It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.
-Sir Terry Pratchett
Complacency, stupidity, and ignorance. Have you ever heard a Trump supporter try to defend their positions? They haven’t thought through anything complicated in their entire lives. They believe whatever they’re told by their favorite authority figures (usually something like Fox “News”).
They’re also generally pretty bigoted. Whether that comes first or is a result of being indoctrinated into authoritarian thinking, I’m not sure. Basically, they get drunk on hate, get addicted to it, and always need their fix.
The autocratic figure promises them to fix all their problems that the [insert minority group of the week] definitely caused them. When they have no ability or desire to think critically about their claims, they just believe it. Evidence to the contrary be damned.
It’s easier for some people to submit to authority and believe that the immigrants, trans people, antifascists, etc are the cause of all their problems than it is for them to accept that the world is a flawed and complicated place with few clear answers. It’s a mental shortcut, with often disastrous consequences.
the propaganda got to em
Agreed, partisans in the US are very culty.
It's odd to write this sentence, but it's observably true: Both sides nominated an old man in clear, public cognitive decline in the last election. They all just ignored it and made excuses, but our eyes work, and we saw it. It's wild that lacking a brain that works is no longer a dealbreaker for the vast majority of Americans.
Sometimes I think it goes beyond propaganda. Another poster called them lazy, which I can see. I think there is probably a personality aspect. A lot talk about harm reduction but never extend the trolly question to putting themselves on the track. Everyday we do and say things that will make it easier to just go home.
Because there is a myth that if you're rich it's because you worked hard. You are smarter than others and that's how you got there. "If they can do it i can do it too."
When in reality they had advantages that most people don't. Usually generational wealth.
A minority of the population benefits from an autocracy.
And/or they will be seen as traitors to whatever comes to power after the autocrat.
Because they are stupid. Around 40% of the population are idiots.
You're being generous, I would say the numbers closer to 60+%.
People don't when the system works for them. The problem is when the normal system of government stops working and seems to be more of a hinderance than a benefit. Then people start looking for alternatives. Autocrats present an incredibly simple solution: give me all the power and I will solve all your problems.
Exactly this. They feel hopelessness or desperation and mistakenly believe that this person can fix it all for them.
It's laziness. "I don't have to think tough thoughts if I let someone else do all of the thinking for me."
