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Automated updates: 2022-08-14

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John Colagioia 2022-08-14 15:00:46 -04:00
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@ -4,17 +4,17 @@ title: Returning to the Fold
date: 2022-08-14 14:48:03-0400
categories:
tags: [media, rant, harm]
summary: An open letter to those finally tired of Repubilcan antics
summary: An open letter to those finally tired of Republican antics
thumbnail: /blog/assets/GSAclass6SecurityContainer.png
update: [
2022-07-24-redemption.md
]
offset: -18%
proofed: true
---
In talking about [redemption arcs]({% post_url 2022-07-24-redemption %}) a few weeks ago, I alluded to people supporting right-wing politicians who might find reason to shift allegiances and work against the right-wing. I had ideas for that post, but didn't have a plan for when to write and post it.
![A file cabinet, approved by the GSA as Class 6 for storing classified documents, on its side](/blog/assets/GSAclass6SecurityContainer.png "Not found at Mar-a-Lago. Unrelated, of all of these that I've seen, it never occurred to me that they have those same two stickers on them.")
![A file cabinet, approved by the GSA as Class 6 for storing classified documents, on its side](/blog/assets/GSAclass6SecurityContainer.png "Not found at Mar-A-Lago. Unrelated, of all of these that I've seen, it never occurred to me that they have those same two stickers on them.")
As you probably know---or could guess---I don't like "covering" current events, as if I want to pretend at journalism. But sometimes, current events force a rush job, hence releasing this late in the day.
@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ In the spirit of "redemption arcs," I thought that I would put together a post t
I should say that I've been there. I don't want to bore anybody with my personal history---maybe I'll change my mind for a full post, one day---but I'd summarize it as starting the century with a distaste for the Clintons and tentative support of the invasion of Iraq on various procedural reasons. That led me to paranoid conspiracy theories based on shaky evidence. During that time, I said and wrote some highly regrettable things, and imagined that the country could collapse at any time. It could happen to anybody. We all have moments of weakness when a clever sales pitch can send us off into dangerous directions, where each step compounds the problem.
As they say, though, no matter how far that you've traveled in the wrong direction, **stop**. The wrong direction never takes you to the right place. "Sunk cost" *sounds* compelling---that you've already committed to this path and you don't have the energy to get to where you should be---but that wastes more time and energy. In other words, whether you want to make a change now or wish that you had made a change years ago, you can't make a change *before* now.
As they say, though, no matter how far that you've traveled in the wrong direction, **stop**. The wrong direction never takes you to the right place. "Sunk cost" *sounds* compelling---that you've already committed to this path, and you don't have the energy to get to where you could have arrived---but that wastes more time and energy. In other words, whether you want to make a change now or wish that you had made a change years ago, you can't make a change *before* now.
Could you have seen this coming, when Trump [instigated an insurrection](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_United_States_Capitol_attack), openly trusted Vladimir Putin while dismissing American intelligence agencies, talked about his admiration of or fondness for various dictators, or set the country up to lose a million citizens to a then-easily controlled virus? Maybe, but also maybe not. We can't change the past, while an element of all abuse involves starting small---usually lies, like a cult assigning a new name to each recruit---some you might initially agree with, and increase over time, so that the victims become accustomed to the treatment and begin to consider it normal, healthy, and even valuable. (If you hold office, I consider that a different story: They pledged to protect the country and got paid to see these sorts of threats. They should have seen it, probably *did* see it, but decided to join in instead of warning their supporters.)
@ -56,13 +56,13 @@ First and most transparently, welcome aboard. Treat yourself to a snack.
### Mending Fences
Next, if you've lost contact with more liberal people, keep in mind that they may not have an interest in reconnecting and have no obligation to do so. There are a few factors at work, here.
Next, if you've lost contact with more liberal people, keep in mind that they may not have an interest in reconnecting and have no obligation to do so. We might see a few factors at work, here.
This gets difficult to discuss, because one of the hallmarks of right-wing politics, today, revolves around grievance. The talking-heads want to tell you that advocating for taking away the rights of the majority---your colleagues and neighbors, if not friends---with a smile on one's face has a moral superiority to becoming passionate about defending rights. They ask "what happened to civil discourse?" while trying to force young girls to carry an attacker's baby, using cars as weapons against protestors, or suggesting that we carpet bomb a city. It becomes pointless to have a conversation, when someone wants to add "rules" that favor form over content.
Likewise, I don't know (or care) how this distributes among the spectrum of conservatives, but the elitists and trolls have also poisoned the well for you. They've spent the [last six years](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizzagate_conspiracy_theory) on [conspiracy theories](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_grooming_conspiracy_theory) trying to smear anybody who supports treating people with respect as pedophiles or worse. Again, I don't know or care if "normal" conservatives do this. But I do need conservative readers to understand that they created this behavior to *isolate you*, not to protect children. Because I see the perjorative term used frequently, I won't risk the time on a political discussion with a conservative, when it seems likely that they won't listen and instead just use it as a platform to throw insults.
Likewise, I don't know (or care) how this distributes among the spectrum of conservatives, but the elitists and trolls have also poisoned the well for you. They've spent the [last six years](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizzagate_conspiracy_theory) on [conspiracy theories](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_grooming_conspiracy_theory) trying to smear anybody who supports treating people with respect as pedophiles or worse. Again, I don't know or care if "normal" conservatives do this. But I do need conservative readers to understand that they created this behavior to *isolate you*, not to protect children. Because I see the pejorative term used frequently, I won't risk the time on a political discussion with a conservative, myself, when it seems likely that they won't listen and instead just use it as a platform to throw insults.
But also...nobody cares, man. One of the big problems in politics is that the media wants us to root for teams and fight over whatever fits as the political equivalent of a draft pick, but as long as life gets better for people, nobody cares who you plan to vote for or why. I mean, we care in that we'd prefer that you make good choices, because individual good choices in aggregate produce great results, *but* no rational person as a detailed conversation about who we want to vote for.
Also, though...nobody cares, man. One of the big problems in politics comes from the way that the media wants us to root for teams and fight over whatever fits as the political equivalent of a draft pick, but as long as life gets better for people, nobody cares whom you plan to vote for or why. I mean, we care in that we'd prefer that you make good choices, because individual good choices in aggregate produce great results, *but* no rational person as a detailed conversation about whom we want to vote for.
Because of all that, don't expect a party. At best, you need to---and this gets to why I connect this post to the "redemption arc" post---rebuild your relationships, if you want them back. Assuming that you've taken the step to oppose the authoritarians and haven't decided to read this ironically, then you've taken the *first* step, not the last.
@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ If you can find someone in your social circle to help you work through it, count
### Alikazam
Likewise, don't expect the world to change overnight, just because you want it to change. The Republican party has worked since the Nixon administration to (all <i class="fas fa-copyright"></i>) [push anti-democratic propaganda](https://www.salon.com/2013/10/19/the_birth_of_fox_news) to [think for people](https://gawker.com/5814150/roger-ailes-secret-nixon-era-blueprint-for-fox-news), urged the political right to [make America great again](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Republican_National_Convention), taking over state houses to [maximize minority rule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REDMAP), and so forth.
Likewise, don't expect the world to change overnight, just because you want it to change. The Republican Party has worked since the Nixon administration to (all <i class="fas fa-copyright"></i>) [push anti-democratic propaganda](https://www.salon.com/2013/10/19/the_birth_of_fox_news) to [think for people](https://gawker.com/5814150/roger-ailes-secret-nixon-era-blueprint-for-fox-news), urged the political right to [make America great again](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Republican_National_Convention), taking over state houses to [maximize minority rule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REDMAP), and so forth.
Again, I don't point you to this information to convince you of anything. Rather, I mention it to point out that Trump didn't gain support in 2016 out of nowhere, even if you neglect evidence that Russia interfered on his behalf. He rode on the infrastructure built for fifty years, by people who expected to keep Bush-like candidates in office forever without majority support. And because his (usurped) support took decades to build, it will probably take a while to undo it.
@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ If you want a counter-recommendation, now that they have permission to make thei
### Research
Politicians and pundits have lied to you, so you want to apply some skepticism, and learn what they actually fight for, especially the issues that kept you with the Republican party for however long they did. I don't mean watching YouTube or TikTok videos, here; social media algorithms, like commercial news above, would prefer it if you felt angry and afraid, so that you might pay attention to the ads. I mean sitting down and reading books by credible historians. Yes, listening to the audiobook while you commute alone counts as reading.
Politicians and pundits have lied to you, so you want to apply some skepticism, and learn what they actually fight for, especially the issues that kept you with the Republican Party for however long they did. I don't mean watching YouTube or TikTok videos, here; social media algorithms, like commercial news above, would prefer it if you felt angry and afraid, so that you might pay attention to the ads. I mean sitting down and reading books by credible historians. Yes, listening to the audiobook while you commute alone counts as reading.
For example, if you vote for Republicans because you hate abortion, then you probably want to look at the history of abortion law and abortion activism. You might find out that your reason to hate it has no root in history. Or you might find out that nobody *likes* abortion, even its most fervent supporters; rather, supporters look at it as an unfortunate necessity. Like myself, you might find a huge inconsistency in how anti-abortion law treats women carrying an embryo versus how it treats a *company* carrying multiple embryos.
@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ It might not have any effect, depending on the prior relationship. Or it might
### Reach Out More
But also, consider reaching out quietly to your fellow conservatives. As I mentioned above, you probably have serious company around you, but they feel similarly isolated and don't know what to do.
Also, consider reaching out quietly to your fellow conservatives. As I mentioned above, you probably have serious company around you, but they feel similarly isolated and don't know what to do.
Note that I don't suggest opening a conversation with asking what people want to do, now that Trump turns out bad. You probably already know how that just makes people feel defensive. But you might ask for opinions on events and show a willingness to listen to the answers. If you just normalize the idea of questioning authoritarians, you might find some company.