Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Bucky

(55,334 posts)
20. Sadly, these people treat Republicanism like a tribal identity
Wed Nov 23, 2022, 09:17 PM
Nov 2022

It's not an ideology. It's a serious misnomer as so many of those who belong to the Republican Party clearly lack any commitment to an actual republican form of government--free elections, rule of law, equality of citizenship, adherence to the US Constitution, belief in the civic virtues, commitment to basic civil and political rights--as is stipulated by the Constitution.

But the mental illness is not political conservatism. There's plenty of conservatives before Adam Kinzinger who were offensively conservative but still put the country and the rule of law first. They dominated the House and Senate Republican caucuses when Nixon was facing impeachment. They might've pushed for Sammy Davis Jr to run for Senate (and did support Edward Brooks), but they never would have self lobotomized enough to nominate a Herschel Walker. They would take the consult of Henry Luce or William Buckley, but wouldn't have blindly followed their dictates or kissed the ring like modern Republicans do with Rupert Murdoch.

The disease is the tribalism, or rather the reductive tribalism. That is, the substitution of paranoia for tribal identity, becoming addicts to the same Fear of the Other they've been peddling to the masses in lieu of real policy since before 9/11. So it's not even tribalism. Our tribe is the United States. If they were being tribal, they'd act fanatically in the interests of the United States, even if that meant betraying American values like republicanism. But instead they just obsessively, psychotically, turn on whoever they think threatens their power, demonizing them, threatening them, like the creatures churning in Dante's Inferno, a constant moshpit of posturing and backstabbing in a rush for camera time and Twitter shares and Rupert blessings.

In a word, the worst parts of today's Republican Party has become a coven of nihilism. Power for power's sake. Hatred for the satisfaction of the oxytocins it releases in the bloodstream. It's the party of irresponsibility. The party of screaming toddlers.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Is Republicanism a mental illness? [View all] OAITW r.2.0 Nov 2022 OP
Fascism is a mental illness and the Repuke party is infested with it. roamer65 Nov 2022 #1
Is being an asshole a mental illness? RockRaven Nov 2022 #2
Yes...... Lovie777 Nov 2022 #3
GOP...the party of sociopaths pecosbob Nov 2022 #4
I really think people should stop bandying around the term "mental illness." BlackSkimmer Nov 2022 #5
One would certainly think so. Just A Box Of Rain Nov 2022 #7
I agree I_UndergroundPanther Nov 2022 #9
It's really kind of sad to see here as much as I have lately. BlackSkimmer Nov 2022 #10
Yeah I get it. I_UndergroundPanther Nov 2022 #11
Not all things that are bad are the result of being mentally ill Trenzalore Nov 2022 #6
I stand corrected. OAITW r.2.0 Nov 2022 #12
MAGA - yes. Moderate Republicans - no. patricia92243 Nov 2022 #8
Magats are sociopaths and I_UndergroundPanther Nov 2022 #13
No, it's genetic, that's why it exists all over the world, in every race and culture throughout time Hugh_Lebowski Nov 2022 #14
Good point. So, there should be a way to determine the genetic markers that OAITW r.2.0 Nov 2022 #15
I have always thought mental health are doing it backwards. Jamastiene Nov 2022 #16
Thanks for making a better post than I did. OAITW r.2.0 Nov 2022 #17
I really like this post. hunter Nov 2022 #18
Another possibility is drug induced anger and irratibility Prairie_Seagull Nov 2022 #19
Sadly, these people treat Republicanism like a tribal identity Bucky Nov 2022 #20
:a coven of nihilism. Power for power's sake. ; OAITW r.2.0 Nov 2022 #22
Why do you think the Party is shrinking? former9thward Nov 2022 #21
Do you think it's growing? OAITW r.2.0 Nov 2022 #23
The numbers don't indicate any shrinkage. former9thward Nov 2022 #25
None of those results indicate the growth, shrinkage, or size. Hermit-The-Prog Nov 2022 #29
When you increase House seats that is growth. former9thward Nov 2022 #30
The OP is about Republicanism, not the results of an election Hermit-The-Prog Nov 2022 #35
The poster in the OP said the party was "shrinking". former9thward Nov 2022 #36
You shifted to "party success" Hermit-The-Prog Nov 2022 #37
More of a personality disorder. Midnight Writer Nov 2022 #24
Well, in my wife's family aka-chmeee Nov 2022 #26
Chicken and the Egg metaphor, which came first? no_hypocrisy Nov 2022 #27
I think right-wing authoritarianism best explains it. Buckeye_Democrat Nov 2022 #28
NTSA whistler162 Nov 2022 #31
No. Irrationalism, hatred and bigotry are not mental illnesses. WhiskeyGrinder Nov 2022 #32
"can't relate to people who don't think like themselves" Sympthsical Nov 2022 #33
They even have their own language DFW Nov 2022 #34
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Is Republicanism a mental...»Reply #20