• mindbleach
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    1 year ago

    We keep asking each other ‘what do conservatives really believe?’ and refusing to accept the obvious answer.

    Conservatives do not believe things. Conservatives believe people.

    They do not evaluate claims. In this tribalist worldview, that is not what claims are for. You accept or reject conclusions based on interpersonal trust. That’s how you perform loyalty. And I say “you” because they think that’s all we’re doing. That’s all they think there is.

    Their stated ideals are ad-hoc justifications. They do not have arguments; they have slogans. Insisting otherwise has never accomplished a damn thing. What is wrong with us if we can’t identify and respond to this demonstrable irrational behavior? God knows it’s not rare or subtle.