That one's juicy!
I discovered this from having e-mailed with a right winger for a long while, and from being with a boyfriend who is a Libertarian (which to me, just means the person is a right winger but trying to seem cool). My relationship with the Libertarian is slowly dying, and leaving an ugly trail.
Despite the free-willed nature of libertarians, they typically do prefer to date women who bathe regularly. They might also prefer a woman with an IQ higher than 40, but that might just be me.
But I digress.
About right wingers:
I think right wingers are astounded by, and almost WORSHIP, authoritarian types of individuals. The meaner the better. They see them as heroes.
What do you mean
almost? I have a shrine of Reagan in my living room. How dare you question the stridency of my religion...
Symbols of patriotism (JUST THE SYMBOLS, MIND YOU, INCLUDING WAR, NOT AUTHENTIC LOVE OF COUNTRY AND LOVE OF FELLOW MAN), thrill them.
War is a symbol?
Right wingers get into all that militaristic, tough, punitive attitude. They have a certain abhorrance of weakness (maybe except in their woman).
Is that why Democrats have started almost every war since 1776?
Very important is the fact that right wingers DESPERATELY NEED to have an enemy. They are repelled by the idea that 'everyone' should be one and get along. They do NOT feel comfortable with the lack of an enemy, and they need to have something to compare themselves to, someone lesser, someone they ascribe negative qualities to, so THEY themselves can feel superior and better, more Godly, etc. etc.
I really do try to get along with everyone, especially those who think I should be taxed at ever-increasing rates while this same group spends money like a drunken sailor (no offense to drunken sailors) and who think that I need to be told what to think, what I can't think, what I can say, what I should eat, what I should drive, how I should drive, etc. As for needing an enemy, as long as democrats keep trying to roll back freedoms, I don't think we'll ever run short of enemies.
These are people that CANNOT and DO NOT feel good about themselves unless someone somewhere is suffering and being punished.
This is false. Unless it's a liberal being punished, then I'll be honest, I do feel pretty good about it. Generally if someone is being punished, though, it's because they did something wrong and deserve it. Otherwise, it's not really punishment, is it? I do understand that liberals like to defend criminals and prosecute victims, though.
Has anyone else found this to be true in his/her dealings with right wingnuts?
Absolutely.