Republicans Use Anger & Conspiracy, Democrats Use Satire & Empathy

Conspiracy and Anger raises more money and followers, Satire and Empathy wins more hearts and companions – but which wins more elections?

In an earlier post about some random Republican conspiracy theories I threw out the question whether or not it’s possible for extreme right wing Republicans to use satire and sarcasm as a method of commenting on political rivals. I think we should expand on that question within the overall US political environment.

Is satire possible when people are so darn angry?

This issue applies to both extremes in the major political parties in America. Of late, I’ve encountered what can only be stereo-typed as “self-righteous democrats” who are so angry at the world that they, too, have lost their sense of sarcasm. It’s as if the purification drive that normally only manifests on the far right of the political aisle has seeped into the hard left. (Puritanical liberals? How bizarre and unsettling is that?) Nevertheless, the deer in the headlights look that I once exclusively received in reply to fact-based argument from members of the Tea Party, I now occasionally see coming from those on the far left as well. Anger, regardless of political affiliation, seems to be the common denominator.

What’s the lesson from this unfortunate characteristic crossing of the political aisle?

American politics needs to try less chest pounding, and more fact-based decision making. Stop, drop and listen. That’s the only way to be productive in a pluralistic society…

… Nearly all other western countries have discovered this Truth about governance, but the NASCAR Nation and “Mis-Remember the Alamo!” factions of American politics can’t move beyond caveman-style, chest pounding patriotism. Since they won’t shut the F*** up and listen for awhile, they can’t learn and grasp that true patriotism is a humble, quite pride – one that reinvests in its country, rather than takes everything possible from it. When a thing is “the best”, there’s no need to shout it from every rooftop. There’s no need for a “We’re Number One!” foam-rubber finger to wave at the camera. When a thing is wise, it doesn’t have prove it on a game show. Greatness doesn’t need to advertise. Greatness is…

So where does all this chest-pounding patriotism come from? The tone of the political right is fundamentally led by whatever is happening on talk radio, a select set of bloggers, and Fox “News”. For now, though, we’ll focus on only one entertainer, Rush Limbaugh, “The Original King” of the Republican Party’s messaging and motivational speeches.  (It’s notable, however: with the ever-increasing factions inside the Republican Party, each segment seems to have its own media king that they follow, which is why it’s become so darn difficult for a GOP controlled Congress to get anything done. It’s easier, however, to make the argument by looking at just Rush since he’s probably the most well-known by those of us who do not live in Republicanland.)

Emotionally, Rush is an angry man, but in life he’s actually fairly happy and congenial because he knows that by saying inflammatory things it will get him more money: commercials, speaking gigs, book sales. Right-wing politics is one of the most lucrative monetizing machines in American history. There’s a special thing about anger, fear, yawning, and laughter: when 1 person in 100 is doing one of those things, the other 99 start to as well. We’re emotional pack animals. We are and ever will be The Mob.

Too often that part of human nature is forgotten. No matter how many cable channels we have on our TVs or apps on our phones – we’re still just pack animals. (Interesting side note: my absolute favorite example of this is the Dancing Plague of 1518… one is hard-pressed to find a better example of how susceptible to suggestion our minds really are.)

Dancing plagues aside, back to the GOP and it’s inability to understand sarcasm. Yes, Rush is ANGRY (but admittedly, nowhere near as angry as Alex Jones). He’s angry with a bank account in mind. Given that all of the kingmakers in Republicanland employ anger to boost their sales more than they do anything else, the political and tone of the Right is, once again, determined on maximizing profit more so than policymaking. I don’t think Rush Limbaugh is crazy; he just wants to make more money. Unfortunately, that process negatively influences the general attitude and personality of the country. As is the truth with most human beings, Rush and the more extreme within the right-wing media have only short term goals in mind: make more money and get more celebrity / power. They don’t care about the after effects later down the line, which as we are seeing is a pretty nasty picture or spite and hate.

Rush would lose money if he kept the tone of the debate honorable, and (dare I desire) sane. People talk around water coolers about conspiracy theories more than they do about good policy, so “ka-ching” Rush and the right-wing media foster conspiracy and being angry about it to maintain ad income. Fairly straight forward business plan, if you ask me.

Angry people also unite, often times blindly, which is also valuable to the GOP monetization machine. Anger overrides clear thinking, which can also be quite advantageous when your are trying to point people all in the same direction. Anger is not only the mob, it’s what controls the mob and gives it direction.

Many people think that Democrats are weak. In many ways I agree insofar as I wish they would fight more. Being friends with everyone can be overrated. However, great leeway needs to be given for empathy. Empathy ties democrats together, and as such by their nature they are more prone to WANT to compromise as a means to finding the best solution for everyone.

Empathy is the enemy of tax cuts, massive defense spending, and unrestricted financial markets. Anger can squelch empathy. Keep people angry, and you decrease the chances of their in any way empathizing with anyone not like them. No one ever said the Republican Part is dumb, but they sure are cynical and greedy.

Democrats also are much more prone to satire and sarcasm – in my opinion because often times it’s the only way to come to grips with all the hypocrisy and sometimes pure nuttiness in Washington. How else can you deal with it? Either get angry, or make fun of it.

Republicans get angry, Democrats satirize.

It’s possible that I don’t read the magazines or papers employing sarcasm from a Republican Party point of view. They might very well be out there. And I mean good, smart sarcasm, not the mean mockery of a high school bully we often hear from right-wing radio. Cartoons of a democrat hugging a tree, or Obama holding a banana are not smart. Those are mean and childish.

There aren’t any John Stewarts or Stephen Colberts of the Right, and (as far as I know – they have people who like to prank Planned Parenthood and Acorn, but that’s just entrapment driven by paranoia and hate… it ain’t sarcasm or satire.) there are no Rush Limbaughs and Glenn Becks of the Left. Even left-wing activists don’t scream hateful words on a daily basis into a mic, or blow up clinics – because they have empathy. Empathy vs. Anger. American politics in a nutshell.