Politics of Hate category archive

Via Job’s Anger.

A sure sign that someone is a letting his racism flag fly: Complaining about discrimination against “European-Americans.”

At Psychology Today Blogs, Pamela Paretsky considers the psychology of political violence. Here’s a bit; follow the link for the rest:

In examining speeches given by leaders of extreme political groups, psychologist David Matsumoto and his colleagues discovered that when leaders invoke anger plus contempt and disgust, their followers are more likely to devalue members of the out-group and respond with violence. White supremacists/nationalists have a long history of devaluing their out-group. As recent events remind us, anger, contempt, and disgust combined with racism, antisemitism, and the rejection of inclusive American ideals is a particularly dangerous and even deadly combination.

At Psychology Today Blogs, Alice LoCicero explores reasons why “good kids” may be susceptible to appeals to join white supremacist groups. She theorizes that a misguided, even misappropriated, sense of justice may form part of the equation. An excerpt:

. . . the stories of kids recruited to violent groups of many kinds, in many parts of the world, have parallels. The stories are best understood as problematic expressions of normal development—in many cases the problems that begin the derailment of normal adolescent development are entrenched social problems—problems that cause economic and social inequality on a massive scale. When young people with a personal sense that their families and communities are not being given a fair chance, that those families and communities are without a voice, and are without the power to change these unjust circumstances by their own actions, the youth are at risk of being recruited to groups advocating violence for what they wrongly convince the youth is a good cause. .

I’m not sure I buy her theory in toto and her article has a few leaps of logic (not that I necessarily disagree with the gist of what she says, but that the connections are not well-made), but I do think she’s on to something.

It’s only in cartoons that the bad guy twirls his mustache, and says, “What kind of evil shall I do today?” In real life, the baddest bad guy thinks that his actions are somehow justified or, at least, excusable.

Yet more hate-full frolics.

Oh, hell, I tried to write something, but I couldn’t.

Words failed me.

“But it was only a joke” frolics.

Afterthought:

I have observed that “it was only a joke” is frequently the last resort of those who propagate hate.