For example: the witch burning thing, most people accusing witches, etc didn’t actually believe that shit. Its coming to light in modern times, that they realized they could grab land and money by accusing vulnerable people, and then just taking their land when they couldn’t defend themselves against a confession under torture.

Sounds like the people running today’s megachurches. They might not actually believe any of what they are spinning, as long as the rubes are giving them enough money to keep them farting through silk and flying around in private jets (and probably some hookers and blow on the DL, I bet, too).

JFC, people like this are absolutely infuriating.

Can we round up a few more of these “influencers” (some of which are probably just conservative activists being funded by the likes of Russia) while we are at it?

I’d love to see Lil’ Alex in prison, along with that fuckface that started the Minneapolis thing and is apparently trying to start some shit in California.

Same goes for Benny Johnson. JFC, that smug little asshole should really be in prison.

I think the biggest thing that was so wild to learn about this relative was when they expressed that my wife and I going to college has basically tainted us. It is their belief that going to a university basically ruins anyone that attends. That’s some real tell me you know nothing about higher education without telling me…

So, in this case, the major problem with me (and my wife) is getting a higher education and not supporting the GOP. That’s about the extent of what they know about our politics, really. It’s not like we sit around reeling off readings of Karl Marx at gatherings like this.

I wonder if anyone has gotten to the bottom of Pedonald’s beliefs about asylum seekers? Does he know yet that it doesn’t mean they came from an insane asylum?

To the conservatives, having someone accuse you of racism is more offensive than actual racism.

Well said.

Also: will the progressives vote for the candidate progressives come up with? Because there is always the chance that when it boils down to an actual individual, they may not pass some purity test(s) that are typically run against politicians.

If he’s trying to say we should stop falling into the framing given to us by the unhinged right that talks way more about trans than trans probably do (Donvict just drops random phrases into his rambling monologues now: “transgender for everybody” and “men in women’s sports”), he’s not wrong about that.

I heard a far more nuanced take on this kind of thing on Pod Save America, by the way.

Show me where Newsom endorsed something like Unhumans.

It’s one thing not to be all that wild about Newsom’s rather middling take on trans (specifically, transwomen in women’s sports, IIRC), but it’s quite another to act like there is no difference here.

^ Well, I’m not sure if this is an actual question in good faith given this is coming from a banned account.

But, to answer it - I’m not sure if I said I never get response from leftists. Hell, I consider myself and many I affiliate with a leftist (despite all the arguments in bad faith that tend to kick off by calling everyone with even a slight disagreement a “shitlib” or a “neoliberal shill” and so on). If I said that, I didn’t mean it - what I meant is that I see less of them (online) since the election.

I have enough of the type of unapologetic unhelpful bad-faith types of “leftists” in my personal life even if all the online trolls/bots really did disappear immediately after the election.

I’ve had the conversation enough times and it’s nearly always done in bad faith and delusion. I’ve had it so many times that I could practically write out their responses anyway, so I don’t really see it going anywhere. In any case, I’m sure I’ll have it IRL soon enough as I have enough associates of the tankie archetype. It’s weird how much of the Murc’s Law media and reactionary centrist tropes they have adopted, that’s for sure…if I didn’t experience this kind of thing IRL, I’m not sure I’d even be convinced that all of these online characters were not just a form of online agent provocateur. I believe that at least some of the online people legitimately hold their views.

The "peace president’.

More like the mad king.

I would so love to see Blondi in prison over this. Same with Pedonald, of course.

Reactionary centrists in the Murc’s Law media would say that wanting to see justice meted out for pedos and pedo-protecters means that someone has “Trump Derangement Syndrome”.

Congrats Jordan! Glad to hear this!

I remember talking to a relative of mine (he’s a redcap) and we were talking about the economy a few months into 2025.

He said something about how Pedonald was “fixing” the supposedly terrible Biden economy. I asked him what was so bad during the Biden economy…both he and I had steady jobs. He said something phrased in a kind of passive-aggressive way about how maybe the “wrong” people were doing well - implication being ME and other people present that were not redcaps were not doing poorly and that was a problem. I pointed out that I worked a steady job through his first term, too.

And I could tell that reminding him of this annoyed him. I think he expressed some kind of wish that maybe this term Pedonald would do better at harming people like me, at least economically if not something more directly nefarious. We were interrupted by other people (lots of people at this gathering) before I could ask more questions.

These people are truly warped. Sure, in my weaker moments, I express vitriol towards the redcaps and don’t always say the nicest things about them. But I really don’t want them and their spouses and their children to go without healthcare, shelter, food, a job with dignity, clean air and clean water, etc…I’ve seen lots of the redcaps really champion death and so on online, and definitely I’ve seen them talk about it abstractly IRL, too.

But to have a relative stand there and tell you that they want harm done to you and your family is another matter altogether.

For the dumb dumbs that voted for him but now think he’s moving in the wrong direction, just what they fuck did they think he was going to do?

He ran on carrying out vendettas against his personal enemies and doing incredibly stupid shit like culture wars, tariffs, and mass deportation.

Well, it would be rather humiliating for those with rather fragile egos and being pushed by Hollywood or the music industry or RW influencers that they are “famous” and then have shit for numbers.

I’m pretty sure it’s fairly easy to hire out botnets or things like Mechanical Turk to give you fake traffic/followers, etc…I would not be surprised at all to find that most celebrities have someone doing some kind of a SEO stuff for their “brand”.

I mean, she’s almost tailor-made to make them practically short out.

One, she’s obviously a smoke-show and we might as well acknowledge that fact. Add to that, she is obviously very smart and a great speaker, and not afraid to speak up. Being a woman and a POC compounds their feels. She’s also often aligned with the likes of Bernie on many issues.

Add all this up, and it’s no wonder most Republicans behave like confused middle-school boys and don’t know what to do with their conflicted feelings and end up saying/doing things that more or less boil down to the equivalent of pulling her hair and snapping her bra.

It usually comes out so incoherent and cringe - I seem to remember some winger(s) saying something about how she was a “hypocrite” for dating a white guy?

According to stupid right wing narratives and framing, being a centimillionaire or a billionaire is not elitist, but knowing stuff, having an education and qualifications and experience is “elitist”.

So, a scientist, still paying off student loans decades later (but when they talk about their subject matter, they make a winger feel talked down to) - elitist.

Scumbag parasitic idle rich jackass born with a silver spoon in their mouth, never worked a day in their lives, and accrued billions - NOT elitist.

Since the cons have so distorted the concept of elitist to mean only someone that’s educated, smart, etc., and has no money/power component to it, I’m kind of glad that people have started talking about the Epstein Class. Because when we talk about elitist jackasses, I have the feeling that we are talking about money/power and the base of the Republican Party think “poindexters that went to college”.

Agreed, and a whole lot of young idiots don’t seem to be falling into the fascist funnel.

I sure hope that Fourth Turning theory is wrong, but JFC, it sure looks like they may be onto something.

I’m absolutely terrified that Taco will completely crater this economy and that’s when things are bound to get very, very bad and very quickly.

LOL, “how”? “[B]ecome”?

Has The Atlantic met the Republican Party?