mellowtigger (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mellowtigger) wrote2022-09-19 10:25 am
mellowtigger) wrote2022-09-19 10:25 am
corruption is destroying the USA
For today's Moody Monday post, how about something from the bottom of my priority list this time? Corruption.
Not police planting or destroying evidence as it suits them, because that's so commonplace that it's passé.
Not police stealing a child from a mother and using it for propaganda, not police arresting a woman and leaving her in a locked car on train tracks, because we've stopped expecting anything better from them.
Not landlords charging application fees in lieu of actually renting out space, because that's just profitable business practice.
Not politicians gerrymandering districts to suit them, because that's so obvious that it's pointless to call attention to it.
Not politicians buying and selling stocks at just the opportune moment to profit from it, because that's so traditional (news link at bottom of thread) that nobody bothers to outlaw it.
Not Republicans promising to defund the federal agencies that are currently investigating them, because we just expect dismantling (free archive copy) of our institutions these days.
Not people raising their right hand (remember their outcries about grooming children?) at a USA political rally, because that's just everyday Christian Nationalism and nothing special.
Not any famous sports figure defrauding the welfare system, because grifting others to generate income for the rich is just what Christians do these days.
Let's focus this time on the cruelty. Remember when the Moral Majority took over USA Republicans? Keep that history in mind while you watch this 4-minute news clip of a recent event:
If you have the stomach for more of their hard international journey, it's available. The JFK Library points out that this isn't the first time in USA history that we've seen exactly this repulsive behavior. Republican Jesus (3 minutes, with verse citations) is vile, and journalists are finally pointing out this proud badge of cruelty. It's the same perversions of moral authority made famous by Trump when he mocked the disabled and convinced people to blame the unfortunate. Everything that happened afterwards depended on the successful conversion of people by these two specific early corruptions. The important lessons were 1) that you are valuable only while you contribute to their immediate goals and 2) if you might not be successful at fighting a power then you shouldn't even try. Together, these dual lessons push the Overton window to an extreme that normalizes the cruel policies of domination. If people accept those lessons, then they'll accept anything.
If you need a single word for it, that word is sadopopulism. The cruelty is the point.
Not police planting or destroying evidence as it suits them, because that's so commonplace that it's passé.
Not police stealing a child from a mother and using it for propaganda, not police arresting a woman and leaving her in a locked car on train tracks, because we've stopped expecting anything better from them.
Not landlords charging application fees in lieu of actually renting out space, because that's just profitable business practice.
Not politicians gerrymandering districts to suit them, because that's so obvious that it's pointless to call attention to it.
Not politicians buying and selling stocks at just the opportune moment to profit from it, because that's so traditional (news link at bottom of thread) that nobody bothers to outlaw it.
Not Republicans promising to defund the federal agencies that are currently investigating them, because we just expect dismantling (free archive copy) of our institutions these days.
Not people raising their right hand (remember their outcries about grooming children?) at a USA political rally, because that's just everyday Christian Nationalism and nothing special.
Not any famous sports figure defrauding the welfare system, because grifting others to generate income for the rich is just what Christians do these days.
Let's focus this time on the cruelty. Remember when the Moral Majority took over USA Republicans? Keep that history in mind while you watch this 4-minute news clip of a recent event:
If you have the stomach for more of their hard international journey, it's available. The JFK Library points out that this isn't the first time in USA history that we've seen exactly this repulsive behavior. Republican Jesus (3 minutes, with verse citations) is vile, and journalists are finally pointing out this proud badge of cruelty. It's the same perversions of moral authority made famous by Trump when he mocked the disabled and convinced people to blame the unfortunate. Everything that happened afterwards depended on the successful conversion of people by these two specific early corruptions. The important lessons were 1) that you are valuable only while you contribute to their immediate goals and 2) if you might not be successful at fighting a power then you shouldn't even try. Together, these dual lessons push the Overton window to an extreme that normalizes the cruel policies of domination. If people accept those lessons, then they'll accept anything.
If you need a single word for it, that word is sadopopulism. The cruelty is the point.