Why are Republicans such dicks?

[Cyrano]

Really. Think about it. Why would one of the two dominant political parties in America want to screw most Americans? Why would they want to deprive millions of people of health care? Why do they want to suppress the rights of women? Why have they always favored the “rights” of corporations over the rights of individual human beings? And, most importantly, how do they get away with it?

The answer to the last question explains the answers to the other questions. They get away with it by appealing to people’s biases, misconceptions, ignorance, and outright bigotry and hatred of “The Other”.

Without the ability to steer the attention of vast numbers of people toward fear and hatred, the Republican Party would not, could not exist.

The saddest, most pathetic thing about the Republican Party, is that so many of them actually believe the deadly propaganda they’re selling. They really do hate blacks, Muslims, Hispanics, Asians, Jews, and every other “THEM” you can think of.

But it goes far beyond that. There are millions of poor, white, Christians in America who are being used by the Republican Party. Unfortunately, those being used don't understand that the Republicans in power really don't give a rat’s ass about them. And that should tell you something about the sick Republican world view.

Republicans in power see themselves as “The Elite.” What does that mean? It means “Hurray for me. Fuck everybody else.” I really can’t find any other way to interpret the way in which they use their power, or their total dickishness.

[HughBeaumont]

1. It's not enough that THEY succeed, but

[FiveGoodMen]

62. That seems to be just exactly the case

I goes beyond greed. It's sadism. It's hatred for its own sake.

It has completely changed my mind about the human race.

[TeamPooka]

2. They are owned by the rich and do their bidding. nt

[Cyrano]

3. and become rich in the process

My guess is that virtually everyone in the House and Senate are millionaires, or close to it.

[Sculpin Beauregard]

7. It's not the same Republican Party of 30 years ago.

The entire party has been pulled to the extreme right by Koch brothers secret funding starting really in the 80s.

Read Dark Money by Jane Mayer. Excellent, eye opening book. And scary.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Bill Maher explains this nicely:

Were voters in 2016 asking that we poison eagles? Does it get anyone a job? Does it save money? Does it do anything conservatism is supposed to be about? No. It's just about some warped idea that the way to show strength is to be a dick. And that, in a nutshell, is what Republicanism has become.

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/videos/a54389/bill-maher-republicans/

[HughBeaumont]

12. "All they had to do was NOTHING . . . . THEIR SPECIALTY."

That "New Rule" is one of his best, if only America would listen and learn . . . .

[ladjf]

5. They are suffering from a mass psychiatric disorder. nt

[flamingdem]

6. Also it's cultural, somehow our culture has evolved to value the "strong"

and to hate the "meek". Other cultures appreciate humility, in ours it's considered a weakness.

[ProfessorPlum]

14. that's fundamentalism/fascism coming through

The idea that the strong should protect the weaker is thought to project weakness. When it is really strength.

[stopbush]

8. It's made easier by the fact that many Americans have an aversion to

intellectualism. They fear someone smarter pullling the wool over their eyes. So, they naturally migrate to politicians who rail against all things that require learning and expertise. It serves a twofold purpose. First, it creates a scapegoat of the educated class, and second, it excuses the lack of expertise on the part of the rube. Indeed, by marrying this formula with Christianity, they make a virtue out of being a stupid idiot. Why learn about the world when all you need know is that Jeebus loves you, and that all them scientists and pencil-necked college professors are headed to hell?

[Cyrano]

18. Yes. "Jeebus loves you,"

and "all of them professors are headed to hell" explains how people with little formal education are controlled and used by the Republican Party.

Many Republican "true believers" are people who are buying into a sick ideology which justifies their hatreds. But many are living through really hard times and are willing to buy into the simplistic garbage presented to them. The Republicans are victimizing many who are living in desperation.

Ever since FDR, we Democrats have been on the right side of history. And right now, the right side of history means rebuilding our rotting infrastructure. Roads, bridges, tunnels and so much more that was built long ago, are in need of repair and maintenance. Funding this will create millions of jobs and help bring us into the 21st Century.

And "Jeebus" doesn't have a whole lot to do with any of it.

[stopbush]

26. Has mankind ever devised a more perfect scam than Xianity?

You enslave people's minds in their infancy with promises of heaven and threats of hell. You then fleece them out of 10% of their income to "do god's work on Earth." You sell them a "product" that they won't see until they're dead, and once they're dead, they have no consciousness of the fact that they were conned for their entire lives. No customer complaints, ever! Plus, there's a good chance you'll have repeat customers in the form of their offspring!

And the majority of Americans still buy into this make believe bullshit.

[LanternWaste]

53. The nation-state.

"Has mankind ever devised a more perfect scam than Xianity?"

The nation-state, followed closely by economics.

[GulfCoast66]

64. All religions can fit this description and at this point in history, some are even worse.

Fundamentalist of all stripes are by their nature oppressive.

Have a nice evening.

[raccoon]

9. I've been wondering something similar. Why do Republicans hate poor people? nt

[Cyrano]

16. poor, black, brown, muslim, asian, jew, etc.

Republicans don't make distinctions between the "Thems."

Those who increase their wealth/power matter to them. Those who don't help them in some way, are meaningless. And Republicans increase their wealth/power by twisting the minds of rural, white, Christian people: People who represent just enough of the electorate to put them in power.

It's really that simple. And it's really that ugly. And it's what makes the Republican Party the enemy of democracy (with a small d). And the enemy of most of us who believe in basic human decency.

[Orsino]

10. Because the money tells them to.

If you think they seem aggressive, or cruel, or mindless, recall that that is exactly what is required of them by their paymasters. Because capitalism is cruel, aggressive and mindless.

[OnDoutside]

11. Probably because they feel Democrats are too soft, they think they can get away with it.

[kimbutgar]

13. I see people divided into two camps service to self ( rethugs) and service to others( Democrats)

That orientation determines how you think and vote. Almost everyone I know who is very nasty and selfish tend to be be rethugs and giving caring people are service to other. Within a few minutes of talking with someone I see their orientation. Various factors contribute but I think if you are brought up with loving caring people you become service to others. The service to self tend to complain they had a hard childhood and had to work hard for everything almost like they were martyrs. So they are miserable who like to pass misery on others. Sounds like someone in the White House now. Look at President Obamas upbringing and contrast to the oranatung that is scrotus.

[Guilded Lilly]

15. Oh, so many answers!...

They enable the foulest of humanity.
They embrace cruelty.
They are singularly narcissist.
They are societally narcissist.
They are malignantly narcissist.
They value the almighty white penis.
They fear female skin, pigmented skin, aging skin.
They disrespect compassion.
They disrespect intelligence.
They disrespect earth, nature, wildlife.
They worship money.
They abuse spirituality.
They lie as easily as they breathe.

[Cyrano]

27. Yep. They really are "World Class" dicks

[Doreen]

34. Do not forget

They think the disabled are a waste of air.

[raccoon]

17. I think in a twisted way they view Republicans as winners and Democrats as losers.

In this view, Republicans = those who are rich, white, powerful, STRONG.

Democrats = those who are poor, non-white, powerless, WEAK.

[meow2u3]

21. Fast Eddie seemed to sum up Republicans when he stood up to Bert

[Cyrano]

24. Yes. But he lost when

Bert said, "Don't ever walk into a professional pool hall again."

Even when dicks lose, they win.

Such is the way of this planet we live on.

[briv1016]

19. Money, Power and Hate.

They either like something and want to own it, fear something and want to control it or hate something and want to kill it. It's that simple.

[tblue37]

32. + a brazillion. nt

[niyad]

20. thank you. you said what I have been thinking. WHY do these people hate others so damned

much? were they all dropped on their heads--Fetal alcohol syndrome? rejects from another universe? their behavior, their hatred, makes no sense in any rational world.

[Cyrano]

22. Yes. They're really submerged in their own hatreds

And now, they are once again trying to destroy all of those they hate. And they're doing it under an idiotic banner named "Make America Great Again," -- a phrase designed to appeal to unthinking people.

Today's Republican Party is among the biggest danger to our democracy (small d) that we have seen in the history of our country.

We must stand up to them in every way possible. We can't let them turn their grotesque fantasies into a horrible reality.

[Corgigal]

23. I just think

That we haven't forgotten how humans survived thousand of years ago and our true strength is that we work together. No one is special, it's in groups that we succeeded. If we acted like republicans thousand of years ago some lions would have eaten us a long time ago and none of us would be here.
I think our brains are more civilized and retained this knowledge. We know we have to work together. It's how we always survived. Republicans are a spiteful bunch and think they can do it all alone. We would have kicked them out of the tribe thousands of years ago, they add nothing to our survival. While the fear of the other might be a brain bias, we understand that it's a short from thousands of years ago so we attempt to work on it. Again, we are higher evolved.
Now if they don't kill us all, in a few years they will die out and we can get back to working in groups. All types allowed.

[Cyrano]

28. From your lips to

the "ear" of whatever universal intelligence may exist.

[zentrum]

25. This is an honest

...question and I don't want to disrupt the thread but isn't the word "dick" just as offensive as the word "cunt"? And doesn't it even create it's counterpart which is "cunt"?

I've no idea how men feel when they encounter the word "dick".

I'm ready to be dissuaded from this but maybe the language really is not helpful to what we're trying to do here. Maher is another matter of course because---well, his show is his show and not DU.

[brush]

56. Not the same even though you'd think it would be.

Even women can be annoying, vindictive, irritating, uncaring, selfish SOBs — or summed up in one word that transcends gender — dicks.

[zentrum]

61. Hunh--

....Never heard a woman called this ever. So you're saying there's no hidden reverse sexism in it at all.

But I have heard either gender be told to "stop dicking around".

On the other hand, you'd never hear of a guy being called a "cunt"--right? Interesting how this works.

[brush]

65. You'reright about your last sentence. The C-word is an insult directed towards women only.

I still contend that annoying, vindictive, irritating, uncaring, selfish SOBs are dicks.

Even women, but most often annoying, vindictive, irritating, uncaring, selfish women SOBs are called the B-word.

[Cary]

29. Fascists will be fascists

Fascism is subversive.

[WoonTars]

30. Because as long as there is someone lower on the totem pole than them...

...they can feel superior to them...

As for the ones in power, they're dicks because they know they've got it made and they can get away with it...

[tblue37]

31. They are greedy for power and wealth, so they do whatever their deep pocket paymarters

want them to do. Their paymasters want to accumulate even more wealth and to immiserate most others so that they can feel even more superior. The Republican Party pushes policies that are designed to increase the wealth of their owners, but those policies do so by screwing over everyone else.

[ancianita]

33. The Dick Coin: one side -- "fuck you, got mine. Flip side -- "if I can't get it, you don't either."

It's the currency of dicks. Dick currency.

One dick coin is worth two freedom coins.

Spend that dick coin in fear, chaos, and patreconomies.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

35. Exactly so. ☹️😡 n/t

[brush]

36. It's in their DNA, how they are wired.

They do hate blacks, Muslims, Hispanics, Asians, Jews, and every other “THEM” as you say.

Unfortunately the millions of whites who vote for them hate blacks, Muslims, Hispanics, Asians, Jews, and every other “THEM” you can think of because the repugs told them to.

So they do. It's pathetic but I don't feel sorry for them for being so stupid.

[GWC58]

54. Yeah, this is a nation of

moronically, stupid, idiotic, dumbfucks! I mean just look at the titular head of "that party." Nuff said!!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

37. In part because Democrats allowed St. Ronnie to walk all over them (not all but

some key people did). Ever since then they've been kicking Democrats right in the balls because they know they can. Also, Democrats are in a bad position because they know that someone has to be a grown up and govern which then frees up the Pukes to take a giant dump on everything and anything to the right of Mussolini. Plus it helps to have a "news" media that is easily scared of these alpha male pretend "tough guys".

[JudyM]

67. We have to prioritize toughness for a congressional leadership trait going forward. We have lost

a lot of ground for the reason that we haven't.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

38. K&R nt

[Va Lefty]

39. Right wing media

Talk radio and Faux News have produced a large segment of the electorate that are basically idiot sheep. They will support anything or anyone who promises to stick it to "those people" (people of color, women, gays, liberals). Spiteful mean-spirited pricks.

[Cosmocat]

42. Yep

Not sure the country can put it back in a box, either.

[DownriverDem]

40. Lack of hearing both sides

For many years now, our airwaves on the radio have been full of nothing but RWNJ hate. Most Americans do not hear both sides. They are so lacking in differing points of view. Many repubs voted their hate when they voted for trump. They also believe in the Ayn Rand point of view which means you are on your own. Of course the fact that Ayn Rand ended up collecting Social Security and Medicare escapes them totally.

[byronius]

41. They are strangely obsessed with enraging liberals -- many have no actual belief other than that.

Almost as if degrading and defaming all that is green and good satisfies some suppressed sexual urge.

[Initech]

49. They don't care what they do - as long as it pisses us off.

[Cosmocat]

58. Decades of hate framing the evil liberal boogeyman

It's the go to move over history for culling power, demonizing and dehumanizing some group of people, developing a shared enemy.
What is somewhat different is that in our current times there are a LOT of profiteers who see it, and make a shitload of money fomenting it, tv, radio, books. All if which melds with the business interests looking to pillage the tax payer dollars.
The only thing I don't get is how so many people are vulnerable to it.
You and me, we hear Rush, Hannity, etc. and it is complete gibberish. But, half the people I know, most of who are truly decent people, get sucked into it.
It's almost like they are predisposed, like a disease, while we are immune to it.

[byronius]

59. Sixty seconds of that tripe and I get a rash.

Critical thinking skills, maybe? Thank you, all my Excellent Educators.

[treestar]

63. +1000

They don't really care about any issue.

[Initech]

43. We went from "hope and change" to "go fuck yourself".

And Bill Maher is right - the GOP is the answer to the question "what would a dick do?".

[kydo]

44. "dickishness" is that a real word or did you just make that up?

It fits and should be included in the definition for the modern republican.

[Left-over]

45. You are dead right the Greed Obsessed Party cares only for self interest. F**k the rest of us.

[moondust]

46. Greed and bigotry.

The same mindset as slaveholders.

[MedusaX]

47. They have also realized that .... as Czarina Ivanka pointed out in her book...

Perception has more value than truth...

The struggling people who vote against their own interests realize they are struggling...
But perceive themselves as being socio economically much closer to the "elite" end of the continuum than where they really are...

And, conversely, they perceive themselves as being far far different from all of "them" & "those" people (socio economically).

So, they believe that they are more likely to benefit from what 'benefits' the elite ... than from something which will benefit "those"/"them"....

Truth? Irrelevant...
Dammit...they know who they are!
they are almost elites... except for the fact that the factory shut down and now they make $19. /hr instead of $28....
So... whatevers good for elites is good for them.. & fuck all you jealous peons that are no where near as close as They are to being an elite....


The mind is a terrible thing to waste....

[brush]

55. Good stuff. Welcome to DU.

[mnhtnbb]

48. They lack empathy.

They do not have the capacity to put themselves in someone else's shoes. They do not appreciate the concept
of their great good fortune to be born at a time and in a place where their predominately male whiteness gives them
great privilege.

They end up being concerned with self as opposed to being concerned with the greater good for the community.

[byronius]

50. The British study that identified conservatism as the product of 'insufficiently complex thinking'

was spot on. Empathy requires complex thought.

[blueseas]

51. I believe that as well

Until it happens to them, then they cannot understand.

[no_hypocrisy]

52. They're a bunch of people who feel entitled to have what you own.

They think in concrete terms of black and white.

They lack empathy.

They have Calvinist leanings that assume that if you're poor, God hates you and so should they.

They don't miss an opportunity to remind you that they are your masters and you are scum.

Why are this way? Partially upbringing where they learn it from their families, schools, and associations. Partially from ignorance as they don't have personal relationships with many people outside their class. Partially from not wanting their lives to be any different from as it exists.

[underpants]

57. Polluters and racists

That's the basis of the Reagan revolution

[randome]

60. They are predominately old and bitter and unable to confront their mortality.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]

[colsohlibgal]

66. There Used To Be Many More Sane Ones

People like Eisenhower and Nelson Rockefeller.....in fact many of their descendants have switched to democrats.

There were always far right wingnuts but not many of them.

It all began turning with Gingrich and Fox News.....Faux brainwashing millions with pure propganda and breathtaking hypocrisy.

If we could somehow pluck Ike, Rockefeller, and their like out of the past to now they would be horrified at where their party is now.

A return of the Fairness Doctrine would bring us back fairly quickly from the madness we are enduring.

[Luciferous]

68. They are greedy sociopaths

[JHB]

69. Woim syndrome

a.k.a., not bullies themselves, but highly inclined to be toadies to bullies that prey on anyone who merely ticks them off, no matter for how petty a reason. This slight remove gives them all the cover they feel they need to act like complete dicks.

[wildeyed]

70. You had me at "Why are Republicans such dicks?"

The eternal question in American politics...

[Fluke a Snooker]

71. Regardless of psychology, only cure remains: Destruction of the GOP

That is the ONLY way we can ensure that our progressive values expand nationwide, and ultimately globally.