how did the older posters here avoid being radicalized by Faux and AM hate radio?

[betsuni]

138. I wasn't surprised. It was just a matter of them finding their perfect leader.

Last edited Sat Apr 22, 2023, 12:04 AM - Edit history (1)

My mother was brainwashed by right-wing radio after living alone, but was always gullible, not very bright, only listened to men, and always voted Republican because her Daddy did (Iowa farmer with a grudge against FDR). So not surprising.

What did surprise me were the number of people I knew who were liberal, educated, followed international current events and politics, but began believing the pro-Russia anti-America (America meaning the Obama administration and Democrats) stuff and by 2016 were repeating all the ridiculous conspiracy theories and insults about Democrats flooding the internet. I still can't understand how it happened. Educated, smart people manipulated by emotion into being not only just as stubbornly wrong as right-wingers, but even bigger assholes. I lost touch with all of them so don't know if that wore off or what.

Maybe Americans are more likely to be mean, hateful, fearful people. Something in the culture, I don't know. I'm reading David Sedaris' diary "Theft by Finding" and when he lived in Chicago in the late seventies, it was depressing, he says living in his neighborhood made him think "people are basically stupid, cruel, and violent."

Maybe it's a matter of having some sort of common sense immunity or not.