My interpretation is that, in current circumstances, cruelty is the principal way to enforce hierarchy. But, I might have to give up on trying to understand US politics because the differences between the two parties are shrinking.
Yes it certainly is the way to enforce the hierarchy (and some just like to do the cruelty and would join a side that allows them to be cruel), and the difference between the parties seems to be more about what the hierarchy is, and a big risk of having one ‘the important part of the hierarchy is following the system/rules’ that after the system/rules gets corrupted, they will join in. (This explains also why so many organizations are agreeing in advance with Trump/Musks bs). Anyway, I meant this whole post in ‘understand your enemies’ way, as a lot of things on the right do not make sense if you only look at the cruelty angle (like the popularity of the ‘cuck’ insult thing which in the past decade really has taken off (the r-slur now coming back is a really worrying development in all this also btw, as people are now ‘allowed to be cruel’ again)), which is not to dismiss cruelty btw (I’d take special notice of the people who are now using the system to do performative cruelty on people). It just feels incomplete to me. Also there certainly are factions who just want to be cruel, but they would lash out more to all sides (like how 4channers try to trick other 4channers a lot, trolls be trolls). But I’m just thinking out loud here, I have not put this all together in a well reasoned argument, it is more an intuition that they are not totally sadistic nihilists. And hey, ‘the cruelty is the point’ is good messaging for the leftwing people/people who are open to being convinced to become leftwingers (all these political opinions not being static in people and all), also contrast this message with the ‘they are weird’ message.
Yes it certainly is the way to enforce the hierarchy (and some just like to do the cruelty and would join a side that allows them to be cruel), and the difference between the parties seems to be more about what the hierarchy is, and a big risk of having one ‘the important part of the hierarchy is following the system/rules’ that after the system/rules gets corrupted, they will join in. (This explains also why so many organizations are agreeing in advance with Trump/Musks bs). Anyway, I meant this whole post in ‘understand your enemies’ way, as a lot of things on the right do not make sense if you only look at the cruelty angle (like the popularity of the ‘cuck’ insult thing which in the past decade really has taken off (the r-slur now coming back is a really worrying development in all this also btw, as people are now ‘allowed to be cruel’ again)), which is not to dismiss cruelty btw (I’d take special notice of the people who are now using the system to do performative cruelty on people). It just feels incomplete to me. Also there certainly are factions who just want to be cruel, but they would lash out more to all sides (like how 4channers try to trick other 4channers a lot, trolls be trolls). But I’m just thinking out loud here, I have not put this all together in a well reasoned argument, it is more an intuition that they are not totally sadistic nihilists. And hey, ‘the cruelty is the point’ is good messaging for the leftwing people/people who are open to being convinced to become leftwingers (all these political opinions not being static in people and all), also contrast this message with the ‘they are weird’ message.