Why Aren’t American Right-Wingers and Islamic Hardliners BFFs?

[TexasTowelie]

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Illustration by Shelby Hohl

Donald Trump has ridden a lot of different ponies on his way to the Republican nomination for president at the convention in Philadelphia. He’s got his wall, his jingo lingo, and his appeal to a fictional past time when America was supposedly greater than it is now.

The one that’s gotten him perhaps the furthest, though, is his continued insistence that banning foreign Muslims from entering the United States is the best way to deal with a possible terrorist attack. A lot of folks thought that maybe this hyperbolic bit of bigotry was just far-right primary shenanigans, but since the shooting at the Pulse night club (by a Muslim who was actually born here, but whatevs), he’s only doubled down on the idea. Possibly because Trump knows the prevailing political wisdom is that fear of attack is about the only thing that will let him beat Clinton.

The thing is, right-wingers eat this stuff up like mac-and-cheese. At least one poll showed that Trump voters dislike Muslims to the tune of 67 percent. My question is, why? Why does Trump and his collection of methed-up malcontents hate the idea of violent Fundamentalist Muslims coming to America? They make such good allies for each other.

American right-wingers love them some gun ownership, and so do hardline Muslim countries. Of the six countries following after with the most guns per capita, half of them (Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iraq) are Muslim majority that tend towards far-right political values.

Read more: http://www.freepresshouston.com/why-arent-american-right-wingers-and-islamic-hardliners-bffs/

[Warren DeMontague]

1. because they have a different name for the puritannical being in the sky who hates gay people

[Glamrock]

2. They haven't watched enough after school specials?

[pampango]

3. Religious 'exceptionalism' ("Ain't my religion great!") means you look down on other religions even

when their followers largely agree with you on most important issues.

Bush and Ahmadinejad each used the other as an example of the 'Devil' on the other side who was out to get us 'followers of the true religion'. (US vs THEM is not a new tactic.) While they were the opposite of BFF's in one sense, they each were important to the success of the other.

[socialist_n_TN]

4. Because they both need an enemy to rally the faithful............

nm

[Wounded Bear]

5. This ^ ^ ^

They love to hate each other. In fact, if one side went away, the other side would struggle to find a reason for existence.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

6. While the rest of us suffer.....

[Wounded Bear]

7. Yep, and the worst part...

is that in their fevered brains, we (meaning the sane folks) are supposed to take sides in the fight.

I refuse to.

[Exilednight]

8. it has nothing to do with religion. it's about control.