One of the things that continuously amazes and depresses me is the success with which right wing politicians and media have successfully brainwashed millions of people. Every now and then a high school friend will post something obviously wrong on facebook, and you correct them WITH multiple sources, and they either don’t care and say they still believe it and then lash out at you. It’s crazy.
This time it was about a piece of commentary on Fox News alleging Dems had blocked a VA health care bill last year (they had, because it was an attempt to privatize the VA and then two months later an actual VA bill was passed), and the people were screaming PARTY BEFORE COUNTRY and how much they hate Pelosi and what not.
They’re all so angry, scared, and hostile, and will just believe anything FOX or the proper news source will tell them, and they just get livid with you for telling them that is not the truth. And it is always people who, in another lifetime, never had political opinions- but now they are just livid at the supposed enemy all the time, over made up grievances. And then they go out and actually reward the people screwing them and elect Republicans. Who just make up more lies.
I don’t know how to break the cycle of willing ignorance.