I've been engaging right wingers in various contexts for over a decade now. Here is my view of how their minds work - and it's stereotypical: you see the same things over and over and over.
The foundation for their belief system is fear and a deep negativity.
Their world view is based on -
- ignorance
- prejudice
- reality denial
- magical thinking
- ignorance
- prejudice
- reality denial
- magical thinking
This is supported by cherry picking favorable bits of data and information, while ignoring the larger picture -- epistemic closure. The flip side is steadfastly holding on to ideas that are demonstrably not true - the entire genre of ridiculous conspiracy theories.
Their technique of argumentation is -
- deny
- delay
- distract
- deflect
- deny
- delay
- distract
- deflect
Hence their tendencies toward what-about-ism, changing the subject and personal attacks.
They manifest all this with the trifecta of right wing behaviors -
- projection
- an often stunning lack of self awareness
- tone deafness to irony
- projection
- an often stunning lack of self awareness
- tone deafness to irony
Be on the look out for these things. It is how they always operate. Because when when facts, data and all the other aspects of reality are not on your side, what else are you going to do?
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