You aren’t understanding that it doesn’t matter. The bigger the crowds, the worse it is for MAGA, and they KNOW it. Assigning a number that can make them panic as it increases is the objective. It’s an enormously powerful psychological tool
Maybe it isn’t accurate, or it’s more nuanced than that, but all that is lost on MAGAs. They are cowardly to their core, so if they think their world ends at 12.5 million people, then they will get more and more frightened as we get closer, and either fight or surrender. Most will surrender, and we can deal decisively with those who try to fight.
We have to keep beating them over the head with the rising number getting closer and closer to the Tipping Point. That will keep them increasingly scared and vulnerable.
There’s definitely been some fallacious “appeals to popularity” from them. Like, someone will say that “I empathize with other human beings”, and they’ll snicker “Oh, buddy. You just outed yourself. The days are coming for people like you.” and the first person will just reply “WTF are you talking about? I don’t care if there are only 2 other people like me in the world, or if you’re threatening me, I’ll still hold to empathy.”
Those conversations worry them. Learning that they’re the minority, especially when the majority is not easily typecast as “illegal immigrants”, scares them.
It’s psychological warfare against people who have poor emotional coping skills. Every day that MAGA is unhappy is a good day for the rest of us. It throws them off their game, and causes them to make mistakes at a greater rate than usual, which makes it harder for them to hold their coalition together, and makes it worse for them in the next election.
While you’re not wrong, I believe it works for another reason. Almost nobody forms and acts on a political opinion in complete isolation; most of us follow the herd to a greater or lesser extent. And if we consider “herd followers”, (ie. people whose choice of political action or inaction is primarily motivated by what they see other people around them doing) as a demographic, it would be an overwhelmingly huge demographic, the majority of the population. There’s any number of reasons why people might act this way. Maybe they lack the resources or confidence to form an independent political opinion. Maybe they made a pragmatic choice for the sake of their own personal safety, or that of their children. Maybe something in between.
But the important point is that this demographic is huge, so much so that no political movement could hope to succeed without courting them effectively. How do you get these people to join you? Well, that’s simple, they are herd followers, so you have to be (or appear to be) “the herd”. When you see 7 million people in the streets, the message is clear. That’s the herd. That’s the way the wind is blowing. That’s how you get that demographic on your side, and when you do that, you win.
You aren’t understanding that it doesn’t matter. The bigger the crowds, the worse it is for MAGA, and they KNOW it. Assigning a number that can make them panic as it increases is the objective. It’s an enormously powerful psychological tool
Maybe it isn’t accurate, or it’s more nuanced than that, but all that is lost on MAGAs. They are cowardly to their core, so if they think their world ends at 12.5 million people, then they will get more and more frightened as we get closer, and either fight or surrender. Most will surrender, and we can deal decisively with those who try to fight.
We have to keep beating them over the head with the rising number getting closer and closer to the Tipping Point. That will keep them increasingly scared and vulnerable.
There’s definitely been some fallacious “appeals to popularity” from them. Like, someone will say that “I empathize with other human beings”, and they’ll snicker “Oh, buddy. You just outed yourself. The days are coming for people like you.” and the first person will just reply “WTF are you talking about? I don’t care if there are only 2 other people like me in the world, or if you’re threatening me, I’ll still hold to empathy.”
Those conversations worry them. Learning that they’re the minority, especially when the majority is not easily typecast as “illegal immigrants”, scares them.
And making them panic does what, exactly?
Making someone panic is a great way to “encourage” them to make big mistakes. Panicky people don’t make good decisions.
It’s psychological warfare against people who have poor emotional coping skills. Every day that MAGA is unhappy is a good day for the rest of us. It throws them off their game, and causes them to make mistakes at a greater rate than usual, which makes it harder for them to hold their coalition together, and makes it worse for them in the next election.
While you’re not wrong, I believe it works for another reason. Almost nobody forms and acts on a political opinion in complete isolation; most of us follow the herd to a greater or lesser extent. And if we consider “herd followers”, (ie. people whose choice of political action or inaction is primarily motivated by what they see other people around them doing) as a demographic, it would be an overwhelmingly huge demographic, the majority of the population. There’s any number of reasons why people might act this way. Maybe they lack the resources or confidence to form an independent political opinion. Maybe they made a pragmatic choice for the sake of their own personal safety, or that of their children. Maybe something in between.
But the important point is that this demographic is huge, so much so that no political movement could hope to succeed without courting them effectively. How do you get these people to join you? Well, that’s simple, they are herd followers, so you have to be (or appear to be) “the herd”. When you see 7 million people in the streets, the message is clear. That’s the herd. That’s the way the wind is blowing. That’s how you get that demographic on your side, and when you do that, you win.