When will the majority of the US say enough is enough?

[BigmanPigman]

What will it take to finally make the majority seriously angered by the unlawful actions of the White house and Congress? Do we have to wait for Mueller's investigation to be finished? Will we have to have an unnecessary war?

[onecaliberal]

1. Republicans are traitorous fucks. As long as they're in charge dump can do whatever.

[Solly Mack]

2. People can adapt to oppression.

They either adapt within the system of oppression by changing their behavior - head down, eyes averted, keeping quiet (but still seething) or they adapt and embrace (to some extent) because they are allowed a few comforts that other people aren't.

The ones who get the few comforts will turn on those who have it worse because those at the bottom will be labeled the reason *everyone* is suffering.

Of course, everyone isn't suffering, but those oppressed a little less will repeat the claim by those in power who aren't suffering at all.

Think of how people are swayed and controlled by their prejudices and biases to do the bidding of those with power. We have always seen evidence of this happening.

Same thing happens in an authoritarian state, only amplified.

So what will it take?

The noose being felt around enough necks. Pain and suffering coming home in a very personal way. Even then, there is no guarantee, because in the hierarchy of who am I better than today thinking, there exist nuances - and even though those nuances don't make sense to the rational mind - that doesn't matter. It makes sense to those who embrace them.

If facts worked, we wouldn't be where we are now.

Sadly, facts don't trump what people need to believe to feel good about themselves and their life.

And in the scramble for resources and meaning, it takes so little for people feel better about themselves over others.

[BigmanPigman]

3. So if it doesn't effect them personally they don't care.

Last edited Sat Jul 8, 2017, 06:39 PM - Edit history (1)

I guess that means the economy has to collapse. There isn't a draft so going to war won't do it. Maybe having to pay for nursing homes for relatives will hurt some in their wallet. Climate change, corruption, attacks by Russia on our gorverment, etc don't directly effect them now so they aren't concerned.

[Solly Mack]

5. They can't make the leap of foreign interference harming our democracy

unless that interference causes some direct hardship to them and theirs, yes.

Are the lights still on? Do they have food? Can they still wave the flag? Buy a gun? Rant on Facebook? Can they still vote (regardless of the lack of safeguards, voter suppression of others, or interference having an impact on the results), then America is still the America they have always known.

The bigger picture, the slippery slope, the easily seen and understood consequences can seem like a lie to someone who only sees their roof and their floor, and the things in-between.

Primarily because of what they need - and I do mean deep-seated need - to believe to feel good about themselves and their life.

Facts can be seen as an attack on a person's comfort zone.

If you present a fact that contradicts a long held belief, studies have shown people become more entrenched in the cherished belief - because they don't see it as a correction in thinking - they see it as an attack on who they are as a person.

People can be taught - so they can be taught to know actual facts - those facts just have to come with a hard lesson for some people.

It's depressing and it can seem insurmountable, but they were taught to hate - they were conditioned to believe lies - so they can be taught hate is wrong and conditioned to search for truth.

But we have allowed opinion to be the equal of facts and that has to stop. The press has been guilty of this. Government has been guilty of this. And it has gone on for years. It has infected education and science....the news.

It has to stop. Unfortunately, not stopping it is profitable for people like Trump/Ryan/McConnell and the rest. It gets the news high ratings for corporate profit - when news shouldn't be about ratings or profit.

But we have to try.

[Golden Raisin]

4. Apparently never.

Perhaps if TV and Internet are taken away.