• Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca
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    1 month ago

    He still got 63 million votes in 2016 (46.1%) and 74 million in 2020 (46.8%). More people voted for trump even after that disaster of a presidency.

    Even though he never got over 50%, 74 million is still way too much for anyone to be comfortable with. It clearly indicates that something is wrong with many Americans.

    • lennybird@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      It clearly indicates that something is wrong with many Americans.

      Sadly I think it indicates systemic failures and Americans are the effect and much less the cause.

      What I mean is that a combination of:

      • Electoral college & Money in Politics
      • Diminishing education standards (e.g., critical-thinking skills, civics, US History)
      • “News” media-entertainment that legally spreads disinformation (combined with foreign operatives).

      … All culminates in a society that is very easily duped. I talk to Trump supporters all the time and while sure many are simply greedy psychopaths… Many are also just “nice, but kinda dumb” in that they have no capacity to parse fact from fiction and so are easily-grifted targets for lies and choir-preaching (sometimes quite literally from Sunday church).

      • Optional@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Don’t forget microplastics in the brain.

        I’m worried that’s actually going to turn out to be a thing.

        • lennybird@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Oh for sure. No doubt does Lead exposure (firing ammunition elevates levels), boomer-era leaded gasoline (and modern aircraft), paint, etc. + Traumatic Brain Injuries (CTE) from football + Substance abuse —namely alcohol play a part. Microplastics may very well be the next thing…

    • grue@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      74 million is still way too much for anyone to be comfortable with. It clearly indicates that something is wrong with many Americans.

      To put a finer point in it, even just one million is way too much! The fact that 22% of the total population is suffering some sort of mass delusion and is in cult-like thrall to a demented fascist is unfathomably catastrophic.