Republican South Dakota State Rep, yesterday: “It’s white boy summer and the boys are back in charge. #MAGA”
I can't open it
US continues to go backward...
- Thread starter PF5
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I can't open it
I called the same people he called out in his original post “atrocious human beings” and he accused me of attempting to make the weather tragedy about politics.
All because I pointed out his reluctance to call out his extremists similarly as he and I both did those extremists on the left.
That’s a real POS move too. It’s his go to move.
It’s really ironic that a certain person liked this post when he’s one of those that you are talking about.
PF5
Sheriff
Texas officials face scrutiny over response to catastrophic and deadly flooding
Hours before a massive wall of floodwater barreled down a river in the heart of Texas Hill Country before sunrise on Friday, forecasters with the National Weather Service warned people that dangerous conditions were brewing.
apnews.com
Polds4OSU
Marshall
Yep.
And to be fair we should all be calling out the comments saying this was deserved because of the political ideology in the state where it happened. I dont see how you can have kids and not think about what the parents are going through before anything related to the politics involved come to mind. The way we have dehumanized people who disagree with us politically is something that should be addressed but unfortunately this isn't the political climate where it will happen.
JTOSU
Ranger
Yep. Extremists are the problem. And they attempt to justify by blaming the opposition.
and you brought politics into that same post. You couldn’t help yourself.
In this day and age searching social media and finding random partisan people (even if they have "followers") who say nasty things is pretty meaningless. If a senator or a cabinet member said it, sure, that is news. But, just finding people and saying "this is what is wrong with America" while avoiding any attempt to even look at why people are now being this way is pretty much playing in the same game they play.
In my opinion, it is a mix of:
1. That is how the people leading the country talk, why shouldn't I?
2. If I say controversial stuff, I get more page views. (which is why reposting it is just playing in their game)
I called out your pos unwillingness to call out the right extremists the same way I called out left extremists, and you proved me completely right with your response. Calling out your hypocrisy isn’t bringing politics into the post. Your DARVO attempt failed horribly.
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That’s why I said,
He had an issue with that…..revealing his true colors.
JTOSU
Ranger
???
When in the history of this board have I have supported right extremists?
Now you are just making crap up. As usual. It’s you MO.
More DARVO and mischaracterization of what was actually said.
As usual….it’s your go to.
The most outrage you’ve ever been able to express about right extremists is you’re “not a fan”.
That’s what I said, and that’s a fact.
Polds4OSU
Marshall
41 total still missing
LATEST: At least 80 people have died, including 28 children, in catastrophic flooding in Texas.
Officials say 10 children are still missing from Camp Mystic.
www.threads.com
LATEST: At least 80 people have died, including 28 children, in catastrophic flooding in Texas.
Officials say 10 children are still missing from Camp Mystic.
NBC News (@nbcnews) on Threads
LATEST: At least 80 people have died, including 28 children, in catastrophic flooding in Texas. Officials say 10 children are still missing from Camp Mystic.
www.threads.com
Polds4OSU
Marshall
Sketching swastikas, debating politics and 'edgy' jokes: Idaho shooter not typical loner
There are no easy answers for why Wess Roley gunned down firefighters in Idaho. What is known, his friends say, is he was a fierce conservative fixated on guns, but he wasn't a loner growing up.
The man accused of ambushing and shooting firefighters in Idaho was a fierce conservative with 'Nazi tendencies'
www.threads.com
There are no easy answers for why Wess Roley gunned down firefighters in Idaho. What is known, his friends say, is he was a fierce conservative fixated on guns, but he wasn't a loner growing up.
The man accused of ambushing and shooting firefighters in Idaho was a fierce conservative with 'Nazi tendencies'
USA TODAY (@usatoday) on Threads
The man accused of ambushing and shooting firefighters in Idaho was a fierce conservative with 'Nazi tendencies' but he didn't grow up a loner.
www.threads.com
It's amazing these numbers are so bad, considering about half of the population had never heard of the bill, or anything in it. The MAGA idiots just wait for Fox and trump to tell them it's good, and that's all they need to know.
But, it doesn't really matter now. We just voted ourselves into doom.
You're asking me to defend Trump or Trumpians? lol... no. Not going to play that game with you.
I made the assertion that the demonization of political opponents has been going on a lot longer than Trump and you respond with, what? Obama apologizing for calling American citizens "enemies"? No, I'm sorry, the demonization of political opponents has been going on for a lot longer than Trump.
From ChatGPT: Query, "Since WWII what US Presidents have been compared to Hitler?" I didn't have room to include Trump and Ike in the screen shot, but, yeah...
Summary:
- At least 11 out of 14 presidents since WWII have been compared to Hitler in some form.
- Most Common Targets: Nixon, Reagan, George W. Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden.
- Least Compared: Eisenhower, Ford, Carter, and JFK.
1940s–1950s: Early Cold War & McCarthyism
- Language used: "Traitors," "Un-American," "Commie sympathizer," "Red menace."
- Who was targeted: Left-leaning politicians, Hollywood figures, civil rights leaders.
- Example: Senator Joseph McCarthy accused dozens in government and media of communist ties. Loyalty was a weaponized concept.
1960s–1970s: Civil Rights, Vietnam War, and Counterculture
- Language used by the right: "Radicals," "subversives," "anti-American," "hippie trash."
- Language used by the left: "Fascist pigs," "baby killers," "imperialist."
- Who was targeted: Presidents Johnson and Nixon faced intense demonization; protesters and civil rights leaders were also demonized in return.
- Example: FBI’s COINTELPRO labeled Black Panthers and MLK as dangerous subversives.
1980s: Reagan Era and Culture Wars
- Language used: "Evil empire" (against Soviets), "welfare queens," "Bible-thumpers," "warmonger."
- Who was targeted: Liberals called Reagan fascist or racist; conservatives vilified feminists, LGBTQ+ activists, and anti-war protesters.
1990s: Clinton Years and Rise of Talk Radio
- Language used: "Feminazi," "draft dodger," "right-wing nutjob," "vast right-wing conspiracy."
- New factors: Talk radio (Rush Limbaugh) and cable news intensified partisan attacks.
- Example: Clinton was accused of murder (e.g., Vince Foster conspiracy) and fascism; right-wing media demonized Hillary Clinton harshly.
2000s: Post-9/11 & Bush Era
- Language used: "Terrorist sympathizer," "traitor," "Hitler," "Bushitler," "Islamofascist."
- Left vs Right: The Iraq War led to a surge in Hitler/Nazi comparisons—both for Bush and his opponents (for “not supporting the troops”).
2010s: Obama, Trump, and Social Media Explosion
- Obama: Called a “socialist,” “fascist,” “antichrist,” or “Kenyan usurper.”
- Trump: Called “literal Hitler,” “fascist,” “dictator,” “racist,” “traitor.”
- Social media made these terms ubiquitous and amplified fringe voices into the mainstream.
- Example: Meme warfare, conspiracy theories (QAnon, birtherism), and protest signs with apocalyptic or Nazi imagery became normalized.
2020s: Biden, Trump Redux, and Total Polarization
- Language used: “Authoritarian,” “communist,” “Nazi,” “threat to democracy,” “deep state,” “fascist,” “traitor.”
- Trend: Both sides increasingly describe the other as an existential threat, not just wrong but evil.
- More Common: Yes — especially since the 1990s, with a sharp increase post-2016 due to social media and cable news echo chambers.
- More Extreme: Yes — Hitler, Nazi, traitor, and apocalypse-level terms are now frequent in online discourse and political ads.
- Both Sides: Demonization is bipartisan. The right may frame the left as anti-American/globalist/socialist; the left may frame the right as fascist/racist/authoritarian.
Conclusion
Since WWII, the use of demonizing language against political opponents in the U.S. has gone from sporadic and coded to common and explicit—and now often dehumanizing. This reflects deeper polarization, a decline in trust in institutions, and media ecosystems that reward outrage over dialogue.
The use of dehumanizing language against political opponents in the United States began long before World War II—in fact, it dates back to the founding era. However, the form, frequency, and intensity have evolved over time.
Language was intensely personal and ideological, sometimes bordering on the dehumanizing—especially when accusing opponents of moral depravity or subversion.
This period saw extreme demonization that helped fuel the path to civil war.
Dehumanizing political language often overlapped with class and race.
Language intensified in a time of ideological upheaval, leading into the Cold War.
Dehumanizing political language has existed in the U.S. since its inception, intensifying during moments of existential threat, war, or ideological division.
While it wasn’t always as explicit as modern examples (e.g., comparing opponents to Hitler or animals), the intent—to strip dignity, paint the other side as dangerous, subhuman, or morally void—has been present since the 18th century.
It spreads fast, far, and wide because of the availability of social media. Essentially, everyone has a megaphone now.
- John Adams vs. Thomas Jefferson (Election of 1800):
- Adams supporters called Jefferson a “howling atheist” and a “monster” who would lead to “murder, robbery, rape.”
- Jeffersonians called Adams a “tyrant,” and his party “monarchists” and “tools of Britain.”
Language was intensely personal and ideological, sometimes bordering on the dehumanizing—especially when accusing opponents of moral depravity or subversion.
- Abolition vs. Slavery debates:
- Southern leaders described abolitionists as “fanatics,” “incendiaries,” or “devils” threatening civilization.
- Abolitionists likened slaveholders to “demons,” “murderers,” or even “beasts.”
- 1850s “Bleeding Kansas” and the rise of the Republican Party:
- Political enemies described each other as “barbarians” or “savage brutes.”
This period saw extreme demonization that helped fuel the path to civil war.
- Confederates were often described as “traitors” and “rebels,” while Unionists were painted by the South as “tyrants” or “black Republicans” (a racialized insult).
- Reconstruction-era rhetoric used racialized dehumanization, particularly by Southern Democrats attacking freedmen and Republicans.
- Populists called industrialists “parasites,” “plutocrats,” “vampires.”
- Industrial elites accused unionists and socialists of being “animals,” “anarchists,” “red devils.”
- Immigrants were dehumanized with terms like “vermin,” “hordes,” “mongrels.”
Dehumanizing political language often overlapped with class and race.
- Communists and fascists became easy targets.
- FDR was called a “dictator,” “traitor to his class,” and worse by far-right opponents.
- Isolationists labeled interventionists as “warmongers” or “tools of the Jews.”
Language intensified in a time of ideological upheaval, leading into the Cold War.
- See previous answer for modern trends—escalating from McCarthyism to the internet age.
Dehumanizing political language has existed in the U.S. since its inception, intensifying during moments of existential threat, war, or ideological division.
While it wasn’t always as explicit as modern examples (e.g., comparing opponents to Hitler or animals), the intent—to strip dignity, paint the other side as dangerous, subhuman, or morally void—has been present since the 18th century.
Bottom Line:
It spreads fast, far, and wide because of the availability of social media. Essentially, everyone has a megaphone now.
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