Example: That racist grandpa that you love but is still embarrassing to be in public with? He's never going to change. But you still do things with him because he's not REALLY hurting anyone. Just the occasional slur that comes out of his mouth.
Hey, I've got one o' those! Actually doesn't slur that much in public though, and technically a grand-uncle, but hey.
On social media though, he's a nightmare... Posts links and comments on every right-wing cockamamie story and goes rabble-rousing around every topic. My dad actually confronted him a bit about some of the things he was sharing, which included several bold-faced lies and complete fabrications...
His response? "I know they're fake, but I like sharing them anyways. It's the thought that matters."
My dad tends to complain about that, but personally my experience has been that some people just distrust everyone not dispensing a certain type of story. I spent a good two hours on discord having to beat into Sprin and BFEL's heads that the Scientific Method wasn't liberally biased.
It's becoming impossible for the opposing sides to argue because increasingly there are no mutually agreed upon neutral and unbiased arbitrates. With nobody universally trusted to distinguish fact from fiction, fiction is becoming some people's reality. If someone doesn't believe in the scientists studying the matter, how can the two of you possibly have a debate that will turn up more than just another rage-filled shouting match at a brick wall?
The problem is that proper science is buried in a sea of paid for biased studies meant to sway one way or another. Even the peer review system is completely broken and it's perfectly possible to get flawed, broken and sometimes completely wrong studies printed in a journal. When things are set up this way it's easy to come to the conclusion that science, as it is presented to the layman, is biased.
His response? "I know they're fake, but I like sharing them anyways. It's the thought that matters."
This feeling seems to have been a very common theme over the last few years, particularly when people explain their support for Trump despite the laundry lists of things that would ordinarily cause objections. I think many of Trump's supporters are genuinely misunderstood (*chorus of tiny violins*) and it goes without saying that a big part of what Trump's been tapping into is a general mistrust in mainstream politics and media (which isn't necessarily unjustified). I don't think this immunity from the truth is something that is at all particular to Trump's personal qualities, but really could've been exploited by anyone who had recognized it. That some greasy cheesepuff stumbled upon this post-truth vortex just by being a habitual liar is actually somewhat fortunate, as things could've been much worse if anyone else with some competence had really realized the extent of that opportunity.
The older Trump supporters I know are just the "Vote republican, or don't vote, because there is no other choice." They're not going to change their vote. Yelling at them is only going to make them even more stubborn. The younger ones I know are the ones who are tired of the recent hard stances the left wing has taken. Many of them formerly identified as left, but got driven out by the messaging that's been adopted.
The left has made itself very easy to hate and then when someone turns against them they're attacked and driven out toward the wings, into the arms of the nutjobs. You're not going to browbeat a right winger over to your side, and you're driving off the people you might have had a chance with. These are the misunderstoods.
Now, I certainly have no love for today's left wing. But I voted Bernie, I voted Obama, twice. I tend to vote dem downticket, I voted straight dem this time, for the first time. I still consider myself moderate left. But I don't feel like I have any allies in the party. I don't feel like I have any allies in the politically active.
Maybe I'm the opposite of that old republican. Maybe I'm the "Either vote left or don't vote." I won't vote for Trump, but otherwise I'm not sure where my vote's going in 2 years. I'm certainly not happy with any of the choices at the moment. My vote this year was mostly a hope that gridlock would be instated. A faint hope of some sort of beneficial compromise to happen as a result, maybe seeping in there, but mostly just gridlock.
But I digress...
Also casual racism is arguably the worst. Remember: evil isn't enabled and carried out by villainous people. It's enabled by those for whom caring is too much of an inconvenience, and enacted by people who are just going with the flow. Both types who will be horribly offended if you ever call them racist. That demographic vastly outnumbers those with actively racist motive, and racists wouldn't be able to operate without their implicit consent and structural cooperation.
And that is exactly the sort of holier than thou, preachy attitude that will get you more active racists.
Ok... Once more, with feeling! Democratic victory in Arizona! AP has called Arizona for Sinema, the first woman to represent Arizona and the first Democrat since 1988.
Senate is now 51-47.
Yay... :|