As expertly deconstructed by blogger Lucian K. Truscott IV, COVID deaths are increasingly segmented into “red states” with high rates of death and low rates of vaccination and “blue states” with the opposite.
As this disparity is becoming increasingly obvious, Truscott notes that “the paleo-conservative website Breitbart, which used to be owned by the pardoned Steve Bannon, published a story on September 10 that…wait for it…blamed it all on the libs. According to Breitbart, ‘the left has us right where they want us.’”
He goes on to say that the article says people like President Joe Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci are “deliberately looking to manipulate Trump supporters into not getting vaccinated.”
The article’s illogical conclusion is: “If I wanted to use reverse psychology to convince people not to get a life-saving vaccination, I would do exactly what [Howard] Stern and the left are doing… I would bully and taunt and mock and ridicule you for not getting vaccinated, knowing the human response would be, Hey, fuck you, I’m never getting vaccinated!”
This Breitbart nonsensical diatribe is a perfect example of several narcissistic or Other-Blamer behaviors. Not that we need further proof, but these kinds of articles give further evidence that MAGA-world is very clearly loaded with sociopathic types.
Narcissists, sociopaths and Other-Blamers, as I call them, abhor being criticized, because they have very low self-worth and poor ability to cope with feelings of shame or inadequacy. As a result, even a reasonable suggestion like “Get a vaccine to save your life and the lives of others” feels like a devastating personal attack. Their tender psyches take everything so personally that they can’t distinguish between constructive advice and manipulative lies. Their reaction is to do the opposite of whatever they are told.
When told what to do, they react with base emotions of anger and opposition: “You’re not going to tell me what to do — even if it’s in my best interest! I will cut off my nose to spite my face!”
And to clarify, being bullheadedly oppositional is a common response in humans, but it’s the preferred response of a narcissistic or sociopathic human. These Other-blamers have been raised to not accept or tolerate shame, so they must find someone to blame-shift to — even if that involves such contorted thinking that smokes comes out of my ears trying to figure it out.
This article shows the narcissistic tendency to find a scapegoat to blame for their stupid decision not to get vaccinated — and “the libs” are a habitual go-to target, even if it makes no sense whatsoever to blame the sensible majority of the American population that follows COVID safety protocols.
Other-blamers are so sensitive to humiliation that they feel ridiculed (as the article says), even when there is no shaming going on. Their “double-secret-probation” conspiracy thinking and paranoia kicks in so fast that they are hijacked by fear. Rational thought leaves the building, which leaves them grasping far and wide for justifications for their irrational behavior.
Notice also the extremes of language: “bully and taunt and mock and ridicule”. I have never heard Fauci or Biden do any of these things, but Other-Blamers are notorious for projection — blaming others for the very behaviors in which the Other-Blamer engages. Because narcissists depend on coercive or abusive or manipulative tactics in relationships, they immediately assume that others are similarly engaging in these same antisocial tactics.
The Breitbart article goes on: “The push for mandates is another ploy to get us to dig in and not do what’s best for ourselves because no one wants to feel like they’re caving to a mandate.”
Correction: Only narcissists and sociopaths don’t like caving in to mandates. Those of us who can tolerate reasonable submission to authority without destruction of our egos do just fine with wearing masks and getting vaccinated.
This opposition to direction from legitimate authority is a character fault has been encouraged in recent years by the same entitled behavior by a certain “former guy.” Unfortunately, it will take years of significant legal and cultural efforts at enforcing accountability among Trumpists to get them to learn some humility.