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We're in the eye of the storm
Will the fanatics take over?
Paul Krugman recently wrote about a shift in the culture war from a time when it was a cynical ploy used to gain and hold power for the interests of the few to one in which the cynics gave rise to true believers.
…the culture war was basically phony — a cynical ploy to win elections, ignored once the votes were counted. “The leaders of the backlash may talk Christ,” he wrote, “but they walk corporate. … Abortion is never halted. Affirmative action is never abolished. The culture industry is never forced to clean up its act.”
These days, that sounds quaint — even a bit like a golden era — as many American women lose their reproductive rights, as schools are pressured to stop teaching students about slavery and racism, as even powerful corporations come under fire for being excessively woke. The culture war is no longer just posturing by politicians mainly interested in cutting taxes on the rich; many elected Republicans are now genuine fanatics.
As I said, one can almost feel nostalgic for the good old days of greed and cynicism.
-Paul Krugman
He doesn’t go directly into it, but I think there’s an important point here. When you spend decades spewing lies to a large audience, you eventually gain staunch adherents. A study published in 2021 found that “U.S. conservatives are uniquely susceptible to political misperceptions in the current sociopolitical environment.” When you have adherents who are not in on the ruse, you have set the stage for trouble.
The circus that’s unveiling in the new Congress is a prime example. Republicans have the majority in the house, but so far they have experienced unprecedented difficulty in choosing a leader. For what is normally something that’s a done deal by the time Congress convenes, they have nothing to show for six votes.
No progress at all was evident through the day of vote after vote after vote as Republicans tried to elevate McCarthy into the top job. The ballots produced almost the same outcome, 20 conservative holdouts still refusing to support him and leaving him far short of the 218 typically needed to win the gavel. In fact, McCarthy saw his support slip to 201, as one fellow Republican switched to vote simply present.
While the holdouts for McCarthy’s vote may come around, they have already shown themselves to have power. Given that Congressional terms are only two years long, the opportunity exists for them to grow their numbers in a hurry.
So while the rift in the Republican party may seem a boon for the Democrats on its face, I think it’s a sign of peril. I fear the sizeable—and seemingly growing—contingent of Americans beholden to fabrications represents an ongoing danger that we aren’t prepared for.