PureX
Veteran Member
I have a good friend of many years who is a classic, angry, social-Darwinist, capitalism is the only way and let the loser scum rot-type republican, and he has been all his life. He voted for Trump knowing full well that the guy was the worst presidential candidate, ever. And if my friend had lived in Alabama, he would have voted for the pedophile candidate, too. I've come across several friends over the years that adhere to this same pattern of cult-like republicanism, and I've always wondered why they do. And I think I've finally figured it out.
It turns out it has nothing to do with smaller government or fiscal responsibility. Nor even a strong national defense or stance against crime. What it's about is his childhood, and the view of the world he holds as a result of it.
My friend's father was a violent, verbally and physically abusive prick. And he inflicted his abuse on his family whenever and however he wanted throughout my friend's childhood and long into his adult life. His mother (a saint, according to my friend) did nothing to stop it. In fact, from what I gather all she really did was make excuses for her piece of **** husband. But somehow, this made her a candidate for sainthood in my friend's mind.
My friend was also sexually molested by the family priest, and then sexually assaulted by an older cousin. And in neither of these instances did anyone do anything to acknowledge or stop it. Saint mom loved the family priest and could see no wrong regarding him. And the cousin was from his father's side (a whole family of violent, abusive, pricks), so clearly there was no help or ally to be found, there.
So my friend grew up in a world where those with power and position did whatever they wanted to those without it. And those who talked about brotherly love, and equal justice, and being our brother's keeper were either deluded fools, or wolves pretending to be shepherds. And as he got older, he discovered that nowhere is this more true than in business. Those who've got the money, rule, and those who want the money better learn to serve those who've got it, or be crushed for their stupidity.
Which explains why my friend worked in brokerage houses all his life, helping rich people get richer and investing his own money on their coattails. And it's why he always votes republican, regardless of how morally bankrupt, or logically insane the candidates might be. Because in my friend's view of the world, he has to serve the wealthy and powerful or risk being destroyed by them. Because whatever they are, they can do as they please, to the rest of us. And if he wants to survive and thrive in this world, he has to do so by being their "yes-man", and by riding their insane, greedy, coattails.
My friend is a very angry man living in a viciously unfair world. A man who sees 'do-gooders' as liars and fools. His philosophy on life is basically Darwinian. And Darwin did not discover any moral, or even logical paths to life-success. He discovered that the strong eat the weak, take what they want, and they always have and always will. That's what my friend experienced growing up, and what he sees, now, all around him. This is the world he lives in.
And it's why he votes for liars, and criminals, and lunatics, and anyone else who has money and power, or that serves money and power. Because in my friends view of the world, money and power rules everything. Morality, and justice, and all that ideological swill are just pretty fantasies used to distract us while the powerful take what they want, and do with us as they please.
I'm just sayin' ...
It turns out it has nothing to do with smaller government or fiscal responsibility. Nor even a strong national defense or stance against crime. What it's about is his childhood, and the view of the world he holds as a result of it.
My friend's father was a violent, verbally and physically abusive prick. And he inflicted his abuse on his family whenever and however he wanted throughout my friend's childhood and long into his adult life. His mother (a saint, according to my friend) did nothing to stop it. In fact, from what I gather all she really did was make excuses for her piece of **** husband. But somehow, this made her a candidate for sainthood in my friend's mind.
My friend was also sexually molested by the family priest, and then sexually assaulted by an older cousin. And in neither of these instances did anyone do anything to acknowledge or stop it. Saint mom loved the family priest and could see no wrong regarding him. And the cousin was from his father's side (a whole family of violent, abusive, pricks), so clearly there was no help or ally to be found, there.
So my friend grew up in a world where those with power and position did whatever they wanted to those without it. And those who talked about brotherly love, and equal justice, and being our brother's keeper were either deluded fools, or wolves pretending to be shepherds. And as he got older, he discovered that nowhere is this more true than in business. Those who've got the money, rule, and those who want the money better learn to serve those who've got it, or be crushed for their stupidity.
Which explains why my friend worked in brokerage houses all his life, helping rich people get richer and investing his own money on their coattails. And it's why he always votes republican, regardless of how morally bankrupt, or logically insane the candidates might be. Because in my friend's view of the world, he has to serve the wealthy and powerful or risk being destroyed by them. Because whatever they are, they can do as they please, to the rest of us. And if he wants to survive and thrive in this world, he has to do so by being their "yes-man", and by riding their insane, greedy, coattails.
My friend is a very angry man living in a viciously unfair world. A man who sees 'do-gooders' as liars and fools. His philosophy on life is basically Darwinian. And Darwin did not discover any moral, or even logical paths to life-success. He discovered that the strong eat the weak, take what they want, and they always have and always will. That's what my friend experienced growing up, and what he sees, now, all around him. This is the world he lives in.
And it's why he votes for liars, and criminals, and lunatics, and anyone else who has money and power, or that serves money and power. Because in my friends view of the world, money and power rules everything. Morality, and justice, and all that ideological swill are just pretty fantasies used to distract us while the powerful take what they want, and do with us as they please.
I'm just sayin' ...
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