Why do some people love to see others get punished? Most right-wingers

[raccoon]

are like this, IME, but it's not limited to right-wingers.

I'm talking about the kind of moran who think it's hysterically funny when someone else gets a spanking or beating.

[ejpoeta]

1. they are just glad it's not them. as long as it is not them they will be happy.

too bad someday it WILL be them, but then they never think that far ahead.

[AngryAmish]

2. THere have been a few studies on this subject

ie what is fairness, etc. People seem more willing to punish than to succeed themselves. It is how our brains work, it seems.

[BanzaiBonnie]

3. It's all about the story that we have lived with

for the last 8000 or so years.

About 8000 years ago, a story developed that there was a great male god who crushed a nasty female goddess. This is the story that we currently support. And it means we are to live by crushing out evil forces. The "good life" is the virtuous forces crushing out the evil forces. So how do we support that? By making punishment a sport that gives us pleasure.

We have all been a part of that. Until we change the story that lives within each of us and has been nourished for 8000 years by the spilling of blood, nothing about that punishment/dominator model will change.

[asjr]

5. You nailed it! It never stopped.

None of us was born that way. We were raised that way. And some will never change. If it was good enough for our moms and pops it is good enough for us. Critical thinking is at an all-time low. Religion in the South has become a cult. Especially religious fundamentalists. Most I have known will preach to you night and day and make one feel inferior if we do not believe their way. Down here being a preacher is a good career move. Most get free housing, have health insurance paid by parishioners, receive reimbursement for use of car and only have to repeat the same sermon Sunday after Sunday. And they will be the first to tell you if you do not believe you are going to Hell. And all his or her flock will nod their heads up and down and say Amen. Most of them here are Republicans. The only thing Republicans believe in is I've got mine, now I want yours. Republicanism has become its own religion. That's my two cents. No one has to agree with me. I have gotten to the age I can say what I damn well please. As do others.

[BanzaiBonnie]

6. Sadly, studies have found that the more often

people go to church, the less compassion they have.

[MindPilot]

4. There's plenty of that on DU as well

Politics aside, we are a very uptight, authoritarian culture that fundamentally believes that the solution to all problems is tougher laws and harsher punishments.