Have you read Jonathan Haidt’s book, “The Righteous Mind” about how human evolution impacted our moral frameworks? So much of it explains why liberal messaging doesn’t appeal to right-leaning and conservative people. He touches on how the sacred vs profane moral framework on the left centers on health/food (toxins vs organic/natural) and how that engages people emotionally and morally. MAHA brought lefties over with these videos about food dyes and vaccines, unfortunately
This was the most annoying part of the whole RFK getting appointed to HHS thing to me. Leftists were trying so hard to say there was some silver lining to that because he's banning food dyes and pesticides and how he pro regulations rhetorically and it drove me up a fucking wall. We don't need to concede any of the bullshit pseudoscience framing to these neo-fascists. Dems did that with immigration, buying into all of the vicious xenophobia republicans spew, and surprise surprise, you're not gonna convince anyone that you're "stronger" on immigration than the republicans. The same is the case for the rampant chemophobia being perpetuated by online grifters, you're not going to out-conspiracy conspiracists. We should be trying to educate the public, not affirm their misunderstanding of things. The less educated and scientifically literate the public becomes, the more they will vote for politics of dogmatism. We should not be encouraging it by grasping at those straws for some silly attempt as a strategic advantage, it will not work out in our favor in the end.
I do highly recommend that you read this book. In order to combat the disinformation, we have to understand why these moral appeals work and which emotions they are tapping into. Currently, we are just yelling into the wind. The right wing mediasphere is huge, it’s much bigger than institutional media. It is the dominant media landscape. We are not understanding the moral frameworks on the right, so we are using the wrong framing. Politics is persuasion and the first part of persuasion is genuinely trying to understand what is appealing to the people that are not with you so you can examine your own message to understand why it’s not landing.
One last thought: Dems often assume that if we present our facts, we can convince people via rationality and logic. But that’s not really how most people work. They feel things first based on their culture and experience and then their brain makes reasons why it’s true. That’s why chemophobia (as you put it) works online especially. People feel afraid and then they make up reasons or gravitate towards “logic” that validates those feelings and dismiss facts that dont acknowledge their fears or outrage. That’s why the right is winning at the moment. They do emotional appeals FIRST.
(there is a very graphic crime Haidt describes in the section where explains the purpose of the sacred vs profane moral frameworks. You can skip reading that one paragraph in that section and still understand what he talks about. it’s extremely disturbing.)
Yes, yes and Yes. I was a follower of many in the MAHA movement before they were MAHA and joined Levels and got their CGM’s for a year and then watched as their discussion of health became a movement and then political and watched in horror as people I knew and respected on line and in person join RFK and then Trump. What a nightmare and many in the MAHA movement are digging their heels in and turning away as the betrayal deepens and the destruction of so many American lives continues
What’s so neat about blaming anyone? That’s not how we move forward. Let’s get serious about the problems and try different solutions until we find ones that work. Sorry you have gone over to the dark, Woke, DEI, intolerant of other people’s thinking side.
This Canadian admires what you do in the toxic environment that you call home. Move to Canada, we will respect, acknowledge and appreciate your scientific study!
Over the past 8+ years I can't tell you how many times I have asked the Chicken Littles around me to not panic and/or to think more rationally about how to deal with reality (Classic Example: The universal Covid quarantine in place solution instead of simply protecting the 60+ with infirmities crowd while the rest of the population got back to work instead of shutting down our lives and the economy for 2 years) going forward.
The truth is that no one on the right is intentionally trying to ruin lives. Our entitlements system is broken and over burdened. There are hundreds of thousands/millions of people on the Medicare rolls who shouldn't be. That in itself is killing our healthcare infrastructure and ability to provide services.
Calling half of the country ignorant, heartless, Facists, racists, garbage or worse is a dishonest reaction to what solutions are now being tried to get us out of this unbelievable mess caused by our politicians kicking cans down the road, for decades, instead of making honest efforts to reverse the deficit spending and to address mismanaged government and pseudo government agency operations.
I am waiting for the Democrats to stop screaming their negative platitudes and instead ask to talk with the President about how to integrate their ideas into his plans and craft bipartisan solutions.
Always remember to treat and speak to others the way you would like to be treated.
You're in great luck. That health system you're concerned about is going to be simultaneously underfunded and overwhelmed past your wildest fantasies.
This is going to visit you and the ones you love personally. The neat part is, you'll find a way to pin the entirety of it on the Democrats when it was your vote that helped facilitate all of it. This has been the plan since at least the Regan era. Democrats have no part in this except to act as the scapegoat. It's not for lack of trying to work with Republicans. There is an agenda, and it's not for your betterment. It hasn't been for a very long time, and it's going to get ever so much worse.
P.S. I spent most of my life identifying as a right-leaning centrist. I was a Republican voter.
Don't give up please - your writing is so important and we need to keep fighting. I subscribed in support.
So perfectly and accurately stated.
Please keep doing what you’re doing! Please don’t be discouraged.
Yes those idiots did. Just what we needed coupled with Oz and RFK Jr. it’s a catastrophe.
I wept today. The grief is just so heavy.
Have you read Jonathan Haidt’s book, “The Righteous Mind” about how human evolution impacted our moral frameworks? So much of it explains why liberal messaging doesn’t appeal to right-leaning and conservative people. He touches on how the sacred vs profane moral framework on the left centers on health/food (toxins vs organic/natural) and how that engages people emotionally and morally. MAHA brought lefties over with these videos about food dyes and vaccines, unfortunately
This was the most annoying part of the whole RFK getting appointed to HHS thing to me. Leftists were trying so hard to say there was some silver lining to that because he's banning food dyes and pesticides and how he pro regulations rhetorically and it drove me up a fucking wall. We don't need to concede any of the bullshit pseudoscience framing to these neo-fascists. Dems did that with immigration, buying into all of the vicious xenophobia republicans spew, and surprise surprise, you're not gonna convince anyone that you're "stronger" on immigration than the republicans. The same is the case for the rampant chemophobia being perpetuated by online grifters, you're not going to out-conspiracy conspiracists. We should be trying to educate the public, not affirm their misunderstanding of things. The less educated and scientifically literate the public becomes, the more they will vote for politics of dogmatism. We should not be encouraging it by grasping at those straws for some silly attempt as a strategic advantage, it will not work out in our favor in the end.
I do highly recommend that you read this book. In order to combat the disinformation, we have to understand why these moral appeals work and which emotions they are tapping into. Currently, we are just yelling into the wind. The right wing mediasphere is huge, it’s much bigger than institutional media. It is the dominant media landscape. We are not understanding the moral frameworks on the right, so we are using the wrong framing. Politics is persuasion and the first part of persuasion is genuinely trying to understand what is appealing to the people that are not with you so you can examine your own message to understand why it’s not landing.
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into it!
One last thought: Dems often assume that if we present our facts, we can convince people via rationality and logic. But that’s not really how most people work. They feel things first based on their culture and experience and then their brain makes reasons why it’s true. That’s why chemophobia (as you put it) works online especially. People feel afraid and then they make up reasons or gravitate towards “logic” that validates those feelings and dismiss facts that dont acknowledge their fears or outrage. That’s why the right is winning at the moment. They do emotional appeals FIRST.
(there is a very graphic crime Haidt describes in the section where explains the purpose of the sacred vs profane moral frameworks. You can skip reading that one paragraph in that section and still understand what he talks about. it’s extremely disturbing.)
Yes, yes and Yes. I was a follower of many in the MAHA movement before they were MAHA and joined Levels and got their CGM’s for a year and then watched as their discussion of health became a movement and then political and watched in horror as people I knew and respected on line and in person join RFK and then Trump. What a nightmare and many in the MAHA movement are digging their heels in and turning away as the betrayal deepens and the destruction of so many American lives continues
.
What’s so neat about blaming anyone? That’s not how we move forward. Let’s get serious about the problems and try different solutions until we find ones that work. Sorry you have gone over to the dark, Woke, DEI, intolerant of other people’s thinking side.
Thank you for clearly summarizing issues and guiding us in where to focus - your expertise is needed and appreciated!
This Canadian admires what you do in the toxic environment that you call home. Move to Canada, we will respect, acknowledge and appreciate your scientific study!
Over the past 8+ years I can't tell you how many times I have asked the Chicken Littles around me to not panic and/or to think more rationally about how to deal with reality (Classic Example: The universal Covid quarantine in place solution instead of simply protecting the 60+ with infirmities crowd while the rest of the population got back to work instead of shutting down our lives and the economy for 2 years) going forward.
The truth is that no one on the right is intentionally trying to ruin lives. Our entitlements system is broken and over burdened. There are hundreds of thousands/millions of people on the Medicare rolls who shouldn't be. That in itself is killing our healthcare infrastructure and ability to provide services.
Calling half of the country ignorant, heartless, Facists, racists, garbage or worse is a dishonest reaction to what solutions are now being tried to get us out of this unbelievable mess caused by our politicians kicking cans down the road, for decades, instead of making honest efforts to reverse the deficit spending and to address mismanaged government and pseudo government agency operations.
I am waiting for the Democrats to stop screaming their negative platitudes and instead ask to talk with the President about how to integrate their ideas into his plans and craft bipartisan solutions.
Always remember to treat and speak to others the way you would like to be treated.
You're in great luck. That health system you're concerned about is going to be simultaneously underfunded and overwhelmed past your wildest fantasies.
This is going to visit you and the ones you love personally. The neat part is, you'll find a way to pin the entirety of it on the Democrats when it was your vote that helped facilitate all of it. This has been the plan since at least the Regan era. Democrats have no part in this except to act as the scapegoat. It's not for lack of trying to work with Republicans. There is an agenda, and it's not for your betterment. It hasn't been for a very long time, and it's going to get ever so much worse.
P.S. I spent most of my life identifying as a right-leaning centrist. I was a Republican voter.