One thing that changes cultish dynamics is when someone suddenly finds themselves as part of the “out” group.
Repealing roe v wade did this for a LOT of people who didn’t realize it until after the fact; in theory, they were happy to go along with “abortion is wrong.” But then they saw how it being illegal played out in their state, where the government didn’t just want to ban in-state abortions, but get citizens to betray anyone who, with need, went out of state for one.
And then people started dying because doctors were afraid they’d be accused of performing an abortion. And IVF got caught up in it because of sperm and egg banks.
And suddenly, anyone affected by any of those things (a LOT of people) were on the outside, and the targets of ostracism and veiled threats. So they started to become aware of why, even if they don’t believe in abortions, making them illegal is even worse.
That’s the sort of thing that pushes people out of a cult.
Considering the number of accelerationists on lemmy, it’s important to point out a distinction. What’s improved this situation is the new knowledge that was gained not the fact that something bad happened to these people. These people could have learned this without having to experience it. And if they had experienced this but not understood the context behind that experience, they would have learned nothing.
If Republicans succeed in their christo-fascist dictatorship this election, a lot of us are going to learn a lot of lessons. But we won’t necessarily be able to act on those lessons. And a lot of people will be dead or continue to be in information silos. So if we manage four more years of democracy we need to use that time to educate people. That’s the only way this gets better.
One thing that changes cultish dynamics is when someone suddenly finds themselves as part of the “out” group.
Repealing roe v wade did this for a LOT of people who didn’t realize it until after the fact; in theory, they were happy to go along with “abortion is wrong.” But then they saw how it being illegal played out in their state, where the government didn’t just want to ban in-state abortions, but get citizens to betray anyone who, with need, went out of state for one.
And then people started dying because doctors were afraid they’d be accused of performing an abortion. And IVF got caught up in it because of sperm and egg banks.
And suddenly, anyone affected by any of those things (a LOT of people) were on the outside, and the targets of ostracism and veiled threats. So they started to become aware of why, even if they don’t believe in abortions, making them illegal is even worse.
That’s the sort of thing that pushes people out of a cult.
Considering the number of accelerationists on lemmy, it’s important to point out a distinction. What’s improved this situation is the new knowledge that was gained not the fact that something bad happened to these people. These people could have learned this without having to experience it. And if they had experienced this but not understood the context behind that experience, they would have learned nothing.
If Republicans succeed in their christo-fascist dictatorship this election, a lot of us are going to learn a lot of lessons. But we won’t necessarily be able to act on those lessons. And a lot of people will be dead or continue to be in information silos. So if we manage four more years of democracy we need to use that time to educate people. That’s the only way this gets better.