{"id":22372,"date":"2024-07-29T17:36:09","date_gmt":"2024-07-30T00:36:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/?p=22372"},"modified":"2024-07-30T16:42:09","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T23:42:09","slug":"todays-post-about-how-politics-illustrates-human-nature-for-better-or-worse-mostly-worse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/2024\/07\/29\/todays-post-about-how-politics-illustrates-human-nature-for-better-or-worse-mostly-worse\/","title":{"rendered":"Today&#8217;s Post About How Politics Illustrates Human Nature, For Better or Worse, Mostly Worse"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>How Republicans cheer mass deportation;<\/li>\n<li>How JD Vance&#8217;s comments reflect conservative values that prioritize children over adults;<\/li>\n<li>Two pieces about how Republican values have been abandoned their traditional core values, in the service of a tyrant;<\/li>\n<li>Items about the deliberate misunderstanding of the Olympics Opening Ceremony, white supremacists, Elon Musk&#8217;s video lies;<\/li>\n<li>An essay by Peter Wehner, another disillusioned Republican, about what&#8217;s happened to his party.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div align=\"center\">&#8211; &#8211; &#8211;<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Tribal moralists know: Outsiders are *bad*.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/GuardianDeportationSigns.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/GuardianDeportationSigns-300x180.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Guardian, Jeff Yang, 29 Jul 2024<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/article\/2024\/jul\/29\/republicans-trump-mass-deportation-immigration\">Republicans cheer for \u2018mass deportation\u2019 \u2013 a dark new chapter in America\u2019s history of othering \u2018them\u2019<\/a>, subtitled &#8220;The convention celebrated Trump\u2019s vision of immigration as a disease. The GOP idea of a cure would mean I, and millions of others, would not exist&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-fya6vl\">The Republican party has made it clear it doesn\u2019t like pronouns. But two in particular have become the seething core of the worldview it holds: \u201cthey\u201d and \u201cthem\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-fya6vl\">Just hours after the former president was shot at on 13 July, Cory Mills, a Republican US representative from Florida, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CoryMillsFL\/status\/1812260553231827446\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">posted<\/a> on X: \u201cFirst they tried to silence him. Then they tried to imprison him. Now they try to kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mills didn\u2019t need to explain what he meant by \u201cthey\u201d, because for his fellow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/republicans\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Republicans<\/a>, it was obvious. Never mind that the actual shooter was soon thereafter revealed to be a 20-year-old white, native-born American male and a <em>registered Republican<\/em>. Regardless of who pulled the trigger, the actual enemy was always going to be \u201cthey\u201d and \u201cthem\u201d \u2013 the woke, the left, the mainstream media, the consortium of vengeful losers and thwarted despoilers of the American way of life that Trump, in all of his muscular patriotism, claimed to stand defiantly against.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Yes, outsiders are evil. Never mind America&#8217;s history of immigrants, including &#8212; of course &#8212; the ancestors of all those white people in that photo. They&#8217;ve got theirs.<\/p>\n<p>\\<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternet.org\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=52898772&amp;width=1245&amp;height=700&amp;quality=85&amp;coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54\" width=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>AlterNet, Roxanne Cooper, 29 Jul 2024<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alternet.org\/in-his-own-words-what-j-d-vance-really-thinks-of-women-and-children\/\">What JD Vance really thinks of women and children \u2014 in his own words<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Childless cat ladies, and so on. And this:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>In a 2021 speech, Vance argued against women leaving violent marriages, suggesting that the sexual revolution&#8217;s emphasis on personal happiness had negative consequences for children.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I&#8217;ve seen this attitude my entire life. Children are more important than adults. Adult happiness is irrelevant. Children are more important, because they expand the tribe.<\/p>\n<p>\\<\/p>\n<p>Once again, Republicans have devolved into a cult. (Because a cult is the essence of tribal morality.)<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mediaproxy.salon.com\/width\/1200\/https:\/\/media2.salon.com\/2024\/07\/jd_vance_2162264905.jpg\" width=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Salon, Karyn Amira, 29 Jul 2024<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salon.com\/2024\/07\/29\/expert-jd-vances-selection-as-running-mate-marks-the-end-of-conservatism_partner\/\">Expert: JD Vance\u2019s selection as Trump\u2019s running mate marks the end of Republican conservatism<\/a>, subtitled &#8220;The Republican Party has abandoned conservative values to serve a single man&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I am a political scientist whose research and <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/reagan-wouldnt-recognize-trump-style-conservatism-a-look-at-how-the-gop-has-changed-213971\">political analysis<\/a> focuses on the relationship between <a href=\"https:\/\/rowman.com\/ISBN\/9781793607461\/The-Republican-Resistance-\">Trump<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/S1537592719001063\">Republican Party<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1532673X221112395\">conservatism<\/a>. Everyday citizens define conservatism in different ways, but at its root it is a philosophy that supports smaller and less-centralized government because consolidated power could be used to silence political competition and deny citizens their liberties.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2015, Trump has tightened his grip on the Republican Party, moving it further away from its <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/reagan-wouldnt-recognize-trump-style-conservatism-a-look-at-how-the-gop-has-changed-213971\">professed conservative ideology<\/a>. The choice of Vance as Trump\u2019s running mate \u2013 and the competition that preceded it \u2013 are the latest steps in this process.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\\<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.vox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/07\/gettyimages-2162834073.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0.0045724737082793%2C100%2C99.990855052583&amp;w=1440\" width=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Vox, Zack Beachamp, 29 Jul 2024<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/policy\/363146\/trump-policy-war-mexico-trade-deportation-border\">Trump proposed bombing Mexico and it somehow wasn\u2019t a big story<\/a>, subtitled &#8220;Trump\u2019s extremist policy agenda is flying under the radar \u2014 and that\u2019s a problem.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s outrageous statements, which would be highlighted on the news if they came from any other politician, are ignored by the mass media. He&#8217;s become normalized.<\/p>\n<p>\\<\/p>\n<p>More about conservative outrage over their misunderstanding of the Olympics Opening Ceremony.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joemygod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/BrianBrown2022-660x330.png\" width=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>JMG, via email, 29 Jul 2024<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.joemygod.com\/2024\/07\/brian-brown-protest-olympics-by-sending-me-money\/\">Brian Brown: Protest Olympics By Sending Me Money<\/a><\/p>\n<p>They insist on misunderstanding. And they beg for money. And there are people who believe them.<\/p>\n<p>\\\\<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joemygod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/KevinRoberts-660x330-4.jpg\" width=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>JMG, from USA Today, 29 Jul 2024<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.joemygod.com\/2024\/07\/white-supremacists-are-among-project-2025-authors\/\">White Supremacists Are Among Project 2025 Authors<\/a><\/p>\n<p>No surprise.<\/p>\n<p>\\\\<\/p>\n<p>More lying. And the perfidy of Elon Musk.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mediaproxy.salon.com\/width\/1200\/https:\/\/media2.salon.com\/2024\/07\/elon_musk_2158244146.jpg\" width=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Salon, Nicholas Liu, 29 Jul 2024<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salon.com\/2024\/07\/29\/manipulated-lies-elon-musk-intentionally-shares-fake-video-of-kamala-harris-violating-own-rules\/\">&#8220;Manipulated lies&#8221;: Elon Musk intentionally shares fake video of Kamala Harris, violating own rules<\/a>, subtitled &#8220;Musk posted a video in which a fake Harris claims to be &#8216;the ultimate diversity hire'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Why is it Republicans and their supporters always need to lie?<\/p>\n<p>\\\\<\/p>\n<p>Finally for today, a more substantial piece by Peter Wehner.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/07\/29\/multimedia\/29wehner-kzcq\/29wehner-kzcq-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&amp;auto=webp\" width=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>NY Times, Opinion, Peter Wehner, 29 Jul 2024<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/07\/29\/opinion\/trump-vance-republican-party.html\">What Has Happened to My Party Haunts Me<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>During the time I served in three Republican administrations (Reagan and both Bushes), the party was hawkish and unrelentingly critical of the Soviet Union and then Russia. It was supportive of NATO. It condemned anti-American dictators and authoritarian leaders. It was deeply committed to \u201cthe common task of strengthening democracy throughout the world,\u201d as Reagan <a class=\"css-yywogo\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ned.org\/promoting-democracy-and-peace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a> in 1982. And it argued that it was in America\u2019s interest to provide global leadership.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican Party championed free trade and fiscal discipline, though in practice it often fell short. It was welcoming of legal immigrants and refugees. Republicans argued that reforming entitlement programs was vital. Many of its leading figures insisted that moral character was an essential trait for political leaders and especially for presidents. Republicans warned, too, that a cruel, squalid political culture undermined a decent society.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the Republican Party has jettisoned every one of these commitments.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Part of this piece is a discussion with Jonathan Rauch, whose book I reviewed over three posts ending <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/2023\/11\/11\/the-deep-state\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Wehner concludes,<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It\u2019s hard and haunting to know that the political party to which I devoted a significant part of my life has become the greatest political threat to the country I love.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Republicans cheer mass deportation; How JD Vance&#8217;s comments reflect conservative values that prioritize children over adults; Two pieces about how Republican values have been abandoned their traditional core values, in the service of a tyrant; Items about the deliberate &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/2024\/07\/29\/todays-post-about-how-politics-illustrates-human-nature-for-better-or-worse-mostly-worse\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[96,30,54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-human-nature","category-mind","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22372"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22387,"href":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22372\/revisions\/22387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.markrkelly.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}