Techniques of Neutralizatiom
" Getting so much better all the time." -- Paul McCartney, 1967.
Imagine, if you will, that you were on Jimi's UFO somewhere over the rainbow two months ago, looking down at the USA. It was a mess in the making. Now,imagine if you will, that you are on the same UFO, looking at the country today. Things are looking up. Rod was correct in saying that there is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights go on.
It did seem a bit dark earlier this summer, when many Democrats were questioning if President Biden could beat the felon in November. We all knew that if the felon for a second term, he would destroy the institutions of the federal government. Then, suddenly, the sun arose, and VP Harris became our nominee. More, the felon selected the incel with two name changes for inclusion on the republican ticket, and Vance began speaking.
We all knew that the felon was a vile, racist, sexist criminal. The NABJ episode came not as a surprise, but a delightful event for our party. I had thought Joe Biden had the ability to beat the felon in a close contest, decided in the margins. I know think that if the grass roots does its job, VP Harris can and will win by a significant amount, and carry those candidates down ticket.
Yet I think it is important to recognize that the felon -- and his cult -- are as dangerous today as they were when it was dark. It is important to keep in mind that the cult is still in the dark. They will do anything to promote the felon, and that's why we, at the grass roots level, are obligated to not take victory for granted, but to work very hard for the Harris campaign.
Always know your enemy. Of course, we know the felon is a sociopath. We know his followers are a cult. So let's consider what I think is an important feature of the cult members. After all, the felon himself will never post on this forum, though we arte likely to witness some cult members trying to disrupt our party's unity between now and the election. Beware of shit-stirrers.
Often, Democrats question how it is that cult memberts justify their support, and the felon himself. I would suggest that we consider what is known as "techniques of neutralization," originally associated with a sub-group teens known as juvenile deliquents. In the 1950s, Matza and Sykes theorized that this could be expanded to groups of older people. Since then, others have noted it applies to "conventionally attached individuals" rather than "nonconventionally oriented individuals" -- a yopic for a later essay.
Bu definition, cult members self-identify as conventionally attached, with the added feature of thinking they aare being cheated from their rightful position in society. In fact, they think they are the "real America," and fear non-white immigrants, non-christians, and black women in positions of power. Thus, they rely upon the first five methods of moral/ ethical neutralization:
1- Denial of their or the felon's responsibility (think January 6);
2- Denial of injury to others;
3- Denial of victims;
4- Condemnation of the condemnersl and
5- Appeal to higher loyalties ..... you know, protecting America.
2017 interviews with those who participated in the Rwanda genocide resulted in tow additions:
6- Appeal to good character .... they love the Constitution they've never read; and
7- Victimisation. Their group was being attacked, at least in their imaginations. They only acted to protect themselves, doing what had to be done.
When we recognize the nature of our opposition, we are better able to defeat them. And that is our goal -- VP Harris winning in a way that crushes the devianys in the cult at all levels.