Magat Encounter

[gab13by13]

I do my taxes but I hear that the senior center will process them so I don't have to mail them, done by IRS people for free.

I go down and nice lady takes my papers and says one person is ahead of me. I say I can wait because there is a pool table with 3 people playing and I know 2 of them, haven't seen them in a long time. The 3rd guy starts bashing president Biden and when he's done I say I don't talk politics. It's OK for a while until a husband and wife walk by and they all start bashing presidents Obama and Biden and then they move on to bash blacks and other minorities, ugly jokes.

I knew what I was getting into because I live among them, but it dawned on me listening to their conversation. (I wasn't involved in it) I was playing pool.

These Magats only hate, and boy do they hate Democrats and especially Democratic politicians. Nothing they ever said was positive about Republicans, everything was filled with hatred and rage. I know where the term "blind rage" comes from.

These people are beyond hope are beyond help.

The person who was the worst, I didn't know. The one person I knew was an usher in church and the other one drives a van taking people to our cancer center, they are still racist bigots.

[DanieRains]

1. Republicans Are A Disease

Period.

[TheBlackAdder]

47. The more pious a person tries to be, by symbolism or word, the more of a hypocrite they are.

[RAB910]

2. they hate their fellow Americans. Never forget that important fact

[Blue Owl]

3. ...of the turd kind

[Ferrets are Cool]

4. They have been taught to hate libruls

by hate radio and faux news. And it is easy to teach them because it's what they want to learn.

[KS Toronado]

29. And they have been listening to the RW media BS

for 40+ years which has make them so indoctrinated to the fact that all Democrats are evil and should never be
trusted. Even when the truth is a fact that can't be disputed, they'll call it fake news because it doesn't fit in with
what they want to hear. Hopefully when the Jan 6th committee starts their televised hearings that might change.

[gab13by13]

5. The church usher and the van driver,

are mild mannered people, would do anything for me. It's like Dr, Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when they talk politics. It's like a switch goes off from nice to monster.

[Midnight Writer]

6. Republicans would close the senior center if they had their way.

And eliminate Medicare and privatize Social Security.

Yet they overwhelmingly win the senior vote.

[Joinfortmill]

18. Because people vote the Party their families voted, no thinking involved.

[fwvinson]

39. But, but abortion is so bad we can kill you just for thinking about it, even though you just got one

for your pregnant girlfriend. Anybody I have ever known that got an abortion are Republicans. I don't know of any Democrat that got one. It's a pretty expensive procedure.

[Dan]

7. No disrespect intended....but did you ever see the movie "Gentleman's Agreement"?

[LymphocyteLover]

11. what does that mean? Why would that be disrespect?

[gab13by13]

15. I didn't see the movie but

I am no Neville Chamberlain, I fought for the little people of my town. I served on every committee that took the most work. Served on the zoning committee and went to a seminar at Penn State to get me up to snuff, even had a nice disagreement at a council meeting with our solicitor. I wrote a flood plain ordinance for our town because people wanted to put a coal cleaning plant in our flood zone.

Back in the 70's we had a Democratic Rep and Republican Rep ride in the back seat of the same car for our 4th of July parade.

Look at what has happened, Republicans became GQP Magats.

[gldstwmn]

22. They have been brainwashed, radicalized, whatever you want to call it

by all the hate on Fox, the late Limbaugh and his ilk and more recently Facebook and other social media that is being drowned in propaganda by Russia. In short they've been played. It's sickening.

[demigoddess]

27. I used to listen to Limbaugh because I was fascinated how his brainwashing

technique worked. If I remember correctly, he used the Russian brainwashing technique. We studied brainwashing in high school and the various ways it worked. He definitely used brainwashing. His 'callers' weren't people who called in but paid actors who probably had a script to follow. Reminds me of how Trump works today.

[gldstwmn]

32. I never knew that about Limbaugh but then I could never listen to him at length.

That is fascinating and makes much sense. There's another thread on here today about Joe Rogan and I have to wonder where Spotify would get $200 million and who is really pulling his strings. Spotify was a thing like 15 years ago. I'm surprised that it's still popular.

[demigoddess]

45. I only listened because I was driving. Nothing else to listen to in those days.

after he finished it was just Limbaugh wannabees. Kept me awake and when I got home I could clean the house in less than an hour because I was so angry at him.

[gab13by13]

12. No I didn't see it,

I don't get upset very easily. I used to argue politics all of the time, but it's different today. There is no logic, no room for debate. I can only give them come backs, and a snide remark now and then. I stopped wasting my time talking politics with them.

Back in the 70's I got elected to borough council for 2 terms because I led the charge to stop people from stripping coal on our pristine watershed. I also got involved in trying to stop people from fracking for gas on our watershed, even made trips to the courthouse to try to find out who owned the gas rights. That's another whole big story that would cut into my bike riding time today.

Times are different today, someone released the Kraken and it will take a Medusa head to stop them.

[Dan]

25. Thanks for sharing... smile.

[LymphocyteLover]

49. maybe the legal system is our medusa but also maybe they are just going to descend into pure madness

and tear each other apart.

[gibraltar72]

8. I live hard by Midvale College in

southern lower Michigan. I am so familiar with their hate.

[LymphocyteLover]

9. there are a lot of people who've had messed up lives in one way or another, who take out their pain

as political hate.

[Duppers]

46. Nailed it exactly!!

Unless they're elite rich, blindly living their greed.

My brother's life was messed up by an untreated but somewhat mild speech impediment. My parents wouldn't have dreamed of spending the money for speech therapy or even addressing it themselves. My brother has forever lived with a chip on his shoulder and with a deeply seated sense of insecurity.

He's conveniently channeled all his anger and resentment toward Dems.

I think spending a few years driving a rig on the road listening to RW Hate radio hooked him. Now, it's FuxLies all the time. Sickening and sad.

[LymphocyteLover]

48. How sad and actually I can relate

as my son has a speech/voice problem that has caused him a ton of social anxiety and related mental health issues. He's not a right winger thank god though.

We have sought medical help but his issue is not medically addressable, and getting help for mental health issues is a huge mess.

[Duppers]

50. I'm so sorry.

Sending him cyber hugs.

[LymphocyteLover]

51. Thanks! It's been a rough 3 years since this came to a crisis point.

but hopefully we are on a better track now

[Initech]

10. There was some asshole outside Target yesterday selling "Let's Go Brandon" shit.

Thankfully the manager put the kibosh on that pretty quickly. Fuck these morons.

[bucolic_frolic]

13. Anger, hostility, hatred

over time causes stress, high blood pressure, and burst blood vessels.

So there is reason for hope.

[Aviation Pro]

14. The Villages?

….

[gab13by13]

17. I'm from central Pa.

where Republicans passed a law to end no excuse mail in ballots. The state SC better shoot it down because I sent in my application.

[Aviation Pro]

41. Ah, the Johnstown area.

It wasn't too long ago that John Murtha served that area.

[Joinfortmill]

16. Yup. I've known people for years and never knew what they really believed until Trump came along.

Disheartening as hell.

[gab13by13]

20. Yes, that's what I'm getting at.

These people had to be raised that way, it can't entirely be blamed on Fox News.

I play golf with a 90 year old guy who is a good golfer. he is Korean war vet, worked at the church, did meals on wheels, did military funerals and he is a flat out bigot, racist, misogynist. I told him we don't talk politics while golfing.

One day he asked me what is the day that will live in infamy, and I said Pearl Harbor Day. He said no 1920 when they gave women the right to vote.

[allegorical oracle]

30. Same here

Have been longtime friends with a couple and just learned they're fans of both DeSantis and TFG. They're college grads and successful -- with four homes -- worth a few million. They have great senses of humor and I've always enjoyed them. Then they began dissing Obama and Biden one day, and I about fell over. Asked them gently why they felt that way and it was all about taxes. Dems raise their taxes, Repugs give them tax breaks, they explained. Very disappointing.

[calimary]

40. Not only very disappointing, but VERY selfish.

[Aviation91]

19. I Often Wonder

Would these people accept a blood transfusion from a Democrat if their life depended on it?

[gab13by13]

21. Not a silly question, sadly.

[Demobrat]

38. These are the people who

won’t take the vaccine but sure as hell will show up at the hospital and beg the doctors and nurses to save their lives when they get the disease.

[groundloop]

23. Hatred is an easy sell. Love, goodwill, mutual understanding .... not so much.

[ificandream]

24. You can thank Fawks for that

I know several Hamnity fans and everything with them is anti-Democrat and conspiracy theories. Nothing the Orange Disease does is wrong.

[Emile]

26. They truly are a cult!

[Traildogbob]

28. HAD to do a quick

WalMart visit. Not a lotta choice here. In and out. The Cashier, looked to be near senior, living week to week probably and would be spit on by wealthy folk, was sorting a fake diamond incrusted “I Love Trump” large pin on her chest. Red white and blue of course. Cult stupidity. If we lose in 22 and 24, she will work until she dies when her cult leaders end SS and Medicare. But, she loves him. Bless her heart.

[Fla Dem]

31. They lead a sad life if the only thing they can talk about socially is how much they hate Democrats

and other hate filled conversations.

[sarcasmo]

33. Hate is what these bastards feed off of.

[Warpy]

34. Frederick Doublass said religious slave owners were the worst of a bad lot

and it seems like nothing much has changed there.

That being said, ugly is as ugly does. Case in point: my own father. What came out of his mouth could be horrific. I never saw it reflected in the way he treated other people. He was a gent.

I hope he has company out there, people who talk trash to impress their buddies but don't act on it. It's what keeps me able to get up in the morning.

[GoneOffShore]

35. Here's my take:

The big problem is that the cultists and followers like those folks just don't get it.
They have shown that all the things they’ve supported by going with the loser don't balance the scales towards morality, justice, compassion, and logic. And it doesn't matter that they’ll still be loving their families, rescuing dogs, helping strangers, going to church, donating to charities: It really makes no difference. They made a devil's wager and lost.

[Faygo Kid]

36. Done in by Limbaugh and Fox News, et al

They have been taught well in the art of uncritical hatred. I know; I'm 71 and living in an independent living center in (sigh) Florida, because I'm handicapped. But it's very nice, and I'm happy here, and most of the people are very nice. Got into it once with this big guy who thought the Vietnam War was just peachy. Needless to say, DUers would have been proud of how I took him down!

[NQAS]

37. That's all they got

Hate.

Contempt.

Misogyny.

Racism.

Homophobia.

Islamophobia.

Anti-semitism.

Hate. (Did I mention that?)


They have nothing positive in their lives. They have no empathy. They don't care about anyone except those like them. And they don't simply hate "the other," they want "the other" dead. There is no such thing to them as the "common good," because that means "the other" is treated the same as them, and they can't tolerate that.

It has always been thus. But somehow, to me, it seems that we as a nation are at a crossroads, maybe even a breaking point. Previously people like this were dismissed as bigots (see: Archie Bunker, 1971), and we all hoped/expected that the next generation would grow out of it. No longer.

[calimary]

42. Forgive me for asking, but reading this just now,

Every word was screaming for some sort of pushback.

Seems to me a lot of these folks who say this stuff in public probably do so because they can stand on their pretend “soap box in the town square” and orate out loud and vent their stuff in front of everybody. AND, they know the best part is - nobody says anything. Nobody steps up to set the record straight. Nobody offers a correction or fact check. Nobody complains.

Seems to me NOT saying anything only reinforces it. Offers passive and therefore very subtle reinforcement. They may not even know they’re doing it. They just feel entitled to do it - and can understandably conclude that since nobody said anything or took issue with it, then it must be okay. It must be no big deal. That must mean everybody’s fine with it or isn’t bothered by it or agrees with it. And how nice! Look at me stepping forward and and being all bold ‘n’ ballsy and articulating what everybody else thinks! I’m not just in with the “in crowd”! I’m a leader! It proves I’m right! Besides, nobody said anything…

Seems to me this is how it works. And as our side sits back and plays nice and low-key (oh we’re the adults in the room), the loud, assertive, wanna-be dominating voices crowd up the stage and the public discourse, and carry the day - and we lose a little more ground.

I want loud Democrats.

I want in-yer-face-armed-with-the-truth Democrats.

I want camera-hogging and mic-monopolizing Democrats.

I want Democrats who sometimes interrupt and stop some lying GOPer who’s running on with the usual lies.

I want Democrats fanning out across the landscape, n TV, cable, radio, print, personal appearances and speech-making. And NOT being shrinking violets about it.

I want Democrats who are clever and quotable, because that gets attention and print and reaction and generates talk and commentary, and copycats. If it’s clever enough that one out of every two people picks up on it and shares it and feels like they’re smarter for having done so (or wishes they’d thought it up first).

The more OUR messaging is pushed out there, the better for everybody, and the stronger our appeal will be.

[calimary]

43. Oy - please forgive the rant.

Sorry about that. This really pulled the ol’ trigger.

[Hortensis]

44. I'm wondering if they might have known you were a Democrat,

or at least not one of them. You did decline to talk politics. If so, it seems likely this was all for you. Studies of hard-core authoritarian types attrated to tRump have noted a strong inclination for not just attacking but attacking in packs.