Evil

[Cyrano]

Many of us, me included, have used the word “evil” to describe Republicans in general and wingnuts in particular. But it’s possible we’ve cast too wide a net.

Most of them are people with whom we couldn’t disagree more. Many are ignorant of reality, some are perhaps psychologically damaged, and others are just plain dumb.

As a non believer, I never put much meaning in the word “evil.” But I’ve reached the point in life where I believe that evil might actually exist. And if it does, it exists in those who know the difference between right and wrong, yet ignore it for their own insatiable greed and power.

On which side of the political spectrum are these people? Do you really need to be told? The Republican Party has long been the home for assorted nuts, but they’ve finally gone off the deep end. Moderate Republicans are not welcome in their circles. And they are doing everything possible to please the tea baggers, the militias, and every other fringe group of ignorant, and in some cases, dangerous people.

It is those who are pulling the strings that I define as evil. They are the true villains. They are the enemies of everything decent. And they are the enemy we must defeat before they can attach us all to their leashes – or worse.

[ROakes1019]

1. on evil

I'm with you on thinking "evil" is more a religious term than psychological term. I believe sociopaths are bad but not really evil. One of my favorite poets is William Blake, who believed only jealousy is anything approaching evil. I think a lot of what we're seeing is angry people who aren't getting their way and are acting out or throwing temper tantrums. What kind of gets me is all these Bible thumpers I live around here in Mississippi. They may not be evil but they certainly aren't what I would call Christian. It's just a cultural thing here to be Christian and a social thing. My husband watches nothing but Fox. I have a friend from childhood who puts a Christian (their form of it) on everything. She sent me a novel someone in her family had written and asked me to critique it. It was a Christian romance. I just couldn't bring myself to read it and told her I couldn't. What amazes me is that she doesn't know me well enough by now to know that I don't share her Christian beliefs. This year my husband and not I, who get my expensive drugs from Canada, will face the donut hole. Do you think he will appreciate the medical reform bill now? No, these people don't make the connection between their own personal situations and their political loyalties. I wish I could move back to Florida, where my only child lives, but at my age I don't see how I can do that. I just wish people around me here would respect my difference from them.

[librechik]

2. these folks are also victimized by propaganda programs and believe stuff that isn't true

And certain people DID THIS TO THEM. These people are identifiable and can be stopped, with the right tools, or counter-propagandized--if we had anything like a media campaign or think tanks on our side, which we don't really have. But once they get these lies in their heads, it is very difficult to talk them out of it.

[Cyrano]

3. Hi, ROakes: I too find it amazing how people do not connect their

personal situations and their political loyalties.

But your husband, in watching only Fox "News," is being brainwashed beyond repair. In that kind of situation, I'd pull an Elvis and shoot the TV set.

It's too bad you're living among so many "Christians," who have been far too brainwashed for you to ever get through to them. I don't think I could ever put up with that kind of environment, but you'll find many people here on DU in similar circumstances.

To change the subject completely, I hope you don't mind my making a suggestion. When typing a post as long as the one you just did, break it up into smaller paragraphs by arbitrarily spacing after every four or six lines (as I've done here).

The spacing makes posts easier to read, and you'll find that more people will read them and respond.

[seabeyond]

4. i am a calif living in tx. a couple weeks ago we drove to san franscico. my boys and i standing

on the busy streets walking the city. it felt soooooo good. the energy of the people felt so good. i felt like i had come home. it was comforting.

my boys have been raised in texas. i had to keep reminding them it was not a competition between calif and tx, just different. a different nice. a different people.

but it felt really good

[BailoutBill]

5. It's systemic

Personal characteristics aside probably best to look at the system as a whole.