Deprogramming

February 26, 2024 By: Nick Carraway Category: Uncategorized

When your goal is to deprogram conservatives we must remember that it is a process like any other cult. It’s at this point that we have to remember that language is precise. So, let me start with a statement that will seem provocative, but makes all the difference in the world. Conservatism by its very nature is selfish. This doesn’t mean individual conservatives are selfish. Many are very generous individuals, but their generosity is usually focused on those they find worthy of that generosity. As an ideology it is built on selfishness and individualism.

So, when we look at memes that focus on how great things were in the past, the temptation is to focus on how things weren’t all that great for everyone. Unfortunately, this is a strategy that won’t work. They don’t care. So, telling them that life wasn’t good for women, ethnic minorities, or the poor really doesn’t phase them. Keep in mind this is about an ideology and not individuals. Progressivism is about the we and conservatism is about the me.

Step One: The politics of scale

A number of the issues many worry about simply don’t matter. Why are we spending so much time writing laws and spending column inches and television segments on this stuff? This simple answer is that it distracts us from the stuff that really matters. If I can make you worry about transgender girls playing girls sports then you won’t notice that my economic policies are driving you to your knees.

If one percent of people are transgender then 20 people in a 2000 student are transgender. If ten of those are boys becoming girls then how many of them are both able to transition before 18 and interested in playing sports. This is simple. Does this issue impact you? Do you have a girl in school playing girls sports? So, you take this approach and expand it outwards. How many of these hot button issues are both real and impact you personally? My guess is very few.

Step Two: Enlightened Self-interest

Remember that conservatism is inherently selfish. So, instead of focusing on someone’s notion of fairness we have to appeal to their sense of self-interest. If things were so good back in the 1950s then it is fair to examine why that was. Few of them know that the top end income tax bracket paid 91 percent. Of course, they weren’t paying 91 percent on all of it, but there were far fewer billionaires.

The vast majority of these folks aren’t earning 100,000 a year. The trickle down economic policies are killing them. It’s why their wages haven’t advanced. It is why costs continue to go up. Things like deregulation are directly responsible for these things. Conservative politicians decreased government investment in higher education and lifted the caps on tuition. We all know that this is more unfair for the poorer Americans and those from traditionally disenfranchised groups. They could honestly care less about other people.

Step Three: The we helps the me

Once you have figured out a way to get people to ignore bullshit issues and have helped them see how conservative economic policies have hurt them then you are ready to finish the job. Individually, we may care or not about others, but most progressives understand the notion that when more people do well then we all do well.

If everyone has access to quality health care then health care costs drop and productivity goes up. When people have good jobs their buying power goes up and they can afford to shop at our stores. Study after study demonstrates that when the disparity between rich and poor is tighter then the crime rate drops. Happier and satisfied people typically don’t resort to violence. Obviously, there will always be exceptions but when we recognize systemic racism, sexism, xenophobia as a threat to our collective well-being then we will have completed the transformation.

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0 Comments to “Deprogramming”


  1. slipstream says:

    “phase” is a noun meaning a step or part of process, or is a verb meaning to carry out in stages. “faze” is a verb meaning to disturb or disconcert.

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  2. Daang Nick, We’re kind of on the same theme, “language”, words, ‘getting the effing messages out’. But I’m screeching and my hair’s on fire :] .
    See my minutes old screed over on El Jefe’s thread :
    https://juanitajean.com/screaming-the-crazy-part-out-loud/#comments

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  3. slipstream @1, The word “Phase” also has a restricted technical meaning. In certain giant computer systems, a “Phase X”, a level of system re-initialization, denoted a clearing and refilling, remapping of different degrees of the system’s memory.
    A Phase 2-4 wasn’t desirable, but chit happens; and was even necessary during certain procedures.
    A Phase 6+8 was total nuclear destruction, and might require other groups to ‘manually’ re-input certain lost memory items.

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  4. For y’alls daily hourly minutely enjoyment, the real-time Trump debt counter.
    If my bank account could only increment that fast.
    The webpage has a bunch of other stuff too, Trump dementia items, gaffes, etc., pretty good list.
    Send it to your whackjob acquaintances, see heads implode.

    Donald Trump’s Debt: Live Counter – [by] Johnny Palmadessa

    https://trumpdebtcounter.com/

    Watch that thang go!

    Hell, it moves so fast that I can’t even copy&paste the amount here. ~$464,958,500.78 and zooming up.

    https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/2/26/2225978/-Trump-Debt-Live-Tracker-is-pure-zen-even-after-Trump-files-his-NYC-judgment-appeal-w-o-a-bond

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  5. Steve from Beaverton says:

    Assuming we all use this scientific method/process to deprogam conservatives, it’s almost election time. I’ll try this on my brother. No, actually I won’t. He’s a full blown MAGA cultist. There is no reasoning with him. IMHO, he and his fellow cultists are motivated by crazy stuff that gets under rational people’s skins (our skins). The more insane stuff sounds, the better it is. Truth has no bearing. That’s why TFFG is their leader. He’s mastered the art. Sorry to be so pessimistic about deprogramming MAGA cultists. Even many in gop leadership positions in congress fit the cult mold, like those leading the Biden impeachment.

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  6. Conversion will be a tough haul:

    https://youtu.be/cj6qeGJCIj0

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