You know what's weird? I first read that sentiment in a book written by a Republican.

They know what they're doing, and it probably scares them how easily people eat up their lies. Like they just built a rocket that worked so well it hip warp 2 by accident.

We are primed as a populace to be so stupid we can't survive without a constant stream of comforting lies, otherwise we self harm ourselves into oblivion. The GOP is watching their base commit mass suicide and the DNC has voraciously adopted their playbook.

It's fucking awesome watching a narcissistic society put the gun in its mouth without ever checking to see if it's loaded. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. The constant heartbeat of America.

Ha, I just realized you can call that "Russian Roulette Revolution."

It's shocking how easy is is to lie to large numbers of people, and how effective.

People gonna believe what they want to believe. If they want to believe there are space aliens living at the North Pole and you tell them they found evidence of space aliens living at the North Pole they will accept that as fact. No actual evidence needed.

I don’t want to believe ignorance is an intrinsic human trait. There must be good counter examples to American stupidity

The lies that cult conservatives are being fed aren't comforting. They are based on hate and fear, and paranoid conspiracy theories.

>>>The GOP is watching their base commit mass suicide and the DNC has voraciously adopted their playbook.

What?

Hate, fear, and paranoia comfort them. Same with us. No need to New Coke the classic formula.

I was referencing the middle aged Southern suicide epidemic that got worldwide attention for being above and beyond the statistics of human suicide.

No, the lies being fed to the GOP base aren't comforting. Not at all. They're terrifying. But that's the trick. The GOP goes on to say that only the GOP can save the base from the scary stuff.

This, it is no coincidence, is how cults work.

"This, it is no coincidence, is how cults work."

Yeah man, sounds familiar somehow.

Yeah, THEIR lies don't comfort US, they're not supposed to. They comfort THEM. The lies stand in as a substitute for understanding, which is where sane people normally find a relief from fear, by getting an idea of what is really happening. The lies tell them "we get it, this is why they are evil, it's really scary and you're right to be afraid, but we can make you safe." Like beta said, they are told they can be saved from these things by understanding them, but the understanding they are given is lies to keep them from the truth.

Like our lies comfort us through our own bullshit narrative and horrify them by being different lies.

Meanwhile, we all cling to our fear, eat our lies, spread our false understandings, and pay the oligarchy a premium for all of it.

Anyone with any actual understanding is rebranded as the other side and destroyed.

The only good thing is it's not sustainable, and the fearful malunderstandings kill the host through political disenfranchisement and social alienation. It is self-cleaning monetized subsentience.