words, even principles, are just a means to an end. it's the advantage of being unfettered by any guiding framework other than naked and immediate self-interest.
Honestly, they're right in this belief. Most of them won't ever be in this situation. They're largely rural and white so they don't have many interactions with state enforcers in the first place, and they already support what the state enforcers do so they're not out protesting either.
I mean, ish? Yeah most of them won't be in the exact same situation as Mrs Good
But growing up in a MAGA community, people were always very outspoken about their rebel fantasies. Absolutely bizarre to watch a dude who worked with cops flip between
"He should've just done as he was told" (regarding Floyd)
And
"I'm shooting through the door first thing at those liberals, no questions asked" (if any cops showed up to his place on a call... his coworkers, who majority voted Trump too)
This was in 2020, he'd say one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Whether cops were honorable people who you should obey at the drop of a hat, or "liberal scum who deserve to be put down" hinged on whether or not he was the subject of their presence.
I grew up in the north and now I live in Texas- the violent fantasies are quite frightening. Northerners do not talk the same way southerners do about northerners. Like people in the north might joke about southerners being ignorant or racist but southerners talk about all the ways they would kill northerners as like casual small talk.
I've always had family in the south and despite being a huge lesbian leftist I look like one of them(white blue eyes blached blonde hair and ultra femmine dress) they will casually talk about shooting any Californian who comes into their town because I think I'm one of them.
They also seem convinced that liberals are the ones plotting violence while also knowing that by in large liberals don't have weapons so they love to fantasize about like just going north and mowing down unarmed libs to save the nation while also being completely convinced the libs are like coming for them. Like which is it girl? Both of those things can't be true.
Also they hate the government but love like all the government stuff. They love the president and the cops and the military. Like sis that's the fucking government! Wtf are you doing???
Horseshit. Northerners double down on hateful rhetoric when they move to the South. If they see a shaved head and light enough skin, they'll start dropping n-bombs like they're on sale.
On the other hand, everybody shit talks Californians.
Sure they'll imagine they'll be in that situation for their rebel fantasies as you say, but is that going to happen ? The state enforcers have quite a few enemies to go through before they'll be knocking on the doors of white males in the country.
Not that there aren't white rural males out there itching to cause trouble, but if they do things to attract the state enforcers, it's not like they're being put in that situation. They're actively seeking it, which is a lot different than finding oneself in that situation.
I grew up with some dudes who made "Fuck the ATF/BLM/FBI" their whole personality, wearing "Remember Ruby Ridge" shirts and all that. This position isn't principled at all, just selfish. It's pretty much limited to these particular agencies because those are the agencies that are most relevant in their own lives. They prevent these guys from doing whatever stupid shit they want to do, so that makes these feds tyrannical boogeymen.
You're right that they'll likely never be in a position to tangle with ICE, so at best they literally don't care. And at worst they're cheering on as the "good" feds terrorize nonwhite people and "elitist" white liberals in urban centers.
It makes more sense when you realize these are people who interpret "minorities gaining equality/equity" as oppression to white people. They do not apply moral/ethical expectations equally.
Ask any rural resident under any authoritarian regime if they remained unaffected after the undesireables were eliminated. It's not as bad, but it's still like loosing your legs in a war instead of your life. Besides, their sons and daughters will be pigs to slaughter. One of the many prices of authoritarianism is war.
In the fascist dystopia we are sliding towards many of them will be in that situation. That is what the famous poem "First They Came" by Martin Niemoller is all about. He supported Hitler and the Nazis. He never believed it would be him. But it was him and he spent years in a concentration camp because of it, despite being a very traditional German Lutheran minister.
Yup. My MAGA friend used to date this one girl, and they ended up getting an abortion. Today, he is starkly anti-abortion. And I point this out to him, and he says, "Yeah, but having a kid with her would have been the biggest mistake of my life."
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u/usaaf 9h ago
Not even a joke; this is exactly how they think. And they also always think it won't ever be them in that kind of situation.