@mhoye This is the same reason accusations of hypocrisy don't work on neoliberals-- they are ALSO far enough to the right to share these values, they just happen to be wearing a cosmetic sprinkling of decency on top like the spangly bit on an anglerfish.

@mhoye@mastodon.social truth. Here's hoping we don't get the leaders they deserve

@mhoye

"hypocrisy is not a meaningful accusation to the right"

Well said. By the time the left has gotten over their rage over obvious hypocrisy, the right has gaslighted another dozen instances and are blaming the left.

This is their way of making you play defense. Which is exhausting.

@mhoye
Weakness is the worst thing you can accuse a fascist of. And they are all inherently weak people who need to abuse whatever they have power to compensate for their shortcomings.

@mhoye continually amazed at how many people don't understand this.

@mhoye Basically true, though for me at least pointing out the sheer hypocrisy is pointing out a reminder that this is what we must fight against if we want to be better people than them. So I do point out the hypocrisy, but not as a thing I think will get through to anyone on the right so much as just a reminder for all of those of us that seek to actually be decent human beings.

@mhoye

"You know what Hitler, you're not being very christianly"

@mhoye

Exactly. They are proving they are more powerful than all the people who "have to" (ie choose to) abide by social rules. It's pure selfishness & they give each other permission to embrace it.

@mhoye

Someone on Twitter once summed it up nicely:

Civility is the hill rightoids want the left to die on.

@mhoye On the subject of hypocrisy I love this essay by Julian Cope, and particularly the quote

"Those of us who aim high and fall short will always be hypocrites, while those without beliefs, ideals or any expression of concern gain commendation every time they show gentleness or perform the slightest noble act."

https://www.headheritage.co.uk/uknow/features/?id=3

@mhoye and conversely that they would calm down about minor hypocrisy among their own so that fascist can’t weaponize purity fetishism against them

@mhoye Fascist hypocrisy has no power over those who recognize it. That is why we must always point it out. Each time is a teachable moment, not for the fascists but for those who can still resist.

@mhoye One of the most memorable scenes for me in Iain M. Banks' THE PLAYER OF GAMES is when an official in the Evil Space Empire explains to the protagonist that the whole point of having power is that other people have to follow rules you get to break, and I wish it were more widely understood that this has been the whole point of "conservatism" all along.

@mhoye What do you think about the idea that, while it may not be a useful criticism for the right, pointing out their hypocrisy has an effect on people who are on the edge or watching, and it helps isolate the right from this wider sympathy?

@mhoye @glynmoody I think this is exactly true. And that's why right wing voters choose fuckshit scum as their leaders

@mhoye that’s why they attack us supposedly on the basis of violating these things because for them it’s an issue of zero sum framing of power. When they see people they perceive as other having any power it angers them and they see violations as expressions of power so any perceived violation by others angers them but that’s also why they violate rules so often. Just look st their views on anti police brutality protests vs January 6th riots. Or masks & Covid, it’s about power not public health.

@mhoye And i wish people would give up trying to pigeon hole all people into a type.

@mhoye They don't like being called racist. It's probably one of the few labels they reject with strong indignation - even anger. Funny that. At the height of hypocrisy, they resort to 'Am not!'

@mhoye So true. It's also true that the rightwingers in politics don't want to govern, as that requires balancing competing interests. They want to rule, meaning take what they want and do as they please without any consequences. And anyone who opposes that are not people to them -- we are the enemy.

@mhoye
"Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect. There is nothing more or else to it, and there never has been, in any place or time"
Frank Wilhoit

@mhoye

If you think hypocrisy is the territory of only one loosely associated group you misunderstand the nature of human beings. We're all capable of it.

@mhoye

If you've read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diamond_Age, I'd be curious whether you'd consider the overt hypocrisy of Neo-Victorians there to a significantly different/special kind of hypocrisy. (The reason I'm asking is that that's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of a society that overtly accepts hypocrisy.)

@mhoye Antisocial personalities succeed so well because they don't play by the rules. Others have a hard time understanding and reacting to that because we have so thoroughly internalized the rules of society that we forget they aren't "real."

@mhoye trying to "own" the fascists by pointing out their hypocrisy is like trying to "own" a school bully by beating them at chess. They don't care if you win, and they'll still take your lunch money off you during recess.

@mhoye @charles_ex

@mhoye

This is why I am the Dexter of bullies.
The white widow of harm.

@mhoye @jenniferplusplus
💡
So when someone imposes a cognitive dissonance on me that’s not necessarily them being obtuse. That can also be a power play.

@mhoye meh. There are hypocrites on both sides.

@mhoye

I wish there was a formula to counter their bs.
Just calling them out doesn't work, because they don't even care.

@mhoye How about we call it 'vice-signalling' instead of 'virtue-signalling' when the intent and effect are entirely evil.

@mhoye Us being bound by the rules is their traction. “Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.” ― Niccolò Machiavelli

@mhoye InnuendoStudios had a good commentary on this
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx2tzpldfXVHqhvAyLthghmnK3ulpHFkl_

@mhoye this is an excellent point. the power IS the point for those guys. yes, they can do things that you can't stop. yes, they can define whatever they want however they want. that's what being in power means and that's why they're very happy that they're in power (and you're not!).

@mhoye Win at all costs, the means justifies the end, because the "enemy" is not human and is an existential threat to freedom.

Once you brainwash them to think this way, the rest is easy.

@mhoye Preach. They have no shame, no sense of morals, so on. Hypocrisy is not even in their vocabulary as decent people understand it.

@mhoye

its not the hypocrisy but the stakes

(ty jay rosen not the odds but the stakes)

@mhoye Excellent explanation.

@mhoye If you're one of the 98% of the American voting population that picks based on team color and nothing else, opinions and principles are a matter of political convenience only.

@mhoye smells like projection to me.

@mhoye Agreed. And most of hte time, arguing or discussing makes no sense either. They KNOW their arguments are sometimes not very good.

They don't need consistency, comprehensibility, properly sourced ideas.

All they ever seek is to convince their supporter and confuse their opponents ideas.

Big Brother is right, has always been right, and always will be right, because right is what Big Brohter says it is.

@mhoye they don't care about anything but power. Forcing people to their way of life.

@mhoye Truth (or at least the basic form of it)... the reality is they want to do whatever and no consequences... rules for thee and not for me, the true mark of an authoritarian (and fashie)

@mhoye 🎯

@mhoye What's the quote:

"Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect."

@mhoye

Keep in mind that for so many ideas of justice and fairness (as they see it) and revenge overcome complaints of hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy isn’t the point for these people; it’s still a downside, but one they’re willing to accept for the goal of (to distill it to one point) revenge.

@mhoye
I've posted this countless times over several years:

You cannot shame a hypocrite for being a hypocrite, because they don't have a problem with hypocrisy. To them it is just part of the game.

@mhoye

Badabing