this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2024
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To beat Trump, we need to know why Americans keep voting for him. Psychologists may have the answer (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world
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US culture is an incubator of ‘extrinsic values’. Nobody embodies them like the Republican frontrunner

Many explanations are proposed for the continued rise of Donald Trump, and the steadfastness of his support, even as the outrages and criminal charges pile up. Some of these explanations are powerful. But there is one I have seen mentioned nowhere, which could, I believe, be the most important: Trump is king of the extrinsics.

Some psychologists believe our values tend to cluster around certain poles, described as “intrinsic” and “extrinsic”. People with a strong set of intrinsic values are inclined towards empathy, intimacy and self-acceptance. They tend to be open to challenge and change, interested in universal rights and equality, and protective of other people and the living world.

People at the extrinsic end of the spectrum are more attracted to prestige, status, image, fame, power and wealth. They are strongly motivated by the prospect of individual reward and praise. They are more likely to objectify and exploit other people, to behave rudely and aggressively and to dismiss social and environmental impacts. They have little interest in cooperation or community. People with a strong set of extrinsic values are more likely to suffer from frustration, dissatisfaction, stress, anxiety, anger and compulsive behaviour.

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[–] JDPoZ@lemmy.world 87 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (6 children)

Demagogues like Trump are nothing new… and are only able to gain ground when a population is angered by the inaction of others in power to ease their real material suffering.

Medical debt, unaffordable housing, price-gouging, a lack of upward mobility or the ability to afford retirement or having children… all these things make it easy for demagogues to offer scapegoats.

Really - to beat Trump, we just need a firebrand populist who will try to pass legislation that helps the average American and - when unable to pass specific such legislation that would alleviate real tangible problems faced by the overwhelming majority of Americans - would use the bully pulpit to loudly push for the change they support are unable to enact - letting their voters know where to direct their anger and power.

Only genuine populism can soundly beat fake blustering demagoguing populism, because fake populism is designed to only emulate real genuine populism rather than offer up actual solutions to problems faced.

People want universal healthcare, they don’t want wars, they want to be able to take care of themselves and their family, they want the corrupt punished and justice for the citizen harmed by the giant multinational corporation’s greed driven pollution, waste, or lack of safety.

Fake populists only offer fake scapegoats and vague gestures. A real populist loudly and accurately points to the root of these issues.

You want to beat Trump? Then we need Biden to have been this his whole time in office… and to be this now.

The fact that the White House is focusing now more on pushing for anti-deepfake porn measures - only because billionaire Taylor Swift has been wronged by it - rather than making it so Americans can avoid losing their homes, jobs, or medical coverage - is ammo for lying demagogues to then disingenuously blame such problems on trans-kids and illegal immigrant workers.

[–] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 20 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I don't know about a populist but what we need are a lot more progressive, pro-labor types along the lines of Bernie and AOC.

We need major FDR style New Deal reform (assuming I understand what that was): economic security, health security, more power to the working class and less power for corporations, among many other things.

What we need less of is pro-corporate, neolib types (e.g., Pelosi), fascists, crooks, reactionaries, and zealots (e.g. ...well, any GOP politician).

[–] beardown@lemm.ee 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

We need major FDR style New Deal reform (assuming I understand what that was

You're talking about the below:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy

And its contemporary application:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_model

[–] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

Why yes. Yes I am.

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 17 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Honestly you don't even have to go that far. Democrats have spent the last 20+ years dismissing or ignoring problems. All they really need to do is acknowledge they are problems and maybe some lip service about helping them.

The big thing is just stop offering non-solutions that may be well intentioned, but sound like leave your shit hole town and get some education.

[–] GladiusB@lemmy.world 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I disagree about the lip service part. Because that just gives them ammo for years from now. But do SOMETHING to help.

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

My problem with saying do something is that the something democrats routinely choose ends up being worse than doing nothing.

[–] beardown@lemm.ee 1 points 8 months ago

What is the evidence of this?

The New Deal and The Great Society seem to disprove this notion.

And Biden's recent Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and American Rescue Plan Act are the strongest domestic investments in US history since the Great Society, which was 60 years ago at this point. Making Biden's legislative wins the strongest accomplishments in most Americans lifetimes

Dems need to do way more, and Biden is still not sufficient. But idk if it's true that his legislation has made things "worse"

[–] JoBo@feddit.uk 13 points 8 months ago (1 children)

All this pseudo-analysis comes across as failing to see what Trump is a symptom of and instead presumes Trump is the root of the ailment.

This sentence is out of place. In the rest of your post you're agreeing with the article.>

[–] Socsa@sh.itjust.works 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I would be careful about descending too deeply into any kind of populism tbh. Politics should be more technocratic than liturgical, without being too much of either.

[–] beardown@lemm.ee 2 points 8 months ago

The grievances of the people need to be heard, and it is inevitable that the elite class will grow deaf to those needs over time.

This isn't because technocrats will act out of malice; rather it means the system that they serve will be bought out by oligarchs who will bend all existing structures to serve their own goals rather than the goals of the people.

A strong judicial system can help to prevent that. Unfortunately judiciaries can also be bought, as the United States has recently seen

[–] joel_feila@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

Why people fall for demagogues is part of oroblem. Understanding why they listen to them will help us make that firebrand we need.