Culturally Tone Deaf

[Mythsaje]

It's pretty clear that when prominent Republicans TRY to seem as though they understand other cultures, they are actually doing their best to swallow their sneakers, flat blacks, or high heeled pumps. Republicans only understand one culture. Their own. Which is, in general, the culture of the wealthy WASP. Any attempt at ethnic "humor" falls flat and they find themselves having some "splainin' to do."

Some of this relates to what the Republicans as a group clearly lack. Empathy. It's clear they don't understand it, given how they used it as an attack meme to go after Obama's first (and hopefully not the last) Supreme Court nominee. Since Obama said he was looking for "empathy," the Republicans immediately turned around and tried to figure out how to use it as a dirty word. Like "liberal."

Problem is, empathy is something we need--as a culture, and as individuals. Empathy should be a must for anyone working in the public sector. If you deal with people, all kinds of people, on a daily basis, you need to have a handle on where they're coming from. If the only viewpoint you have is that of people JUST LIKE YOU, there's no way you won't come off like a complete ass.

Some folks like to pretend they're part of a "silent majority," a whole army of people who believe the way they do but just don't talk about it. Yeah, because the people who subscribe to that mindset are well known for being taciturn. /sarcasm.

I hate to tell them it like this, but, well, what you hear is what you get. The people who think like you are slowly disappearing. You've lost. Give up.

But, whatever you do, don't stop running at the mouth and convincing your public representatives to continue trying to sound as if they understand other cultures. They don't, you don't, and every attempt makes your inability to understand anyone but your own lonely selves all that more apparent to the rest of us.

You don't have empathy, and what's more, you don't want it. And that, more than anything else, tells us just about everything we need to know about you.

[Demeter]

1. Republicans Don't Even Understand America's Culture

and it's not like they travel the world to satisfy curiosity and meet new people, either.

the GOP lives in its own bubble, never changing except to cover up the holes in the soap film. They don't want to hear diverse opinions, ideas, facts. Especially facts. The most fact-adverse and factually-challenged flock to the GOP to hide from a Reality that doesn't bend to their Id.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. And when they do travel, they fly business class and stay in luxury hotels

where the only locals they run into are in servant positions or else are rich louts like themselves who spend the whole evening complaining about taxes and "lazy" poor people.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

2. Impervious to other's needs.

You have nailed the predominant trait of the GOP adherents.

[givemebackmycountry]

3. The money line...

"If the only viewpoint you have is that of people JUST LIKE YOU, there's no way you won't come off like a complete ass".

You just summed up my "philosophy of life".

The day I become the opposite of that, I'll rent the most powerful vehicle I can find, and I'll do a Thelma and Louise.

[Mythsaje]

4. Thanks...

I was hoping that line came across right. Apparently it did.

[mulsh]

5. It slowly dawned on me that a very old friend lacks empathy

I've known this guy since I was 12. We have been very close. But what was cool detachment when we were kids morphed into text book sociopath as an adult. He has an ability to mouth liberal memes but if you examine is actions and life you'll find nothing. He can fake popular political stances since he lives in Berkeley but he can't fake his lack of empathy and its companion trait compassion. Almost all of our old friends have reached the same conclusion about this person.

In this he's is very much like quite a few conservatives I know. I'd say that lack of empathy is much more prevalent in conservatives than liberals but it occurs in all political areas. Fortunately this trait is rare enough to be easily identified and avoided.