The screaming people at the Town Halls baffle most of us.
Why are they supporting authority figures who want to harm them?
Why are they so dismissive of other points of view?
Why can't they see the internal contradictions in their mental constructs?
Well, they've been made that way. On purpose.
They are the Junkyard Dogs.
Explanations to follow:
The phrase "meaner than a junkyard dog" arose from the still sadly extant practice of abusing a large dog to bring out their paranoia and aggression, and using them to protect property.
With precautions, a junkyard dog will not turn on their masters. And this same Abuse Syndrome occurs with abused children who cry out for the abusing parent, and the many forms of Stockholm Syndrome, the way people form fearful obedience to their abusers.
That's what the Republican base has become. They have been told over and over they cannot flee their current masters, because Democrats, liberals, and anyone who tries to point out that their troubles come from their masters are actually lying agents of Satan who want to kill them.
We've heard it with our own ears lately. We can dismiss these wild claims because we know the truth.
The Town Hall screamers do not.
They have been kept in a state of infantile dependence on purpose. Lousy schools, serf-like working arrangements, rapacious financial deals, and their master's version of God all combine to keep them ignorant and on the cusp of frenzy.
For them, it is truly the Devil they Know, and they must cling to it. Because in their worldview, there is no power of the ballot box, no genuine caring that comes from strangers, no way out at all.
All that hate, which springs from their oppression and abuse, is constantly redirected towards the master's enemies.
It's no different from abusive parents cautioning children not to talk to anyone else about the abuse, or they will be taken away and locked up. They are told teachers, police, and counselors are not their friends. They are also told that if they become disloyal, the abuse will get worse.
Yes, they voted for these policies. They proclaim their loyalties to these positions. They refuse to be helped because they have been told over and over again that "help" is just being held out to sap their will, destroy their independence, and herd them into Hell.
The less you have, the more you fight to keep what you do have.
So this is the source of my compassion for them, even as I am exasperated by their ignorance, taken aback by their anger, and fearful of their stated goals.
It's not their fault. They are caught in a Cycle of Abuse.
They are the Republican's Junkyard Dogs.