A deep dive into the psychology of projection, authoritarian loyalty, and why not all extremes are created equal.

The Comfort of False Equivalence
There’s a seductive kind of cowardice masquerading as wisdom in modern discourse: the insistence that all extremes are created equal. It’s what allows the centrist to shrug and say, “Well, both sides are dangerous,” as though morality and method exist on a balanced scale, and history is simply a record of shared mistakes. For MAGA, this rhetorical laziness isn’t just useful. It’s strategic.

  • thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.orgOP
    69·
    3 days ago

    This bit stands out to me pretty strongly

    This helps explain why MAGA so often feels impervious to evidence. Logic isn’t the foundation of the worldview, identity is. And any fact that threatens that identity is rejected, not because it’s untrue, but because it’s unwelcome. The very structure of MAGA thinking is built to preserve the self, not challenge it.

    • jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
      18·
      2 days ago

      I’ve been saying similarly for ages. We’re all emotional to some degree, but the right wing often turns it up to 11. Facts don’t matter. In-group belonging matters.

      I don’t know a better word for it than “Stupid”, but it is deeply what I’d call stupid. Doesn’t care about facts, consistency, outcomes. Just feeling good about being a member of the group.

      The oatmeal did a comic about this: https://theoatmeal.com/comics/believe