I have a close friend that I’ve known 20 years who became obsessed with right-wing politics. even though I’m liberal, I don’t make it my entire personality and life. But anyway… I was talking to him this morning casually like friends do.

Me: “Hey man. Do you have off today for MLK day?” Friend: “No, I have to work today.” Me: “Damn, sorry to hear. I have off today since it’s a company holiday.” Friend: “Yeah, I work for a living. Guess that’s the difference me and people who live in an ivory tower.” Me: “Uhh I work for a living too. Idk why you’re acting like I don’t?” Friend: “I didn’t mean you specifically. But you’re off and I’m not so it shows that you get to relax at least. You should be able to handle the truth lol. There’s no shame in admitting that I’m a harder worker than everyone else. you shouldn’t be so sensitive”

Honestly, he’s not unique, either. I’ve met so many people who are conservative, obsessed with right-wing stuff, and they’re all like this. They act like they’re special and the whole world is lazy, “no one wants to work anymore” attitude.

  • مهما طال الليل@lemm.ee
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    6 days ago

    He is exploited and dumb enough to think being exploited makes him better.

    Their bitterness comes from being exploited. The stupidity is in deluding themselves that they are hard workers instead of Luiging their boss.

  • I Cast Fist@programming.dev
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    6 days ago

    Friend doesn’t get a day off, complains about the “ivory tower” of those that get a holiday, instead of blaming his boss and/or company for being a souless machine grinding his bones to dust for 3 extra pennies that quarter.

  • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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    6 days ago

    It’s not “why are they like this?” but rather “who has made them like this?”

    Who has a vested interest in creating a generation of people who take a perverse personal pride in working themselves to death so somebody else can get rich? Hmm, tough one…

    I wouldn’t even mind if the ultra rich were doing something with that money, but they just hoard it. Elon Musk could have a giant fortress in the shape of a skull, but instead he just goes home and cheats at videogames. I can do that for next to nothing!

    • Phoenicianpirate@lemm.ee
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      6 days ago

      The people who did it are the same wealthy anti-progressive, anti-New Dealers who hated how the government did so many programs that didn’t just work, but worked brilliantly. I need to mention that not all New Deal programs survived, but most of the ones that were cut were done so due to early concerted opposition to them and nothing organic.

      No joke, it is a combination of old ideas and opposition to new ideas.

    • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
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      I wouldn’t even mind if the ultra rich were doing something with that money, but they just hoard it. Elon Musk could have a giant fortress in the shape of a skull, but instead he just goes home and cheats at videogames. I can do that for next to nothing!

      That’s exactly the “Make America Great Again” attitude. You can kill your own population and mistreat your workers, as long as you spend the money in a lavish lifestyle. That’s exactly what the rich are doing, and that’s exactly what people (rightfully) complain about.

  • TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    I notice that those enamoured by the right are-- there is no other way to put it-- insecure. We all got insecurities, but I think the right has managed to tap that and groom them.

    The thing with this attitude of feeling special that they work excessively is precisely the right has groomed them to be part of something bigger. And humans, but not all, naturally yearn for social acceptance and wanting to be part of something big. These folks feel that their contribution counts for something. The right has tapped that feeling, but for sinister purpose unfortunately. In the case of your friend, it just so happens that a fake wannabe right wing university, which shall not be named, has a video imploring viewers that work is good and that it is the ultimate goal. It makes you feel special. No buddy, the only person who you make feel special is yourself for grooming individuals to be mindless workers who will not question longer hours with no extra pay.

        • Miaou@jlai.lu
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          5 days ago

          I hope anyone old enough to be browsing English-speaking Lemmy already knows that, but sadly some education systems are… Inadequate

    • beejboytyson@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Haha funny thing about that is one of the most right wing ppl I know only talks about his small pecker and how he cream pies his wife.

      He also has threatened to assualt me twice because he thought I kissed him in the ear.

      I’m not even gay and I have a son.

      Idk man. I stay away from those people now.

  • GooberEar@lemmy.wtf
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    6 days ago

    I was vising a family over the weekend. I mentioned that the only reason I had time to make it over to their house to help them with some work this weekend was because I was off on Monday for MLK day.

    Their response was to scoff and roll their eyes while sarcastically saying “mLk daY”.

    It’s stereotypical yet anecdotal, but they stopped working in their 50s and moved around the country shopping for states that would grant them disability. Other than a short-term odd job here and there, they haven’t had a job since. But yes, they are exactly the same folks that complain how nobody wants to work anymore and it’s everyone else who is lazy.

    • WhatYouNeed@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      If only MLK day was set on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November.

      What better day for people to have off to celebrate. Oh and every 4 years they would be off work so they can vote too!

  • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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    7 days ago

    You’ve got it backwards. Toxic and aggressive people become conservatives (in Anglo countries) because it serves them emotionally.

    Occasionally one is too queer to successfully do that, and have to find an alternate outlet, like stanning for North Korea or something.

    • Duamerthrax@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      idk, I know a gay conservative. Extremely stupid and selfish. He’s not even “normal gay” or whatever. He’s like some caricature out of a 90’s sitcom. Him and his boyfriend have the most toxic, untrusting relationship. I avoid him as much as possible.

      • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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        Yeah, I’ve heard of that. Like, who’s that guy with the Greek name? I’ve also heard of gay fascists flip-flopping to the Wakanda North Korea thing.

        Also, shout out to the gay weed-growing libertarians who get lumped in with fascists as “conservative”. I see you.

        • Duamerthrax@lemmy.world
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          6 days ago

          Milo something-or-another? That guy is a grifter before anything else. He fell out of favor when he praised his childhood molester and later reinvented himself as a “cured former-homosexual”.

  • SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    lol brainwashed as fuck. Who the fuck brags about being forced to work hard? Bet he doesn’t have anything to show for it. Not working hard and living a comfortable life is a bigger flex than breaking your back to earn money for the boss

    Bet he thinks there is a reward at the end. Nope. Boss wil fuck him over and there is no heaven.

  • Asafum@feddit.nl
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    7 days ago

    The conservative people that run my job think they’re funny or something. We get a the standard holidays off but if the 4th of July or whatever falls near a weekend they’ll swap another holiday to make it a 4 day weekend.

    The only holidays they “trade away” are MLK day and Juneteenth… Funny that.

    • Queen HawlSera@lemm.ee
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      7 days ago

      Same, though I’ve never had Juneteenth off (AT best there’s a Juneteenth BBQ that… no one but management gets to attend because we don’t have to day off to do so) and we traded MLK Day away for… I think Black Friday? I don’t remember… I just know that I work on it.

    • FilthyHookerSpit@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      People like this are just primed to make up their own reality. Rather than face the truth that he has a (probably) shitty job, his mind instead translates it to: “those people are lazy, I’m a hard worker. I’m working a holiday because I’m a tough man and can handle it”

  • Whateley@lemm.ee
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    7 days ago

    Reminds me of this dipshit I saw in a Starbucks once wearing one of those anti-welfare t shirts. He spent a good 20 minutes bragging to this poor young woman working the counter about how hard of a worker he is and that people on welfare are parasites.

    When she asked him what he did, he sheepishly responded that he did a few hours a week of per diem work at UPS. She just rolled her eyes and asked him if he needed anything in that “buy something or get fuck out” tone.

    After he left, she started talking to another employee about how much of a tool he was. The other coworker responded that he pulls this goofy anti-welfare ranting shit to try and impress new girls and that he actually lives with his parents and collects state aid himself.

  • lurklurk@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    They’re sad insecure people who try to find self worth by looking down on others, which is hard work for a bottom feeder