I have 5 siblings, all in Texas. All are upper-middle class, college educated (SMU, TCU, and 2 Princetons). One church-goer, 3 Evangelical Christians, all involved in their communities -- the arts, charities, civic organizations. They and their spouses voted for Trump twice and they would vote for him again.
This is one of the most personally distressing realities to emerge from this time. I used to teach college courses in Latin American culture, and the realization that 4 out of 5 siblings would very probably have supported, however reluctantly, Pinochet or the Junta has genuinely shaken me.
The 2016 election shook me to my core. And it has been downhill ever since. Not something I expected, despite Sinclair Lewis. I thought the majority of Americans were rational. But the hatreds lurked very near the surface and it took nothing to release them from the behaviors expected in a "civilized society."
This comment really speaks to me. My uber-Catholic, educated mom is die hard Trumper. I lived in Nicaragua. Would she have thrown her lot in with Somoza regime to maintain her social standing? Would she have fought as a Sandinista if she thought it would mean a payout? Would she have joined the contras? I don't know. After this I feel like she could rationalize anything.
Yes truly, and one of my sisters is way into QAnon and has taken to calling me a socialist pedo. Needless to say I haven't spoken to her in a few years. I can't believe how easily people have been led astray. But when you are siloed into a diet of misinformation, just like in Putin's Russia, you can be led to believe really outrageous things. Psychology says that by the time even a blatant falsehood has been repeated 2-3 times you will inadvertently start to believe it...by 7-10 times, you are convinced that the lie is true.
Sorry about your sister. I'm thankful that I'm on good terms with my siblings, at least as far as I know, but it's mainly because we simply Don't Go There anymore. In my own heart and mind, these relationships have become very circumscribed and cautious.
It's sad and it's extremely distressing for the future of our country. If you ever find a way to break through all of it, please share with others, because I know of no one who has been able to yet, myself included.
I rather wish we here in Bulwark comments could sit in a room in a circle and have these conversations. We'd make an interesting "focus group" for sure.
I have 5 siblings, all in Texas. All are upper-middle class, college educated (SMU, TCU, and 2 Princetons). One church-goer, 3 Evangelical Christians, all involved in their communities -- the arts, charities, civic organizations. They and their spouses voted for Trump twice and they would vote for him again.
This is one of the most personally distressing realities to emerge from this time. I used to teach college courses in Latin American culture, and the realization that 4 out of 5 siblings would very probably have supported, however reluctantly, Pinochet or the Junta has genuinely shaken me.
The 2016 election shook me to my core. And it has been downhill ever since. Not something I expected, despite Sinclair Lewis. I thought the majority of Americans were rational. But the hatreds lurked very near the surface and it took nothing to release them from the behaviors expected in a "civilized society."
This comment really speaks to me. My uber-Catholic, educated mom is die hard Trumper. I lived in Nicaragua. Would she have thrown her lot in with Somoza regime to maintain her social standing? Would she have fought as a Sandinista if she thought it would mean a payout? Would she have joined the contras? I don't know. After this I feel like she could rationalize anything.
Exactly! You thought there were principles, you thought there was reason and common sense. And now you don't know what's up for grabs.
Yes truly, and one of my sisters is way into QAnon and has taken to calling me a socialist pedo. Needless to say I haven't spoken to her in a few years. I can't believe how easily people have been led astray. But when you are siloed into a diet of misinformation, just like in Putin's Russia, you can be led to believe really outrageous things. Psychology says that by the time even a blatant falsehood has been repeated 2-3 times you will inadvertently start to believe it...by 7-10 times, you are convinced that the lie is true.
Sorry about your sister. I'm thankful that I'm on good terms with my siblings, at least as far as I know, but it's mainly because we simply Don't Go There anymore. In my own heart and mind, these relationships have become very circumscribed and cautious.
It's sad and it's extremely distressing for the future of our country. If you ever find a way to break through all of it, please share with others, because I know of no one who has been able to yet, myself included.
I rather wish we here in Bulwark comments could sit in a room in a circle and have these conversations. We'd make an interesting "focus group" for sure.