(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
GOP Gullibility : How Disinformation has Lead to the Endless Formation of Misinformed Radicals. [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-02-11
The phrase “the blind leading the blind” comes to mind when reflecting on the current state of our political system. However, it might be more accurate to include the deaf, mute, and otherwise impaired.
As children, we are taught that America fought for independence against an unjust ruler. But as we grow older and examine the details, we realize the real issue wasn’t merely British rule—it was their practice of virtual representation. How could someone who had never lived in the colonies fairly represent its people? They couldn’t. Their loyalty lay with those who granted them power and secured their position.
Americans rejected this system so fiercely that they waged war against the world’s greatest superpower to end it. Our nation was founded on the principle that leaders should understand and relate to those they represent. If you told an early American, fresh from independence, that we would one day empower those who uphold the spoils system, trickle-down economics, and unchecked executive authority, they might have accused you of treason. Likewise, if you told a Republican 16 years ago that we would elect a president who expanded government agencies, shattered records for executive orders, and pardoned allies indiscriminately, they would assume a Democrat was in office. But here we are—not with a leader focused on limiting federal power, but one who consolidates it for himself. That hardly aligns with conservative principles, though I’m sure there are many justifications.
Fair representation was meant to be safeguarded by checks and balances. Idolizing an executive figure not only corrupts our government but shakes its very foundation. I struggle to understand why self-proclaimed "patriots" would revere a leader whose goal is to dismantle America’s core principles and reshape them around his own beliefs—not those of his constituents, nor of the American public, but his own. He has influenced his followers to such a degree that if he called for the seizure of public libraries to “burn away liberal beliefs,” it might well happen within the week.
Changing the mind of someone who is having delusions is nearly impossible; they wholeheartedly believe them to be true. Likewise, political extremists often reject independent thought, making attempts at discourse frustratingly unproductive, barring any chance at union. This is why I will end my plea prematurely—I have total belief that most individuals who disagree with me have either stopped reading or find great humor in my words.
So, let me be clear: I do not hate Republicans or Trump supporters. In fact, I personally align with some of the GOP’s previous principles. That being said, the party bears responsibility for the splintering of our country. But as Bruce Lee once said, “Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.” If this growing divide is not bridged soon, the foundation of our once-great nation will erode.
I leave you with this:
"Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary."
—Reinhold Niebuhr
I beg that any person who reads this does not view it as an attack on themselves but as a desperate cry to a dying democracy.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/11/2302971/-GOP-Gullibility-How-Disinformation-has-Lead-to-the-Endless-Formation-of-Misinformed-Radicals?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
