re: #50 Fozzie Bear

There’s still enough residual respect for “expertise” in American culture, even on the hard right, that they need to create their own intellectual-esque types from within. They just need to be ones that stay “on message” rather than ones that actually come to their own conclusions, in order to remain in good stead with the party line.

A few years ago, Coulter wouldn’t have been caught dead falling in with young earth creationists. But, recently, she has fallen in line, because if she alienates the ingroup, she loses her meal ticket.

Fascism generally initially relies on economic incentives, and then later pivots to the threat of force. The further divorced from reality the wingnut base drifts (propelled by propaganda), the more narrow and focused the message becomes. The tipping point we all have to worry about is when there is no longer any overlap with the general culture. Then the demonization can really proceed apace, because we will have fully become “The Other”, rather than just misguided or deluded in their eyes.

Yeah, it’s been going that way for a while. The dehumanization of everyone but themselves, along with the demand to be regarded as more than our equals.

They can only get away with that amongst themselves or ganging up a la “we surround them”/#iamthemob. I’d like to see any of them go to the barrio, the rez, the hood, even the gay ghetto, etc. and pull that we-surround-them vigilante crud like they used to.