A recent paragraph in a Lincoln Square newsletter really–really–struck me. Here’s that paragraph:
The Republican Party in 2025 is locked in a state of sycophantic paralysis. MAGA is not just Trump’s mood swings; it’s a tribal identity. Step out of line, and you get exiled. That’s why even senators with Ivy League résumés suddenly sound like they’re auditioning for a spot on a right-wing podcast — they’re terrified of losing the mob’s loyalty. And here’s the uncomfortable truth Democrats keep sidestepping: a huge chunk of MAGA voters are perfectly willing to suffer. They’ll put up with higher prices, worse health care, collapsing schools, potholes the size of moon craters — and they’ll smile through it — so long as the pain lands harder on someone they hate. Call it recreational spite or political CrossFit: the pain is the point, and the workout “counts” if the libs hurt more. That’s the dynamic behind why they support him.
There’s a substantial body of research confirming that puzzling observation. Illogical as it seems, people who harbor bigotries–people who hate those they label “other”–really are willing to overlook damage they suffer personally if they believe that “those people” are being hurt even more.
Bizarre as that finding is, it explains a lot.
The author quoted Lyndon Johnson, who made the statement as he was signing the Civil Rights Act. Johnson acknowledged that he was signing a measure that would cost Democrats the votes of much of the South (this was back when Southern Democrats were the racists; Democratic support for the Civil Rights Act probably was a factor in the defection of those racists from the party and their migration into today’s White Christian Nationalist cult, aka the GOP.) Johnson quite accurately noted that “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”
As the author noted, “MAGA is basically the LBJ theorem in a red hat. The cruelty isn’t the glitch, it’s the subscription plan — the down payment on the fantasy that at least you’re not on the bottom rung.”
Philosophers and theologians, not to mention psychiatrists, can theorize over the deficits in personality and humanity that lead otherwise normal humans to detest those “others” to such a degree that they will accept considerable personal privation if only they can be convinced that those others are suffering more…
The essay referenced the psychological research that explores–but doesn’t explain–this phenomenon.
There’s actual scholarship that explains why this kind of thinking has such a grip. Relative deprivation theory tells us people don’t measure life by absolutes; they measure by comparisons. You’ll tolerate your own struggles as long as your neighbor isn’t doing better; the second you think they’re moving up, resentment flares. Then comes the darker twist. In 2009, Combs and colleagues documented partisan schadenfreude — the perverse pleasure people feel when the “other side” suffers, even if they’re collateral damage themselves. That’s the political equivalent of the Joker in The Dark Knight setting a mountain of his own stolen cash on fire just to watch Gotham panic. Or think of Cartman, South Park’s eternal bully, who will happily wreck his own life if it means making someone else miserable — and still ends up the kid everyone hates. That’s the mindset: voters cheering their own decline as long as someone they despise loses more.
Once I read this, I began to recognize how it works in Trumpland.
Are those tariffs making groceries and everyday items more expensive? Are even immigrants who are in the country legally terrified of the ICE masked bullies who are rounding up anyone with dark skin? Is the war being waged against science–very much including medical science–making it more likely that you will contract a disease, or that a cure for what ails you won’t be forthcoming? Those and other negative consequences of official corruption and stupidity are bearable, because Trump is keeping his promise to go after “those people.” If there has been one through-line in this administration, it has been the unremitting effort to stamp out the progress made by women, people of color and LGBTQ folks, and to elevate White psuedo-Christian males to their former (albeit unearned) social dominance.
File under “pathetic.”
Once again, what you’re describing is a foundational principle, not of MAGA, but of the post-WWII Republican Party. Reagan, Gingrich, Colson, Limbaugh, Palin, Lyin’ Ryan (need I go on?) were all spreading their racist, homophobic, and misogynistic hatred long before this evil human showed up. I’m sorry to keep resurrecting this rant but I feel it’s important for people to understand that the Republican Party has been comprised of many Trumps for a long time. The only difference being the Ivy Leaguers you cite have better syntax.
Richardallen,
You forgot the egregious Bushes. Poppy Bush hired Karl Rove and Lee Atwater, et.al., to rewrite the script for Republican scripts. Why? Because they won elections. Simple as that. Power is the point. Cruelty is the point. Bigotry is the point. These things give those intellectual dwarfs permission to exit their sewers of ignorance and proudly pound their imploded chests until they can’t breathe.
Your list of the miscreants we’ve endured for the last decades after LBJ’s prophecy is way too short. In sum, rational people had no idea that around 25% of their fellow citizens were of this MAGA ilk – BEFORE it was called MAGA.
Read Sinclair Lewis’ book “It Can’t Happen Here”. These damned fools have been with us a very long time … probably since 1860.
We should have exiled every Confederate and their entire families after the war and given their resources to the enslaved. Period.
I can believe the “as long as there’s somebody to hate theory“. I think back to maybe grade school years when I had encountered a bully, my thinking was so toxic that I was capable of doing things to hurt myself if I thought it would hurt the other person worse. i’ve grown up since then, but I can believe there are a lot of people out there that haven’t
I believe we did confiscate their resources, Melinda, but it was taken away from the slaves and given back to the Southern Oligarchs. Wasn’t it Grant who confiscated land and mules?
I believe the “white christian nationalists” are just garden-variety white supremacists. Racists to the core. They go to church to be around their fellow racists and listen to the lies from other racists. “They’re owning the libs!”
Comedy Central’s interviews with MAGA attendees at political rallies are great at pointing out the theory Sheila illustrated. The real problem is they’re so ignorant, they don’t understand they are screwing themselves. When someone points it out to them, they go silent, rolling the thought around in their head for a moment until denial kicks in. 😉
There was an article last week about Hoosier farmers enjoying a bumper crop this year, but fear they’ll have a hard time finding buyers since China is in a trade war with their MAGA prez. Sorry for them, but China already looked elsewhere to buy soybeans. I am sure that other international buyers have looked elsewhere as well. Hoosier farmers will need to look to their counterparts in Arkansas, who are going bankrupt. Thoughts and prayers to them both!
And speaking of sycophants, my biggest concern of the year is the upcoming meeting of Hegseth with the global leadership of the Department of War. This is entirely unprecedented, and it makes me very nervous. It’s not going well for Trump so far as ratings are concerned, and with MAGA politicians refusing to release the Epstein files and the invasion of Democratic cities, I worry that Hegseth wants them to be loyal to Trump over the Constitution. Isn’t this what the Second Amendment is really all about?
Vernon – you are most correct. However, if you and I took a shot of brandy (I’m from WI) for every despicable Republican we named, we’d be on the floor in fairly short order.
This is scary stuff. Johnson was right, and no, these folks were here before 1860, just back then, I believe, they were happy, culturally supported bigots.
If Hegseth’s move is apocalyptic, as in “Bow to the king,” his being so “out there” with it signals sad confidence. And, Trump’s having fired many generals was nothing more than setting these fellows up to fear saying “No!” We might wind up seeing who has the “blood and guts” to do so. We might wind up down the tubes.
I got back on here yesterday after watching the move, “All The President’s Men”; It is so much more about bringing down Richard Nixon and “his men”, it is about who we were as Americans. One FBI agent and two gutsy Washington Post reporters REFUSED TO STOP FIGHTING TO RID THE WHITE HOUSE OF THE CRIMINALS RUNNING THIS GOVERNMENT AND ACTUALLY SAVED AMERICA. They reported money in the millions going into the “Reelect Nixon” campaign as Vice President Spiro Agnew was allowed to resign, denying us impeachment, for crimes committed before and during his position as VP. Today we watch and accept BILLIONAIRS SUPPORT THOSE DISCRIBED HERE… “Philosophers and theologians, not to mention psychiatrists, can theorize over the deficits in personality and humanity that lead otherwise normal humans to detest those “others” to such a degree that they will accept considerable personal privation if only they can be convinced that those others are suffering more…” We ignored our own history and are repeating it.
I did not intend to watch Trump’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly but when I turned on my TV after returning from my daily walk it was tuned to MSNBC and half-way through his mentally deranged lies, rhetoric, insults and threats and I could NOT stop watching. Many did not have the benefit of seeing what should have been Trump’s Swan Song and maybe that is why he and his masochistic MAGAs continue to rule.
Yesterday I deleted my comments, muttered “fuck it” to my computer and shut down. I realized I was only theorizing the obvious, “preaching to the choir” here. Maybe, MAYBE, if this blog is going beyond our group, to someone who can actually use our comments to help make a difference but we don’t have the money or the time to end Trump’s reign of terror after only NINE MONTHS.
Maybe I should just delete these comments as I did yesterday and…”File under “pathetic.”
The present cultural divide is a natural outcome when advertising for politicians, politics, becomes a pseudo-religion, and governance, the actual practice of managing a nation, is not widely understood.
The pseudo-religion of politics is bound to happen in a society that is absolutely immersed in entertainment, and politics becomes part of everyday life.
Trump entertainment is served daily because he does not mind damaging the nation to keep his image up on screens several times a day. He doesn’t care about the people who get hurt as long as he is the object of every news cycle.
Among some subcultures within the national culture, Trump rivals their favorite home team, and his actions that damage the nation become plays that get endlessly repeated and fill the airwaves.
Todd, I too have heard about, and am concerned about, the, “…upcoming meeting of Hegseth with the global leadership of the Department of War. This is entirely unprecedented, and it makes me very nervous.”
I also worry about another article I read, entitled, “Is Ukraine Preparing a False Flag?” It alleges downed Russian UAVs (drones) recovered by Ukrainians, repaired and equipped with combat warheads, marked as “Russian drones,” will be used to attack NATO transport hubs in Romania and Poland. A disinformation campaign will blame Russia for the attacks; armed conflict between NATO and Russia will ensue.
This anticipated false flag attack could have something to do with Secretary Hegseth’s meeting in Quantico.
Yes, it isn’t new, but it is confounding to realize that, as always, there are so damn many who just don’t get it. Supporting policies that are self-destructive as well as racist, misogynistic and unconstitutional seems unbelievable but is de rigueur for so many (35-40%?). Robert Reich posts that he feel the tipping point is near; I hope to hell he is correct.
Speaker Johnson is refusing to swear in new Representative Mikie Sherrill stating “There are new rules.” How do we classify this inaction? McConnell got away with refusing to schedule hearings on Democratic Judicial nominees which must be why this is allowed but how do we end it with the SCOTUS full immunity given to Trump?
Better start demonizing the thousands of young people now wearing the white
FREEDOM shirt that Charlie inspired.
Over 5000 seen at the Penn State football game – and they are registering to vote. You’ve got your work cut out for you – millions with MAGA hats and/or FREEDOM shirts. 🇺🇸
There is further evidence that suggests the phenomenon of ‘acceptance of loss’ so long as “the other” suffers has a wider reach. I’ve seen corporate executives, in role plays, at Harvard no less, in something called the “oil pricing exercise,” reject substantial dollars just to prevent another participant from gaining more. So, getting nothing is preferable to seeing “the other” get more. I was stunned to see this and realized it happens quite frequently. These are games, to be sure, but they are revealing in ways that the reality you describe and quote, Sheila, manifests. Thanks for this.
And 10 minutes ago the Washington Post reported that Trump intends to attend Pete Hegseth’s meeting of Generals and Admirals at Quantico tomorrow.
Yes, pathetic and so very, very heartbreaking, overwhelming , and frightening. But resistance needs to be steady and unrelenting… everyone who believes in the tenets and promises of the Constitution needs to do some thing… however small… some thing(s) consistently and with hope.
One more thing … Many people on this blog and elsewhere have made statements that sound something like: “Everything Trump touches fails or is destroyed.”
Well, on Friday afternoon, Trump strutted around the first tee at the Ryder Cup and the USA team ended up with a record deficit going into today’s matches. The putts wouldn’t fall, and when they did, the European team’s putts followed directly. No wonder Trump has to cheat at golf too.
Some voting Magas are hard to read and seem to be die hard republicans who have stayed loyal, so they won’t be on the losing team. As the high-cost results of the tariffs like farmers losing livelihoods to foreign competitors are being realized the group dynamics among farmers is changing. When millions loose healthcare insurance and premiums for most skyrocket, a good percentage will go without HC insurance, that has to cause worry in their daily lives. Grocery bills are increasing too much too fast, causing people to change their diets and to utilize food banks to feed their families. While these kinds of pressures might make them intensify their prejudices as a defense mechanism, they will try to relieve their economic/social pain. It might make some face facts looking for relief. Losing a small percentage of Maga voters would have a huge impact on elections, that is if the elections aren’t corrupted.
Not that it matters, particularly, but on numerous occasions when Sheila has asked “why”, I’ve answered with almost exactly the quoted paragraph that starts this blog. It’s bleeding obvious. 🙂
Why are the people in MAGA so cruel? I truly don’t get it. People are suffering and going through trauma. And instead of having empathy their response is 1 upmanship? I don’t want to see ANYONE suffer. None of this is normal and just OK. I am tired of their aggression and chaos.
We a re actually talking about primitive flaws in human beings. Need i say more than
• Rwanda massacres between groups no one could tell apart
• Czhecoslavakianr (sp??) war Serbs vs Bosnians vs…
• Francophone vs English-speaking Canadians
• “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland
• Every page of every volume of the Durants’ history of the world…