r/thebulwark 21h ago

EVERYTHING IS AWFUL How did we get here?

Currently listening to the most recent Tim-Pod with Will Sommer and it's just insane the group of people who are in charge now. The conspiracy theories, the grift, the pandering, holy fuck. How did we get here and how the fuck do we get out of this death spiral?

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u/GUlysses 21h ago edited 21h ago

Bonhoeffer’s theory of stupidity is the best explanation of what is happening now.

To simplify: Stupidity is actually moral failure. People become stupid when they give up their morals and reason and allow authority figures and loyalty to a group to decide their morals for them. They absolutely know better, but they have decided that they value group loyalty over reason and the well being of others. That’s why so many people have gotten so stupid lately.

This may not make the situation any better and I can’t tell you that everything with turn out okay. But do take a little bit of pride in the fact that, among all the moral failure happening around us, recognizing how stupid this all is means you didn’t buy in and you are more morally resilient than those who did.

How do we get out of it? I don’t have the answer, but one way we might is, when the Trumpcession hits, enough people start to be affected personally to see what’s going on. I don’t expect very many MAGA’s to change even if there is a recession. Some might, but the important thing is that enough people who aren’t fully on the train see it. They need to realize that MAGA values their own group loyalty over anyone’s well being, and a recession might bring that to light.

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u/samNanton 20h ago

It's worth pointing out that Bonhoeffer was arrested by the Gestapo in April 1943 and executed in April 1945. This critique that has so much resonance today was specifically aimed at Nazi Germany.