The Delusion of the Right

[okalb 104]

I am an American living in South America for about 5 years now. One of my close friends down here sells real estate and often asks me to help him when he dealing with foreigners. This weekend, I had lunch with a couple that were looking to buy a place from him. They are a very nice couple probably in their late 50’s early 60’s. They live in Central Florida.

I proceeded to tell them important things about my experience relocating and warned them of the good/bad/ugly things they may run into. I generally avoid political discussions with strangers, especially in a case where I am doing a favor for a friend, and he stands to make a large commission that his family needs.

About halfway through lunch, they asked me some questions about the political situation down here. As I began to explain how things work, I was met with the “Well, anything is better than what we have with Biden and Harris in the US right now”. I was shocked because nothing in the conversation up until that point had led me to believe that they were “that kind”. They then proceed to tell me that the reason that they are looking to buy a place down here is in case Harris wins and they need to escape the US. They seem to be under the impression that if she wins, they will lose all freedom and the US will become a communist country under the Dems. They want an escape plan!

The loss of touch with reality blew me away. I see people like that on the news all the time, but talking to them left my jaw hanging wide. I couldn’t understand how anyone could believe that it is the Dems who are trying to take away people's freedoms and turn the country into an autocracy, but that is what they believe. He worked in IT until his retirement (not sure what she did). They both seemed like reasonably intelligent people until that part of the conversation. The level of delusion is amazing.

The other thing that occurred to me is that these are people who want to shut down the southern border and keep out the brown people, and yet, they see no hypocrisy in the fact that they want to buy a place in South America to escape. They were also the typical foreigners that complain about the lack of people that speak English here and complained about several other things regarding the local culture.

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2024 by okalb

[kallend 2,106]

I too have met people who swallow the Newsmax/FoxNews Kool-Aid by the gallon.

I spent some time in pre-Wall Poland (1971).  People who think like your potential ex-pats have no fucking idea what communism is. 

[Phil1111 1,149]

The NYT had a very good story about how the right wing media pulls people into its beliefs system.

Racked by Pain and Enraptured by a Right-Wing Miracle Cure  A former army paratrooper and horse wrangler his body has paid a heavy price.

"On the other end of his phone were hundreds of people in a live voice chat for Patriot Party News, one of about a dozen far-right media platforms that has grown in both size and influence over the past few years, not only by creating an ecosystem of disinformation but also by providing an authentic sense of community. The company was co-founded in 2020 by Warren Armour, a conservative with no media experience who runs a flooring company in Tennessee, but Michael admired the Patriot Party News slogan when he first saw it shared on Facebook last year: “If you hate mainstream media, you are going to love us!”

Once you go down the rabbit hole, you never come back.

[kallend 2,106]

38 minutes ago, Phil1111 said:

 

Once you go down the rabbit hole, you never come back.

Rather like believing that a cosmic Jewish zombie who was his own father will make you live forever. 

[Phil1111 1,149]

There was recently a post in SC about the greatness of crypto, how its the new currency of Jebus and the right.

"Trump declared “on day one I will fire Gary Gensler”, the SEC chair nominated by current President Joe Biden. The crowd cheered loudly and started to chant “Trump” at this declaration." in a recent speech. He wants the US to become a "crypto capital of the world" With the US govt buying it and "never selling it". It goes hand in hand with his wanting to disband the IRS.

Nothing that billionaire criminals want more than no tax mechanism of the state and complete freedom to move money around.

[jakee 1,563]

1 hour ago, Phil1111 said:

Nothing that billionaire criminals want more than no tax mechanism of the state and complete freedom to move money around.

It always strikes me about these discussions that crop up around wealth taxes chasing people away. Imagine being a billionaire - an honest to god richer than Croesus billionaire - and giving up your home in the place you most wanted to live because you're about to pay a couple percent more tax. As if you couldn't still have anything a person could ever want... except a slightly bigger number in the bank.

Edited July 29, 2024 by jakee