# NEW Stupid Republican Idea of the Day (Part 4) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 22, 2025, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678 "2025-02-22T21:08:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 136
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2701 "2025-12-30T17:47:53Z")
The term “third world” has had 70 years to evolve from its initial usage, and it’s now pretty much a derogatory term. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2702 "2025-12-30T18:16:28Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > But the thing in Miller’s context really is that in common Western usage the phrase “Third World” quickly evolved into the “R-word” of geopolitics and, as mentioned earlier, employed as the “polite” euphemistic way to refer to what a later President would say “s—-thole countries” but still communicating you meant poor, dirty,“backward” places. The ridiculous thing about Trump’s criticism of immigrants from what he called “shithole countries” and his desire for more immigrants from “[nice countries, you know like Denmark [or] Switzerland](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/07/us/politics/trump-immigrants-nice-countries.html)” is that people in those countries are, for the most part, happy to remain where they are. [A New York Times opinion columnist asked the question](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/29/opinion/indian-americans-trump.html) would one “prefer to live in a country people flee from or flee toward.” Clearly most would prefer the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2703 "2025-12-30T18:31:11Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The ridiculous thing about Trump’s criticism of immigrants from what he called “shithole countries” and his desire for more immigrants from “[nice countries, you know like Denmark [or] Switzerland](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/07/us/politics/trump-immigrants-nice-countries.html)” is that people in those countries are, for the most part, happy to remain where they are. That is not “ridiculous”. That is offering the illusion of a scrap of bread to naysayers, while he and his followers know what is really going on. Offering a “gift” to someone who you know will not take it is nothing but an open insult. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2704 "2025-12-30T18:46:19Z")
It feeds into their delusion that other people think the US is a much better place to live than their own countries, riddled as they are with socialists. They actually believe this. The delusion runs deep. And also the delusion that there was some mythical time in the past where the immigrants we got weren’t treated like filth by those who preceded them but actually like-minded lily-white paragons of hard work and right living who made this country great. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2705 "2025-12-30T20:02:09Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > their own countries, riddled as they are with socialists. The immigrants from Europe are fleeing socialists sure, but I don’t think that is the ~~right~~ white wing view about the reason the “shithole” countries are so bad that people need to leave. Those countries are so bad because they are inhabited by brown people who are all lazy, rapists, murders and drug dealers like the imigrants themselves. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2706 "2025-12-30T20:20:40Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > South Africa? Nope. We are in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) which is an effort, so far with little success, to improve the so-called third world economies up. What we have mostly seen from this conglomerate is politicians posturing just hefore heading into a local hotel for a nice dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2707 "2025-12-30T20:31:02Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Those countries are so bad because they are inhabited by brown people who are all lazy, rapists, murders and drug dealers like the imigrants themselves. As evidenced by the fact that those countries that have the Evil Socialism are still “nice countries”, despite having the worst possible government system, according to right-wingers. What makes those countries “nice”? Obviously the white people living in them. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2708 "2025-12-30T21:42:01Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > The immigrants from Europe are fleeing socialists sure, but I don’t think that is the ~~right~~ white wing view about the reason the “shithole” countries are so bad that people need to leave. I actually meant the delusion that people also want to flee the “nice” countries for the US because it’s clearly so much better than their country with their high taxes and socialized medicine and so forth. They actually do believe Swedes or the Swiss or the Danish would rather live here, especially if we get rid of the ‘undesirables’. It doesn’t cross their minds that those folks might actually prefer their own countries. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2709 "2025-12-30T21:48:26Z")
I suspect that _most_ people, even those from shithole countries, prefer their own countries. It’s a little arrogant to think that given open borders, most of the world population would choose to live in America. Now, because of drought, flooding, famine or war, people may be forced to migrate but I don’t think that is their first choice. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2710 "2025-12-30T21:50:11Z")
True but it would never cross the delusional right wing mind to think that. Or to question the (to them) farcical notion that maybe there are countries where the average person actually has it better than here. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2711 "2025-12-30T23:33:48Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I suspect that _most_ people, even those from shithole countries, prefer their own countries. Migrating is such a pain in the ass, and they’re already in their countries. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2712 "2025-12-30T23:53:08Z")
There is that as a reason not to migrate but also all of your friends and family are there. The language is familiar, the food and customs are familiar. Only highly motivated individuals will pursue migration (absent factors like war or famine). I remember threads about Americans living in parts of the country with few job prospects who were similarly unwilling to relocate. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2713 "2025-12-31T00:03:33Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Only highly motivated individuals will pursue migration (absent factors like war or famine). I’d argue that war and famine are **great** motivators. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2714 "2025-12-31T02:42:41Z")
That’s what Dewey was saying—that war and famine tend to provoke even the otherwise-less-motivated to try to relocate. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2715 "2025-12-31T11:56:18Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > That is not “ridiculous”. That is offering the illusion of a scrap of bread to naysayers, while he and his followers know what is really going on. Offering a “gift” to someone who you know will not take it is nothing but an open insult. I also think that he and his MAGAts think that the Nordic countries have better looking people. Yeah, that’s the ticket, let them blue eyed blondes in. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2716 "2026-01-01T01:44:53Z")
Whoever runs DHS’ Twitter wants to purge a third of the US population. [![](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:hafxlnw235qrcil2lpohp2ly/bafkreidarfaraldsm6twps4bjqt7uqudxaxr5v7gnxlbsvis3bus7b75iq@jpeg) ](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:hafxlnw235qrcil2lpohp2ly/bafkreidarfaraldsm6twps4bjqt7uqudxaxr5v7gnxlbsvis3bus7b75iq@jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2717 "2026-01-01T01:46:37Z")
A tsunami is peaceful? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2718 "2026-01-01T01:50:48Z")
A star shall come, and it shall be called Wormwood… ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2719 "2026-01-01T03:29:23Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > A tsunami is peaceful? Well, it does appear to be hitting Hawaii, which is home to a lot of US citizens who are, shall we say? _Insufficiently white_. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/2720 "2026-01-01T06:31:36Z")
Notice the vintage car. By golly, they’re literally telling us they want to turn the clock back to the 1950s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678.md?page=135) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678.md?page=137)