“…people resent being told they’re selfish greedy bastards who care only about material self-interest.
Progressives always ask why working-class people tend to vote Republican even though it’s so obviously economically disadvantageous. I think the reason is that the Democrats aren’t much better, but the Republicans at least tell them that they’re noble. They are good people willing to undergo austerity for the good of their grandchildren. They are patriots. They are people of faith.
The Democrats say “well, we think you’re basically in it for yourselves, everyone is. So are we. So we don’t have to give you very much, we’ll keep most of the goodies for the professional elites and Wall Street types who fund us — but you should go along anyway because a little is better than nothing.”
I think right-wing populists hate the “liberal elite” more than economic elites because they’ve grabbed all the jobs where you get paid to do something that isn’t just for the money — the pursuit of art, or truth, or charity — and all they can do if they want to do something bigger than themselves and still get paid is join the army.”
Why they vote Republican
Original article tl;dr especially after “because they’ve [the liberal elite] grabbed all the jobs where you get paid to do something that isn’t just for the money.” I mean WTF? It took me 35 years to work into a job that I like let alone is “the pursuit of art, or truth, or charity.” But the right absolutely wets themselves over the self-indulgent prick whose only accomplishment was too be born wealthy, who was given a few million to start out in life (or married into wealth). I think the last few decades have shown that the Reich wing doesn’t give a shit about art, or truth, or charity. Their only aspiration is to see someone, anyone who’s not them suffer and die, even if it means they have to suffer and die too. To the right, art is a velvet Elvis painting, the truth is some shit they made up 30 seconds ago and charity is evil weakness.