You're painting with way too broad a brush, RL. It's more a bludgeon.

I believe that Rob doesn't watch Fox News. Conservative mouthpieces and demagogues all claim that all conservatives everywhere are in lockstep agreement with them, and claim the mainstream for good measure, but it'd be foolish to buy into their propaganda. I see individual conservatives struggle against the assumption of lockstep thinking, coming from both sides, and I've seen it happen to Rob a lot (yeah, I've done it). Lots of Zone conservatives have tried to claim Rob's intellectual allegiance, but I've rarely seen anybody ask him first.

God knows I achieved notoriety with the post to Tom wondering "why are y'all shitting your pants now?", but I'm beginning to think after a week of seeing widespread mocking and deriding of conservative fears, that it's probably counterproductive. If we take at face value that they're really scared, isn't it cruel to attack the fear, and churlish for good measure?

Think of 'em as poor little primates (everybody take a drink, I worked in primates!) huddled in the cave shivering in fear, hearing the faint padding and sniffing of the lion prowling outside. That's a useful way to visualize the rightwing authoritarian I go on about; that mental model isn't a weapon, it's a tool for making sense of about a third of the population. Who vote. Often with malice aforethought, when they're afraid.

It may be that the only way out, now, is to find a way to comfort the little guys and calm the fear. And refrain from attacking it, and perhaps exacerbating it.

Or not, your call. I've pretty much given up hope of seeing Americans regain their senses and get a grip before triggering Armageddon. At this point I just wonder which cliff we'll stampede off. Yippy kai yay.