The Four "R's"

 

It’s simple, really.

The Four "R's" of Republican Party propaganda and ideological control are Religion, Rifles, Racism, and Resentment. 

Triggering and manipulating these emotional hot buttons among uneducated, uninformed and misinformed Americans is the key to Republican power.

First they convince them they are being wronged and ignored, and tell them who to blame. The "others". Minorities, liberals. Democrats, Blacks, Mexicans, Muslims, journalists, educators, scientists, socialists, commies, etc. (All eventually heaped into the latter two "others".) 

An instilled sense of victimhood bonds and unites them against the "others". Nationalism restores pride and identity.

Next the opposition is demonized as hating freedom, or even America itself. They invoke inflated "threats to liberty" and loss of safety, Fearing the others is critical.

Then they will point to "moral decay" (typically ethnic or urban in nature), and say "Our values are under attack". Moral superiority must be certain, as loathing the others is justified.

Finally they offer protection with a moralistic veneer. "Law and order", "national security" and "freedom of religion" (Christian only) are nobly defended, and graciously offered to salve their anxieties. 

It works. 

Fear, lies and ignorance are as contagious as covid, and have built a massive cult.

It gets Republicans enough votes to significantly advance the far Right’s agenda, which is to undermine democracy, and to dismantle Constitutional taxes, Constitutional regulation of commerce and Constitutional provision for the general welfare.  

And they have won spectacularly. Never mind it has resulted in the pandemic deaths of thousands of Americans due to negligence and outright malfeasance.

It has resulted in expanding obscene levels of private wealth and corporate dominance of our government They have their theocratic, corporate-owned Supreme Court, as they arrogantly wage open warfare on our elections. 

That's all they have ever cared about.