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It works because they're fascists.
One of the main pillars of every fascist movement is "we're the only normal ones". It's how they justify othering, persecuting, and abusing everyone who's not a cishet white fascist Christian, preferably male.
To a fascist, anyone who's not "normal" is one of the OTHERS and thus scary and evil and needs to be suppressed and hidden away, if not violently eradicated.
Small note
It’s how they justify othering, persecuting, and abusing everyone who’s not a cishet white fascist Christian, preferably male.
This is incorrect
It’s how they justify othering, persecuting, and abusing everyone who’s not like them
You can have Fascism in any circle. “Communist” Occupied China is an example of non-white Fascism. And you could point to some military groups in Africa as well
You can have Fascism in any circle. “Communist” Occupied China is an example of non-white Fascism. And you could point to some military groups in Africa as well
I know. The part you quoted was in a separate paragraph because it was specifically about the American Fascist Party rather than fascists in general.
Other examples include Modi's fascist Hindunationalism and Netanyahu's fascist apartheid state where the favored religion is Judaism.
where the favored religion is Judaism
This is not how Apartheid works in the West Bank. Zionism may be dependant on Judaism, but that's not the dividing line.
It is ethnic apartheid between ethnic Jews / white westerners and Arabs. Religion has little to do with what is actually enforced. there are tons of secular Jews. There are evangelical Christian settlements in the West Bank too.
It's about denying rights to Arabs living in Palestine.
They are ultra conformists, so weird is definitely a word that cuts.
The day when "weird and rapey" is popularly used to explain Republican politics is the day the left finally gets their collective heads out of their asses and starts calling a spade a spade.
I can't wait for the killing blow of when Harris is accused of being weird, hopefully by Trump himself, and she responds by saying of course she's weird, everyone is a bit weird.
That's the normal response to being accused of being weird. The weird response is to get defensive and start slinging school yard comebacks, because in the back of your mind you know your weird is using furniture to masturbate or to have sexual thoughts about your own children.
He already did a “no u”.
I feel like even something as simple as a "Yes, and?" Would work wonders.
I think the secret is it’s just one word that everyone knows. Democrats have a bad tendency to over-explain: “This book makes these 57 points and if you cross reference with these charts and apply this formula you’ll see….” Meanwhile, Trump will just say “what a loser.” Maybe Democrats are finally learning to keep it simple.
Yes people should want to make informed decisions, but maybe part of effective campaigning these days is accepting they don’t.
It’s fallout from the devolution of our educational system. And, well, generational lead poisoning. And I guess we’ll find out what microplastics do to our brains in the coming decades too.
Anyways, it’s frustrating that talking points have to be “dumbed down” to such an extreme degree, but at the end of the day, I’m glad that the Harris campaign is being pragmatic about doing what they have to do with their messaging to actually reach low-info/low intelligence voters.
It works because they’re fucking weird! There’s normal people who are Republican voters but the Republican Party is basically all weird people. If a motherfucker dresses like he’s in a barbershop quartet in high school or college, you know damn good and well what party they’re going to support (musical theater kids excluded, obviously). It’s not normal to call in the genital inspector and demand to see a youth sports participant’s crotch because they whooped your daughter in U-11 soccer. Ted Cruz is a Republican and he’s the weirdest person on Earth.
And that’s doubly true nowadays where you have to know extended lore from the Fox News extended universe to know what the fuck they’re even talking about.
Edit: And who the fuck makes Christmas cards where their whole family is holding guns? Plenty people treasure the second amendment and send normal fucking Christmas cards.
And that’s doubly true nowadays where you have to know extended lore from the Fox News extended universe to know what the fuck they’re even talking about.
I'm going to borrow this little sliver of gold.
Silent? They never shut the fuck up.
The silent majority is neither of those things.
Yells. Screams. Smashes plate on the floor. Smashes plate against the wall. Flings boogers at everyone. Pulls out a gun and literally shoots somebody in the face. "Nobody is paying attention to me. I am the silent majority."
I think pretending there are A LOT of people like you that want this specific thing that is kind of weird is an attempt to appeal to authority of slightly more invested in politics "masses". If someone tells a conservative and disconnected corn farmer that ALL conservatives care about that trans thing and that it's a danger to your style of life, and that they mutilate children, then they might not check if any of that is true. Just assume that someone did, since apparently all their conservative friends are in on it. And you might just make a fool out of yourself if you ask any questions, since you know you don't really belong with "silent conservative majority" because unlike them you're not invested in politics and didn't do your research... So you better keep your mouth shut and go along with the flow. Same thing with facism. Also preys on embarassed ignorance of the "silent majority" ...imo
“Weird” reverses and intervenes at the crucial point of transmission of that idea. No, it says, the appeals by the right to supposed family values (anti-trans bigotry; restricting no-fault divorce; slashing public school funding; hatred of immigrants) are not normal. They aren’t fundamental American values that the liberal elites have somehow derailed. They are, instead, deeply strange. And “we” (a new silent majority that Walz invokes in his use of “weird”) are tired of it.
This sums it up pretty nicely.
Because it hits at what they are all about: identity.
Why do bullies get mad when you start fighting back? It's a gawd damned "mystery!"
Betraying one’s country is really fucking weird.
More to the point, supporting someone that legitimately betrayed the country and is trying to end democracy is really fucking weird.
Especially if the person they are supporting to take lead is a dementia addled, racist rapist. Super weird.
Why aren't there rolls of stickers on Amazon of pictures of Republicans with the word "weird" under them to stick on gas pumps?
Sounds like an opportunity to make some money. You could be the change you want to see.
Probably because liberals are less likely to vandalize people's property, and buy a roll of stickers. You could probably make more money on large format stickers individually.
I absolutely wouldn't want to vandalize someone's property however, had a conservative already put a sticker there I wouldn't feel bad at all about covering it up.
Use the ol' timey word for it and call them queer. Start referring to conservatives as "the queers" just to troll them
The actual queers are gonna hate that. Maybe they can call another queervention (or was it queervalcade?) and get back to us on using it for trolling.
Hopefully one of their ambassadors will swing by and share an opinion. My Gay Agenda says, "In usage of the word "queer," stay where you are and wait for help."
As a bisexual British person I absolutely support the idea of returning queer to it's classic meaning. There's also the option of just using both meanings. Context will establish which one you mean.
The Republicans are a right queer bunch, unlike my fellow queers in the LGBTQ+ community.
Capitalizing Queers to mean our friends and lowercase queers as the descriptor for these weirdos might be a simple distinction as well.
It works because that was Trump's angle on Harris... But she ran with it first.
It works because he's fucking creepy weird and Harris is maximally as weird as your fun aunt that sneaks a bit of cooking sherry while making a meal.
I think the main reason the "weird" approach works is simply because it is true. They are weird.
And the reason why it hurts Trump so much is exactly that truth hurts.
I mean it's not like it was untrue to call him a rapist or wannabe dictator
It doesn't work, only voting works.
It can work. You only need to peel off a few of the normal people and blunt his momentum. While as always you do need the rest of the population to turn up and vote.
Trumps greatest fear would be dancing up on stage at a rally and having the audience silent then slowly start laughing at him when he starts talking his nonsense.
Like the UN did.
The emperor has no clothes. He is weird.
Soooo, I kind of got déjà vu reading this article because ... Six days ago I "foresaw" the relevance of "weird." Comment thread here (I think) or just check out post my post history.
The author brings up a ton of specific points I called out, including using similar words like "flip" the script and referencing how "basket of deplorables" was too directed. Were we all thinking sbout "weird" in this context six days ago already? If not... I am weirded out, y'all.
I'm not sure I agree with the analysis, I think Vaush said it best.
https://youtube.com/shorts/mDS9bv8Sj7I
I want to TLDR it but I can't because I'm too drunk and all my attempts have failed. Watch the clip if you can/want.
TL;DR: "No 14 year old boy will stop following someone if they're considered evil and bad, but they will stop if they're considered cringe".
This is why I support the movement among women of not fucking Republican voters, as a policy.
Because it is simple and understandable.
Because it renders their grievances in the petty light they need to be seen in.
Because it hits a nerve for them.
Because it disempowers and dismisses them.
Because it's not overtly combative.
But really really because it is true.
Same reason they buy unnecessary giant trucks.
It isn't for loading their junk around.