I've had it up to here with my brother and his belief in MAGA conspiracies

[TexasTowelie]

It took less than 12 hours after the first Chinese balloon was spotted for my brother to spout the bullshit along with the Biden has failed to protect us.

Now he is predicting that the US will either be at war in Ukraine or Taiwan and we will have to draft soldiers to send in ground troops. He said he would be delighted to see young woke liberals get killed in action.

My brother was in Iraq in the Persian Gulf War. Somehow he fell for the authoritarian cult. However, at this point the statements (including threats against elected officials) he is making are un-American. Don't worry, if I see him take any actual steps to make it happen then I would contact authorities.

Unfortunately my circumstances are such that I can't move away from him so the only thing I can do is go under the headphones in my bedroom to get away from the yelling and Fox News. However, it is getting to the point that I feel like I'm a prisoner in the apartment.

Any suggestions for how to handle this other than saying a serenity prayer?

[brewens]

1. These are the same people that thought the half-wit Barbara Bush crapped out kept us safe.

[Cha]

2. Ohh I'm so sorry, TexasT!

It's a living Nightmare.. and I wish I did have some good advice on how you could escape!

[gratuitous]

3. Have him put his money where his mouth is

He's saying the U.S. will be at war in Ukraine or Taiwan. Okay, when? Name a date, Brother Dearest. The U.S. will be at war in Ukraine or Taiwan by when? May 1? June 1? Let's make it interesting. Write it down, sign it, and I'll put an Andy Jackson on it. You're so sure you're right, here's a chance to make an easy $20.

Start monetizing his irritating nonsense. You can make some book, and maybe, just maybe, he'll start to snap out of it.

[TexasTowelie]

7. I've actually attempted that in the last few months

including the red tsunami that was supposed to occur in the mid-terms. He refused to make the bet, but kept spouting off.

Even if I win a bet with him he would back out of it anyway. He is foolish enough to believe that trials, court verdicts and judicial orders such as the sanctions that were levied against Trump et al are "fake news" because he drank a water tower full of GOPee Kool-Aid.

[gratuitous]

15. That's why I suggested he write it down

That way he can't later say he didn't mean it that way. "Well, you wrote it that way." When he doesn't pay up (and I suppose I wouldn't expect him to), hold onto the bet slip and pull it out when he starts in again. "Remember when you said the U.S. would be at war by May 1? You're just as right now."

[TexasTowelie]

18. I've already countered with the number of dates when my brother insisted TFG would be reinstated.

It doesn't matter how many times he is wrong or what the actual facts are, his mouth is incapable of producing anything except MAGA diarrhea.

[mcar]

4. I'm sorry you're having to deal with this

Since you can't move, it's a difficult situation. Can you change the subject? Or just not respond to his lunacy?

I live in a ruby red FL county so I understand their entitlement. They think everyone agrees with them and that they are fully allowed to express their "opinions."

Of course, living with it is totally another thing.

[SheltieLover]

5. So sorry to hear this, TT!

I have no idea how to advise you, other than to commend you for withdrawing & using your headphones.

Yale is offering their very popular Science of Well Being course free. It's very good stuff!

https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being?utm_source=gg&utm_medium=sem&utm_campaign=09-ScienceofWellBeing-US&utm_content=B2C&campaignid=9728548210&adgroupid=119657127259&device=m&keyword=&matchtype=&network=g&devicemodel=&adpostion=&creativeid=506816645212&hide_mobile_promo&gclid=Cj0KCQiAorKfBhC0ARIsAHDzslsqjXVO9xO324I2pAUAJHFGhSBb15-28TFLsw13n7sf5x4jajVTCc8aArn5EALw_wcB

Meditating (mindfully) is simply a matter of sitting quietly, naming whatever comes to mind or invades your senses, & allowing it to float away in a thought bubble, not being attached to outcome. Allow the thought bubbles to drift to their own destiny. 😉

Sending calming vibes your way. 💓💓💓

[blm]

6. Can you straight out tell hm how he is making you feel?

[TexasTowelie]

10. He doesn't care because he is anti-social.

He is a respiratory therapist and he gets along with his patients okay. However, if you knew the comments that he makes about the patients and colleagues behind their backs you would think that he is in the wrong field of work. The unfortunate thing is that the other RTs that he works with (2 women) believe the same GOP bullshit so almost every day they are on the phone complaining about Biden instead of actually getting any work done.

[SheltieLover]

8. Screenshot all of your hearts & look at it when you get bummed out

That will be a great reminder of how appreciated you are here in the DU community!

[Pobeka]

9. One thing that has worked for me in the past.

Last edited Thu Feb 16, 2023, 10:26 AM - Edit history (1)

"You are smarter than this, we both you know you can do better".

Sometimes that's the phrase that brings them around, and they either moderate their vocalizations or actually get ashamed and start thinking again.

Regardless, I hope it gets better for you.

[NJCher]

23. Oooh, that's good.

I bet that might work.

Especially, TT, if you are able to point out that he is displacing anger. In other words, not facing up to what he’s really angry about and blaming it on Biden. I strongly suspect this is the case in most of these constant outrages over Biden.

[mac56]

11. A response that has worked for me

(Brother spouts off)

You: What did you just say?!

(Brother repeats himself)

You: No, I heard you the first time. I just can't believe you'd actually say that out loud

[DFW]

12. Not being able to move sucks!!

My brother still lives in the USA, in northern Virginia, but we get along fine. He once interned for John Conyers, D-Michigan. One of his sons interned for Matt Angle of the Lone Star Project, and is now stationed in Kyiv. To say our political views are pretty much identical would almost be an understatement.

[NBachers]

13. I've been trying this out recently to help wrap myself in a cocoon of angelic love:

I don’t know if you can, or can’t, believe that you can surround yourself with your angels, who can embrace you with love and protection. This is something that I visualize, because I find it comforting and effective.

You can also go with the secular belief that you are mainlining musical Thorazine into your system to help smooth out the rough edges. Whatever works for whoever.

I own a Sony neck band speaker that I can wear around my neck and feed this kind of music into my body during breaks and lunch throughout my extremely stress- filled day, solving others’ crises at work. This helps to tamp me down.

Your headphones can do the same. You can adjust the volume lower, if you find that effective, and still read, or cruise DU, or whatever you’d like to do. It just feeds vibes into me that help keep me calm and adjusted. You can find similar YouTube Music if this isn’t quite to your fancy. State what your intentions are, and participate in making it happen.

This is just music that is soft and helps me feel surrounded and cared for. I’m not here to engage in a discussion of imaginary magical beings or church atrocities.
https://music.

&feature=share

[NJCher]

25. Lovely

That could work!

[Phoenix61]

14. Emotional divorce him. It's a drastic step but effective.

If you don’t have an expectation of a relationship with him you’ll find what he says much less annoying. If he pushes for a comment, “hmmm, that’s interesting.”

[TexasTowelie]

17. Unfortunately there is a lot of forced interaction between us.

I do most of clerical, administrative, and tech work for my brother's job. He doesn't even know how to navigate through a Web page to complete his training courses.

I'm also his loan officer. I had to put money on my pre-paid debit card to pay for the training courses because he refuses to get a card from his bank because he screwed up several years ago and put a card the wrong way into an ATM and the card got stuck. He even has to borrow money from me because he gets stuck without cash on the weekends or he forgets about a bank holiday. If the situation were reversed I would be embarrassed to rely on someone who is on disability and receives less than 15% of my earned income.

[Kaleva]

29. You may be an enabler

You do the heavy lifting while he gets a free ride?

Do you live in his apartment or does he live in yours?

If you are living in his apartment, then you'll just have to accept the situation.

[GenThePerservering]

16. Start trolling him

Out-MAGA him, get more and more outrageous to the point where he just shuts down - it won't matter if its nonsense because q-bots and magats spout nothing else. It might also blow off some steam for you.

If he starts yammering at at home, try dancing to his rant, clap your hands, stomp your feet and yell GO BAYBEEEE! Mock him.

He'll shut up sooner or later.

Anyway, as Beau says, "Just a thought".

We had to throw two people out of our close knit family because they turned into unholy Magats - and started stealing from the family company without any remorse. By their actions ye shall know them.

ETA: I also like the upthread comment of "That's interesting" or "Uh huh" or "Sure, Jan" and don't engage at all.

Just throwing some ideas out - don't bother arguing or trying to convince him or telling him he knows better - he may not. Magas are frightened people and need an authoritarian's apron strings to cling to.

[czarjak]

19. GTF O-U-T, NOW.

[C Moon]

20. Yes.

[C Moon]

21. I think he needs to get some help if he's threatening elected officials.

I know it's difficult, but try to convince to talk to a professional.

[TexasTowelie]

24. I've suggested that he gets psychological help

and he talks with someone at the VA when he bothers to visit. He is resistant to any type of help and he doesn't follow his current medication regimen which does include an anti-depressant. His attitude is that everyone else needs to put with his self-centered bullshit and hypocrisy while he criticizes everyone for trivial reasons.

[C Moon]

31. That's great that he got some help, though.

[Warpy]

22. Headsets are good. Noise canceling headsets are better

Seriously, your living situation sounds like it might be getting dangerous. He's probably got raging PTSD and doesn't know what to do with it but pour it into his Pox News addiction and free floating hatred of people he's never met and is probably too pigheaded to get some help at the VA.

It might be time to contact county services. A new situation might be worse than the one you're in but it will be safer. At some point, he's probably going to hurt somebody. It probably won't be you, but you won't want to be there when the cops show up.

(I might ask him how many young woke liberals were in his unit in Iraq, but that's probably a bad idea)

[Hermit-The-Prog]

26. tv-b-gone

https://www.tvbgone.com/
https://www.amazon.com/TV-B-Gone-Universal-TV-Control-Keychain/dp/B0006GD9CE

I have one and it does turn 'em off.

[Tickle]

27. I have to deal with a brother in Florida

And some days are difficult

[ratchiweenie]

28. I have a niece who is raving mad. She goes on and on and won't shut up. I finally recorded her

every time she came over and would get on one of her rants to one of us. I gave her the recording to listen to. My computer is in a part of the living room and when she get on her high horse she's pretty loud so it wasn't hard. Got lots of good stuff. I didn't ask her to sit down and listen to it but of course, she is totally self absorbed so I knew she would listen to it. Funny, that was a couple of months ago and she has said very little but she mentioned she didn't realized she sounded like that (more in the vein of didn't recognize her voice sort of thing) but is not raving nearly as much when she comes over.

She also isn't talking to me very much but of course, since everyone in the family knows I recorded her she isn't being outright hostile either. I could always give everyone else the recording too but I won't.

[womanofthehills]

30. You might need to practice being non reactive

You know who he is and how he behaves, so just refuse to argue with him. If he’s being a jerk, don’t get pulled in - change the subject and ask if you can make him some coffee or something.