those in ages, but about 15 or 20 years ago, I used to get them. All. The. Damned. Time.
Maraya1969
(22,693 posts)DFW
(54,876 posts)From Maine, Iowa, New York (a few etc.).
No one is under any illusions about how tough next year will be, but all think it CAN be made a good year with some serious effort.
Kennah
(14,407 posts)ExWhoDoesntCare
(4,741 posts)I'm far more worried about the indecent liberties they take with children.
Kennah
(14,407 posts)yardwork
(62,036 posts)I see way too many Democrats who believe stuff they see on the internet.
Martin68
(23,399 posts)Wednesdays
(17,746 posts)yardwork
(62,036 posts)Democrats are not immune.
LT Barclay
(2,638 posts)It seemed for a while every issue had a story about someone who always thought environmentalists were nuts and were now trying to fight some monolithic corporation who was poisoning the entire area and they couldnt understand why everyone wasnt rallying around their cause.
hibbing
(10,152 posts)I have a neighbor I used to go over to talk with regarding his garden and whatever. I cannot do it anymore. Within a few minutes, he is spouting.
Peace
barbtries
(28,873 posts)8. Are willing to give up their own rights to "own" their political opponents (re: abortion)
Kingofalldems
(38,616 posts)so we can own the MAGAts.
Warpy
(111,794 posts)and not just the buzz2words thrown in at regular intervals to hold their wandering attention.
I saw it with Eugene "Clean Gene" McCarthy in 1968.
I saw it with Hillary Clinton in 2008 (but not 2016, oddly enough).
I don't think it happens very often. We look for executives who can run things. They look for heroic leaders. It's just a different mindset. If we could get them to stop looking for their heroes among movie and TV stars, that would be a great help. Unfortunately, their mindset makes them confuse acted characters with the real person.
The Wizard
(12,603 posts)Since its inception Pox has vilified all things not GQP. Their underlying message has been eliminate Democrats by any means necessary.
Trueblue Texan
(2,477 posts)They only assume a FB or other social media post is accurate IF it reinforces their opinion. If it doesn't, they're not going to do any research into the matter to determine if it's true or not.
drmeow
(5,079 posts)and the other posts that suggest that Dems do that, too, are also correct.
AKwannabe
(5,752 posts)NOT looking forward to 2024
When someone says happy new year
I say its an election year. That sucks
And Trump is running again.
SO not looking forward to 2024!!!!
Fuck djt!
JohnnyRingo
(18,816 posts)Why do they hate America?
ejbr
(5,859 posts)to spread lies with strangers who agree with us politically.
spanone
(136,216 posts)mucifer
(23,732 posts)two parties because one party breeds corruption.
That's the way it is in Chicago. Case and point Ed Burke just convicted of corruption. A racist piece of crap IMO who fought Mayor Washington tooth and nail back in the 80s. Also, Michael Madigan who was legislative speaker in Illinois was corrupt.
Thankfully, both are not in politics currently.
When only one party can be elected then you can get right wing nut bag democrats with lots of power being bribed by corporations and spouting racist threats.
It's very sad but true.
Things could be much worse and have been in the past.
jerseyjim
(129 posts)the mere mention of climate change.
RE: Iowa incident