Proglodytes discuss the shame of having a bagger in the wood pile

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

gollygee (13,531 posts)

I have a family member who is a member of the Tea Party
   
and who thinks he's an economic genius (libertarian all the way,) and is a proud Male Rights Advocate who thinks most claims of rape are false and most incidents of domestic violence are women beating up men - and if men fight back and send the woman to the hospital, well that's her problem. (You all know how I feel about that, right? I'm from the infamous HOF group.) He thinks there's no such thing as white privilege, and in fact these days people of color have more rights than anyone else, except maybe gay people. (He is so tired of rainbow flags.) He also thinks that the War on Women is a complete falsehood and it's really about women thinking they have a right to kill babies. He also has the biggest sense of entitlement I have ever seen, all the while talking continually about how poor people, working people, and people of color supposedly have huge senses of entitlement. He hates unions, thinks that all pensions should be cut off because that's a "sense of entitlement" thing too, the minimum wage should be ended, social security is Marxist, and I'm sure you can fill in any blanks.

I don't know how to talk to him. I'm supposed to spend Christmas with him at another family member's house. How am I going to do this? He's announced that he won't be buying anyone Christmas presents this year because money is tight for him (despite buying a very expensive new car recently) but he still expects us to buy him Christmas presents. I just got off the phone with him and I'm like, "WHAT?" His wording was more like that they couldn't afford to buy presents, but they were looking forward to Christmas with family since they wouldn't be able to afford to even buy each other gifts and it would otherwise not be a very exciting holiday as they wouldn't get anything at all. If I were in that position, I'd say that we wouldn't be able to exchange gifts that year. I wouldn't tell people I still expected to get them to get me presents. I don't think he even understood that he was saying he wasn't buying others gifts, but still wanted gifts given to him, and I should have called him on it but I was taken aback and left speechless.

TALK ME DOWN, DU! Or give me permission to skip Christmas. I am supposed to travel to Indiana in the winter regardless of road conditions to see him and everyone else. It is so not worth my money or time to be around him. We do plan to stay in a hotel so I can have time to relax in the evening. But still!

I hate these people and I hope they lose what power they have and never get it back.

Does anyone else have a family member like this? How do you deal with it? How are you going to handle the holidays? (Oh wait, I should say Christmas because WAR ON CHRISTMAS!)

CaliforniaPeggy (107,011 posts)

1. If I were you, I would stay home. Forever.

Family, or not, who cares? If you don't like them or their politics, stay home!

You'll have a better time at home!

TheMastersNemesis (3,659 posts)

4. I Would Do A Number Of Things.
 
One is not go and waste my time. I would send a message calling him out for the racist, bigoted, selfish douche bag he and his family are and will not see them again until they change their politics.

Two is I would not buy him or his family anything and would make it very unpleasant for him calling bigot, racist or what ever else I could say to him. I would be in his face every chance I got.

Of course that is me. I have not significant family left except cousins. But I am different because I would even disown a son or daughter who was so crass and would leave all my wealth to charity or my dog.

I have no patience with such people. In the real world I would leave this asshole out in the desert without water to see how well he can take care of himself. I will no longer tolerate such hate and cruelty without returning it fourfold.

gollygee (13,531 posts)

5. This is what I'd like to do, honestly

I haven't only out of fear from the matriarch of the family.

Damn, I hate it when the holidays fall on "that time of the month."

leftynyc (11,500 posts)

67. You fear her?

Why? If she agrees with his odious views, why are you spending any time with these people (even if you are related)?

OffWithTheirHeads (9,319 posts)

17. **** em. Don't go, and let everyone know why.

I have made it clear to all family and friends that if they invite me to any event and also invite teabags, I WILL NOT put up with their bullshit and they can expect me to call the baggers out and the discussion will be VOCIFEROUS! I'm done keeping my mouth shut!

My teabag stepson and his left behind, Jesus freak wife were supposed to visit us for x-mas. Last week he emailed us some white supremacist bullshit and I called him an ignorant racist. Looks like they won't be coming to my winter solstice celebration. Boo, ****ing hoo! Best news all year.

To quote our President "ENOUGH!"

I know my wife wants to see him and she loves him cause he is her son. I will gladly buy her a plane ticket but I'm thrilled that he won't be here to ruin winter solstice for me with his ignorant, racist, bullshit.

lunasun (4,301 posts)

32. +1 That is the way to go !! & peaceful times @ the holidays for you

There is no way they can go a whole evening without interjecting their propaganda into conversation at inappropriate times

OffWithTheirHeads (9,319 posts)

34. Not at my house. I'm done with polite!

Done with polite but just starting to bleed.

liberal N proud (45,381 posts)

21. Many of us have tea baggers in our families.

And in case you were wondering if the OP could faithfully represent the family member's arguments:

gollygee (13,531 posts)

22. I wonder how they complain about us?

"She thinks people have a right to not starve to death! And not die of preventable diseases! Can you believe it?"

valerief (37,309 posts)

44. Show him MAJOR concern. Pull him aside and tell him you know something is troubling him,

that something is eating away at him. When he externalizes the problem (Obama! Benghazi! Guns!), interrupt and tell him you know it's something personal, something that's been troubling him for years, something he needs to share with someone. Tell him you understand and try to get him to share with you. "Life is short, and pride can kill you like cancer. Don't let pride get in the way. I won't judge. Truly. Tell me. Let it out. It's killing me to see you suffer inside."

Then when he tells you about his (fill in the blank) fetish, laugh your ass off and tell everyone else.

treestar (46,536 posts)

53. For his gift, get him a book by Al Franken
 
Or one of Obama's books!

Star Member hrmjustin (24,427 posts)

56. We just tell the Republicans in my family not to talk.

Raine (20,554 posts)

72. After reading her Facebook page I recently discovered my cousin is also

a teabagger. It makes me sick because she has was there for me when my father was sick and died and is one of the few in my extended family I really get along with. The family has never discussed politics at family gatherings so I guess I will just act like I don't know she is such political moron!

IdaBriggs (7,297 posts)

75. Ooh! Buy him a book or movie by Michael Moore.

Or any other commie liberal pinko (blah, blah, blah).

You can TOTALLY have some fun with this. His kids would get a movie about how unions came to be, and his wife would get a gift about how to divorce someone inexpensively, and....

I would *so* be having fun with this! A gleefully fun time (bring a video camera), and regular updates about how people in his situation are all losers, and maybe he should start trying to pull himself up by his bootstraps and stuff.

Quit being a victim - BE AGGRESSIVE and KICK HIM WHEN HE'S DOWN.

Its a war, after all - he's explained it to you, right?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024155453

[Carl]

How they hate and fear truth.

[Dori]

 

[Bad Dog]

I thought they said the Tea Party was dead.  Now you can't swing a cat without hitting one. Why do they always have to have it both ways.

[landofconfusion80]

I thought they said the Tea Party was dead.  Now you can't swing a cat without hitting one. Why do they always have to have it both ways.

I love reminding my FIL of that fact everytime he reposts some liberal thing he finds on facebook about the tea party.  They really don't appreciate it for some reason.

[Maxiest]

I am surprised she didn't throw in that he drove a gas guzzling truck with a rebel flag on it.  Just to cap off the bouncy.

[USA4ME]

It's listening to hate radio like Thom Hartmann, Mike Malloy, Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz, Bill Press, Randi Rhodes, Rachael Madcow, Al Sharpton, and the like over the years that have driven them to this seething anger, a fear of those who view issues differently, and the desire to act out the violence that they hear and are encouraged to carry out by these personalities. Allowing this type of hatred to be broadcast to a group of already unstable individuals should be against the law.

.

[Rebel]

Hmm, this reminds me....

http://www.conservativecave.com/index.php/topic,93009.msg1165254.html#msg1165254


 

[BlueStateSaint]

It's listening to hate radio like Thom Hartmann, Mike Malloy, Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz, Bill Press, Randi Rhodes, Rachael Madcow, Al Sharpton, and the like over the years that have driven them to this seething anger, a fear of those who view issues differently, and the desire to act out the violence that they hear and are encouraged to carry out by these personalities. Allowing this type of hatred to be broadcast to a group of already unstable individuals should be against the law.

.

Unfortunately, it all falls under the First Amendment.  That whole 'freedom of speech' thingy.

I think that, for every lefty whacko that gets ginned up by those individuals, there's at least two moderates that get turned off, one of which will eventually turn conservative.

[Celtic Rose]

They are so mean and nasty, I feel sorry for their families when I see those posts.  Seriously, you can't get over a political disagreement long enough to celebrate Christmas? 

[Dori]

Allowing this type of hatred to be broadcast to a group of already unstable individuals should be against the law.

I really wished we had two separate countries.  They can become the "progressive democrat states" and we can go back to the original intent of the founding of the republic.

[Traveshamockery]

I really wished we had two separate countries.  They can become the "progressive democrat states" and we can go back to the original intent of the founding of the republic.

That would never work.  A progressive democrat state isn't self-supporting.  A conservative state is self-supporting.  


Edited to replace the first word "they" with "that," although both words apply to progressives. 

[USA4ME]

Unfortunately, it all falls under the First Amendment.  That whole 'freedom of speech' thingy.

Yeah, I was just imitating what the primitives say when these things occur.

.

[Dori]

They would never work.  A progressive democrat state isn't self-supporting.  A conservative state is self-supporting. 

But we wouldn't care.  They could run their own country the way they want to and leave us the hell alone.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

I really wished we had two separate countries.  They can become the "progressive democrat states" and we can go back to the original intent of the founding of the republic.

The reason I could never abide a division of the union is because these idiots have not earned and could not keep their own nation. I see no reason to cede so much as a scrap of lifeless desert to their favor.

[Maxiest]

But we wouldn't care.  They could run their own country the way they want to and leave us the hell alone.

Well they wouldn't... they would be banging down our doors because we would have the jobs and money.  They wouldn't be able to feed each other.  Put them in the desert there would be a sand shortage in a month.

[landofconfusion80]

I really wished we had two separate countries.  They can become the "progressive democrat states" and we can go back to the original intent of the founding of the republic.

That sounds pretty reasonable, we could just buy their's off a bit at a time until there's nothing left but a hippie commune and a VW van. That could easily be contained by a bit of chainlink and some barbed wire.

[Wineslob]

My first thought.

[EagleKeeper]

While I am pretty certain this is just another crappy bouncy I couldn't help but notice this.

I am supposed to travel to Indiana in the winter regardless of road conditions to see him and everyone else

I find this to be a pretty obvious Freudian slip, I also think that there is plenty of precedent to make that assumption. After all it seems to me that there are a great many DUmmies that have been, at least partially,disowned by their famlies.

[Karin]

I don't believe for a minute that the person in question expects gifts but does not intend to give any.  I think that was an overreach in the bouncy construction. 

Secondly, just reading through the thread over there, it has become obvious that this country is just lousy with the teabaggers! 
Every poster is surrounded by them!

[CollectivismMustDie]

It sounds as if this DUmmy has a relative that he/she could (assuming that this DUmmy is capable of learning...a stretch I know) learn something from.

The results of trying to convey the truth and facts surrounding the historical reality that ours was intended to be a government of limited power and reach to one of them however, resembles the reaction to throwing a stack of job applications into an occupy encampment.

Or a bar of soap.

CMD

[EagleKeeper]

It sounds as if this DUmmy has a relative that he/she could (assuming that this DUmmy is capable of learning...a stretch I know) learn something from.

The results of trying to convey the truth and facts surrounding the historical reality that ours was intended to be a government of limited power and reach to one of them however, resembles the reaction to throwing a stack of job applications into an occupy encampment.

Or a bar of soap.

CMD

Just so that you know, it's bad form to jack with the thread titles.

[diesel driver]

Message to DUmmie lurkers:

Scientific research has determined that 1out of every 4 people are retards.

So if you're with 3 other family members, and they are OK, then it's YOU!

[CollectivismMustDie]

Just so that you know, it's bad form to jack with the thread titles.

Fair enough.

I will refrain from doing so in the future.

CMD

[dutch508]

Just so that you know, it's bad form to jack with the thread titles.

It is, though, very DU of you.