US/pol/Republican/mindset

Overview

American republicans (AmReps) are often something of a mystery. Suspicious to a fault, they will nonetheless willingly swallow the most blatant contradictions as long as they seem to come from an authoritative source. Despite being excessively conscious of the power of appearances, they will listen with uncritical and almost childlike innocence to anyone with the right suit, while using poor appearance as sufficient basis for condemning others.

The following tenets of the American republican philosophy most clearly illustrate where it is at odds with a rational worldview.

1. Politics is a sporting event: In an election, it is the job of each candidate's "team" to present their side's case to the voters in a way that is as convincing as possible. If a candidate is able to make a more convincing case by distorting the facts or even lying about their opponents, that is perfectly acceptable and part of the game; it is the other candidate's job to defend himself against false accusation, and to correct errors where they affect his credibility. The only real sin is being a whiner. It is not the job of any voter to do fact-checking, as this is akin to "interference" and makes the game less fair. (This has a lot in common with the idea of carrot-and-stick negotiation.)
2. Democracy works because of selfishness: A free society can only function through the sum action of individuals who are each looking out for their own interests. If everyone does this equally, then everyone's interests are represented fairly. If, on the other hand, individuals or organizations get involved with defending the interests of others, this is seen as "ganging up" to unbalance and corrupt the system; it is unfair because those interests are then being over-represented.