Quote:Trumpism isn’t defined by racism and tribal dominance rituals alone. It is a value system that prizes lying and dirty dealing as tools of solidarity and of hoarding power. It is why Trump feels comfortable saying whatever nonsense he wants to say—about caravans, and riots, and Hillary Clinton colluding with Russians—in the service of whatever goal he’s trying to advance. The general awareness, right and left, that he’s flooding the zone with horseshit actually strengthens his position among Republicans.
Brian Beutler
Obviously that isn't so for all Republicans but it is generally true of the shape of modern movement conservatism and it certainly true for his base. Trump "owning the libs" is what matters most of all.
Why are these folks so amenable to such a value set? I'd argue that it comes after decades of imbibing the rhetoric of right wing media. Consider Limbaugh or Coulter or Levin or Hannity or Breitbart etc etc. These people/entities operate in the same manner as trolls
Quote:a troll is a person who starts quarrels or upsets people on the Internet to distract and sow discord by posting inflammatory and digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional responses and normalizing tangential discussion, whether for the troll's amusement or a specific gain.
Obviously, these behaviors and motivations aren't isolated in internet engagement and certainly existed prior to the internet. Recall Limbaugh's loyal listeners who described themselves (proudly) as "dittoheads" - whatever Rush might say, his listeners were right on board, the more strident the better. The more Rush "owned the libs", all the better.
It's my perception that this fundamental aspect of right wing media ethos and behavior has profoundly influenced the modern party and conservatism in its present form. It is commonly what we see in this forum or any other such. It is what we saw at Covington High School. It's what we saw with "Lock her up!". It's what we see in nearly 100% of Trump's tweets and other personally authored statements.
It is difficult to impossible to have a rational, valuable conversation with a troll because his/her goal is precisely to thwart any such. And it is difficult to impossible, presently, to have a functioning, productive government when one party is so steeped in trolling behaviors and values.
