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Another front for attacking propaganda: empathy and compassion. Authoritarians need a reservoir of hurting puppies to feed their cause. Especially vulnerable, dispirited macho types who are feeling disempowered and don't want to talk about it, because that's not the macho way to deal with it. Macedonian teenagers (wired.com/2017/02/veles…
Another front for attacking propaganda: empathy and compassion. Authoritarians need a reservoir of hurting puppies to feed their cause. Especially vulnerable, dispirited macho types who are feeling disempowered and don't want to talk about it, because that's not the macho way to deal with it. Macedonian teenagers (https://www.wired.com/2017/02/veles-macedonia-fake-news/) would not have been able to line their pockets without an audience that was ready and willing. It's not like they created this audience - it was already there.
Also, some rational grievances are driving part of this. Political scientist Nicholas Jacobs (whose work was (mis)cited in White Rural Rage) talks about misinterpreting resentment as rage. Great article here: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/04/05/white-rural-rage-myth-00150395
I'm not sure how to approach this. Any shrinks out there? The direct approach of saying "I know you're a hurting puppy" to someone who's a hurting puppy and doesn't want to be seen as a hurting puppy is probably not going to fly. Brendan Nyhan (https://govt.dartmouth.edu/people/brendan-nyhan) is a political scientist who has done some research in this area.
Groups like Braver Angels (https://braverangels.org/) are working to bridge this divide. Unfortunately, they can only draw from people on both sides who are willing to talk, so this is only a partial approach.
I think that asking a question of someone like that might work. You could just start with asking, "This really bothers you, doesn't it?" and finding out what particular grievances the person has, then draw out one at a time. I say this because I've done that on voter phonebanks, when I've gotten disgruntled and angry voters; if I just agree that they are really upset, that can get them to start talking. Once I find out what they think ("all Mexicans are criminals!!") I have been able to ask, "All women and chlldren, too? They cross the border." I'm experimenting to see how honest these guys (it's always the men) will be.