Shades of Mao

[Comatose Sphagetti]

I'm a liberal in a very conservative area of rural Indiana. I'm absolutely surrounded by conservatives and there is contempt and flat out hatred of those who hold differing viewpoints. I often wish to engage in debate with the locals but my progressive views would become obvious and, in the back of mind, I think of Mao's anti-intellectualism purges - and my safety - if the SHTF.

Anyone else?

[BillZBubb]

1. I'm also in a very red area.

I generally don't initiate political discussions. However, I do not hesitate to state my position when someone else does. One thing I've noticed is that facts shut them up quickly and the contempt in their speech disappears when someone actually challenges them. Being in a homogeneous area leads them to believe they can say whatever they want and everyone will agree. It is a shock when someone doesn't.

This isn't Red China, so I don't worry about purges.

[hifiguy]

2. True Believers are the most dangerous people on the planet.

There is nothing that is unthinkable or beyond the pale if it advances The One Truth.

The burning of books, and then people, inevitably follows the triumph of anti-intellectualism. In the 20th Century alone think of Nazi Germany, the Chinese Cultural Revolution and Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge. Now we have ISIS and the lunatic Islamists. Give America's radical religidiots untrammeled power and it would happen here. Depend on the pattern repeating itself yet again.

[KingCharlemagne]

3. I applaud your courage AND your caution. I live in a very-liberal part of Los Angeles (westside).

Even so, while protesting against the Iraq War, I was physically assaulted once and received multiple death threats. It's scary as all get-out, so I can barely imagine what it must be like for you. Based on my experiences, you're probably not going to change anyone's mind so then the question becomes what the point is in putting your views out there to make yourself a target. I have no easy answers for these questions.

[KT2000]

4. Absolutely!

I don't think people here realize how much control the RW has on the way many people think about politics.

I just experienced that hatred when I asked a man why he thinks Obama has destroyed this country. He didn't want to tell me but finally said the one way is that Obama had China bail out the banks and gave China all of our national parks. Yes - China holds title to all of our national parks.

I investigated this and found that China told the US that they should get collateral for all of their investments - a bluff. Jerome Corsi spread the rumor.

A growing segment of the population is insane.