# Y'all hate me...but you know I'm right **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 6, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543 "2018-10-06T01:09:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/1 "2018-10-06T01:09:31Z")
I’ve been telling you all that we’re marching into authoritarianism and that American democracy is dying. I’ve been called chicken little and that I’m overreacting, but day by day, week by week, month by month…I’ve been proven right. So, what do you optimists do when knocking on doors and phone banking doesn’t work anymore? That’s not a question for me; it’s a question for YOU ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/2 "2018-10-06T01:13:41Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I’ve been telling you all that we’re marching into authoritarianism and that American democracy is dying. I’ve been called chicken little and that I’m overreacting, but day by day, week by week, month by month…I’ve been proven right. > > So, what do you optimists do when knocking on doors and phone banking doesn’t work anymore? That’s not a question for me; it’s a question for YOU Since that is no hope in your opinion, then there is really no reply to your end of history illusion. > **[The "End of History" Illusion](https://www.ted.com/talks/bence_nanay_the_end_of_history_illusion?language=en)** > > Time and time again, we've failed to predict that the technologies of the present will change the future. Recently, a similar pattern was discovered in our individual lives: we're unable to predict change in ourselves. But is there anything wrong... ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/3 "2018-10-06T01:19:39Z")
What are we supposed to knock on doors for. FTR, I don’t count on anything. It’s my defeatist attitude that keeps me sane. Well kinda. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/4 "2018-10-06T01:22:41Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > What are we supposed to knock on doors for. FTR, I don’t count on anything. It’s my defeatist attitude that keeps me sane. Well kinda. As I said, it’s not a question for me; its’ a question for YOU! ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/5 "2018-10-06T01:35:34Z")
> **[Cognitive distortion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_distortion)** > > A cognitive distortion is an exaggerated or irrational thought pattern involved in the onset or perpetuation of psychopathological states, such as depression and anxiety. > Cognitive distortions are thoughts that cause individuals to perceive reality inaccurately. According to Aaron Beck's cognitive model, a negative outlook on reality, sometimes called negative schemas (or schemata), is a factor in symptoms of emotional dysfunction and poorer subjective well-being. Specifically, negative thinkin... ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/6 "2018-10-06T01:38:36Z")
Oh, okay. Now I see. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/7 "2018-10-06T01:39:24Z")
I’m fine. I’m counting on Canada or Europe to ride in on their white horse, scoop me up, and offer a cozy life as a refugee. :dubious::dubious::dubious: Failing that, after the dust settles, China can have me as Servant, Sycophant, or Soylent. I hope they let me stay in Americana Province but Europa Province or Africana Province might be OK. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/8 "2018-10-06T01:41:19Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > So, what do you optimists do when knocking on doors and phone banking doesn’t work anymore? That’s not a question for me; it’s a question for YOU …I’m actually not optimistic at all. I think America has two chances of a return to normality: the mid-terms and the 2020 elections. People need to get out and vote. There are a lot of bad guys. And they’ve been planning the take-over of America for a very long time. But there are more good-guys than bad-guys. Its just the odds are against the good guys, because the bad-guys don’t play fair, and the bad guys have stacked the odds. So the good-guys have to send a decisive message at the mid-terms. And they have to vote Trump out of office in 2020, and then purge the government of the Trump loyalists that have become entrenched, then they have to make sure that they never get that power back ever again. If that doesn’t happen though: well America is fucked. And I don’t know what happens next. If Trump & Co get re-elected it will be seen as a mandate and they will smash through whats left of the fabled “checks and balances.” And people will push back. And things will get messy. Chaos will ensue. Do your job people. Vote. Because your lives depend on it. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/9 "2018-10-06T01:42:12Z")
I don’t hate you. I kind of like you. I understand your rage. And your position one-millimeter-away from despair. Keep ranting, my friend. So what if it pisses people off? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2018, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/10 "2018-10-06T01:43:23Z")
We know that the country is going to Hell in a handbasket. But it’s doing so because people like you are just giving up hope and declaring that nothing can be done, instead of trying to stop it. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/11 "2018-10-06T01:46:10Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I don’t hate you. I kind of like you. I understand your rage. And your position one-millimeter-away from despair. Keep ranting, my friend. So what if it pisses people off? That’s just it, Thelma. I’m not in total, complete despair. Goddammit I want people to prove me wrong! Please for the love of God, prove to me I’m a fucking crank who should be laughed at. I want to be fucking ridiculed. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/12 "2018-10-06T01:50:30Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > We know that the country is going to Hell in a handbasket. But it’s doing so because people like you are just giving up hope and declaring that nothing can be done, instead of trying to stop it. No, no, and no!!! It’s going to hell in a handbasket because people are fucking ignorant!!! Don’t fucking equate someone who reads articles in the Atlantic, NY Times, Vox, Vanity Fair, etc with someone who ‘gives up’. See, that’s the shit that I push back against. “If we would just be more optimistic…” No, if we would just be more fucking educated…then we might see some change. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/13 "2018-10-06T01:58:20Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > That’s just it, Thelma. > > I’m not in total, complete despair. Goddammit I want people to prove me wrong! Please for the love of God, prove to me I’m a fucking crank who should be laughed at. I want to be fucking ridiculed. You’re crazy as a shithouse rat, but you’re not always wrong. Keep the faith. The pendulum always swings back. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/14 "2018-10-06T02:03:51Z")
I agree that the US is marching towards authoritarianism. I just don’t know how far we will get in our march. A nation like Poland is further along in their march towards authoritarianism, but Freedom house still ranks them as a [Free](https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2018/poland)nation. One of the problems in the US is that we are structurally set up to reward the authoritarian voters. The electoral college, senate and house all give them overrepresentation. The GOP lost the popular vote in the house in 2012 but kept the majority due to gerrymandering and rural areas having more representation. Democratic senators win more votes but since rural areas are red, they have more senators. The electoral college means the democrat can win by millions of votes and lose the election. I think what’ll happen is that the majority of Americans, who live in areas that produce 65-75% of America’s GDP will grow more and more resentful about being ruled by a minority of rural whites who have power due to imbalances in our democracy, and just get very jaded and angry about it. Urban blue areas having to pay all the bills and winning more votes, just to see a bunch of rural whites who take more money than they pay in taxes, and who win fewer votes winning office over and over and over will cause a lot of resentment. Also supposedly very few nations that are democracies make the transition to dictatorship once per capita income goes above 5-10k or so. It is fairly rare. A wealthy, educated, healthy citizenry do not tolerate dictatorship the way a poor, sick, uneducated population do. But who knows. I think the US will move more and more towards a light form of authoritarianism with fraudulent elections, but not a full authoritarian regime. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/15 "2018-10-06T02:08:34Z")
When you talk about “re-educating” people by force, you’re no better than the enemy. It doesn’t matter if you’re “right”, because people have the right to disagree with you. You’re a fucking coward who’s too chickenshit to do anything about the impending apocalypse other than whine constantly. I’ve almost given up trying to read the latest stuff here simply because of your completely unproductive sniveling. Military rule? What the fuck is wrong with you? Why don’t you call for yourself to be made dictator while you’re at it? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/16 "2018-10-06T02:10:22Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > When you talk about “re-educating” people by force, you’re no better than the enemy. It doesn’t matter if you’re “right”, because people have the right to disagree with you. > > You’re a fucking coward who’s too chickenshit to do anything about the impending apocalypse other than whine constantly. I’ve almost given up trying to read the latest stuff here simply because of your completely unproductive sniveling. > > Military rule? What the fuck is wrong with you? Why don’t you call for yourself to be made dictator while you’re at it? You’ve given up and you’re calling me a coward? Who’s the coward…coward??? ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/17 "2018-10-06T02:12:27Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I’ve been telling you all that we’re marching into authoritarianism and that American democracy is dying. I’ve been called chicken little and that I’m overreacting, but day by day, week by week, month by month…I’ve been proven right. > > So, what do you optimists do when knocking on doors and phone banking doesn’t work anymore? That’s not a question for me; it’s a question for YOU **What do you suggest? What do YOU think should we do?** ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/18 "2018-10-06T02:17:39Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > **What do you suggest? What do YOU think should we do?** You can figure it out, brainiac. #irvhomerwwdbphila ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/19 "2018-10-06T02:38:54Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I’ve been called chicken little and that I’m overreacting, but day by day, week by week, month by month…I’ve been proven right. I generally think of you as a crank, so I don’t spend time remembering things you’ve said. Can you give a few specific examples of things you’ve said that prove you right? Because if you are making specific predictions that are coming true, maybe I should start undisregarding you. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543/20 "2018-10-06T02:40:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > We know that the country is going to Hell in a handbasket. But it’s doing so because people like you are just giving up hope and declaring that nothing can be done, instead of trying to stop it. It works for school shootings, so it should work for the country! Also, the country is not going to Hell in a handbasket. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yall-hate-me-but-you-know-im-right/822543.md?page=2)