Comments on: Where It Begins

By: Where hate begins « Dating Jesus

Where hate begins « Dating Jesus — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:16:08 +0000

[...] This writer watched a family friend turn into a Nazi. [...]

By: Mindy Carney

Mindy Carney — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:23:04 +0000

Polymath234, the cutthroat side of capitalism most certainly creates victims, no doubt. But poverty, in and of itself, does not breed hatred. You’re trying to simplify that which is extremely complex.

By: polymath234

polymath234 — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:45:45 +0000

Good piece, but missing I think the larger point: in a culture which predicates success on the overcoming of overwhelming obstacles, fallout such as Jonah is inevitable. It’s not character flaws, or bad education: it’s cutthroat Capitalism, folks. It ain’t pretty to look at, is it?

By: Pat Whalen

Pat Whalen — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:44:51 +0000

One aspect of this is the belief without evidence which is a precondition to a lot of the madness in the world.

For instance how could anyone “know” that Obama never presented a valid birth certificate?

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:30:36 +0000

Mark: Great case study.

“Personally, I don’t believe it much matters what such people hate. They hate. It’s what drives them. They center their lives on it, it gives them purpose, it forms something by which they can feel important. It feeds.”

I suspect that the need to bond with others drove the hate. Seems oxymoronic, but it does seem that many people who are undisciplined thinkers are prone to join up with each other to enhance their feeling of importance. I agree that haters are equal opportunity haters. In the early stages, they are xenophobic (e.g., most of the right wing of the Republican Party) and it can mushroom from there.

For reference, see my earlier post on Eric Hoffer, who wrote of “The True Believer.” http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/09/01/what-eric-hoffer-tells-us-about-true-believers/ Consider especially this quote by Hoffer:

“The differences between the conservatives and the radicals seem to spring mainly from their attitude toward the future. Fear of the future causes us to lean against and cling to the present, while faith in the future renders us receptive to change.”

By: Ebonmuse

Ebonmuse — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:54:48 +0000

This was a fantastic post, Mark. Thanks for writing it. It must be a chilling thing, to see the cancer of hatred slowly growing in a person until it consumes them utterly. It’s good to be reminded that many hatemongers were once ordinary, decent people before they fell prey to that disease.

By: Mindy Carney

Mindy Carney — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:06:33 +0000

Mark, this is brilliantly written. Thank you for sharing it - your insights into the hate-mongers are right on target. I will share this with everyone I can.

By: Niklaus Pfirsig

Niklaus Pfirsig — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:02:21 +0000

Very insightful. I would like to add that cultures of hate exist in all ethnic groups and cultures. In the same manner that the Nazi party uses antisemitism to to unite those who cant accept their failures, the social Zionist party in Israel feeds the anti-Arab frenzy throughout the world, and, in turn the Islamist Movement (not the religious faith, but an extremist political movement that promotes an Islam based theocracy) blames greed and selfishness of western culture for their problems.

As we have seen in the last 8 years, political groups that use strong emotions such as fear and hate to motivate the people tend to gain strength for those who lack self confidence or any sense of responsibility.