republicans see no individuals--only abstract collectives

As I was chatting with my maga friend the other day, it dawned on me why republicans so clearly and so willfully lack empathy about other people.

We've all known for a long time that republicans don't see women as people, POC as people, LGBTQ+ as people.... They don't see any of us as actual humans.

I posit that republicans don't see themselves as people, either.

I think that republicans see themselves only as an abstract collective: the "good" collective.

And they see everyone else as "other": the "bad" collective.

That's why, to republicans, it doesn't matter how heinous other republican individuals are: if they're part of the "good" collective, they're automatically good by definition.

That's why, to republicans, treason is now "patriotic"; crime is now "law and order"; gross injustice is now "justice"; being robbed blind is now "prosperity"; rape is now "protecting women"; starving and killing disadvantaged populations is now "pro-life"; narcissistic sociopathy is now "true love and compassion"; allies are now "enemies"; enemies are now "allies"; democracy is now "dictatorship"; and oppression under authoritarian dictatorship is now "freedom."

That's why, to republicans, saving lives like Dr. Fauci spent his whole career doing is a capital offense worthy of death: "their" guy shit on Dr. Fauci, so Dr. Fauci must belong in the "bad" collective...no matter how many millions of lives he saved over his illustrious and distinguished career, "Dr. Fauci bad."

It doesn't matter how wonderful individuals in the republican "bad" collective are: one of us scientists could cure cancer--a miraculous feat now that leona dork vader musk and donaldina jessica trump are DEFUNDING CANCER RESEARCH (which only makes sense, since donaldina and her family STOLE from at least one children's cancer charity)--but maga would still declare that scientist a murderer and string them up by the neck until dead..."HOW DARE YOU CURE MAH CANCERRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!"

It doesn't matter to maga that maybe some of the innocent people leona dork vader musk's doge (pronounced "douche") is firing to stoke donaldina jessica trump and the fascists' culture wars are mothers--perhaps widows--with two small children in diapers who have spent their careers as dedicated public servants working long hours for low pay to keep actual Americans safe. 

It doesn't matter to maga that these people don't just grow on trees--they've worked long and hard to develop tremendous expertise and experience because they have the drive and passion to serve the public good. 

It doesn't matter to maga that their douche bois are dicking with real people's lives and families, maybe even throwing them out of their homes and onto the streets.

It doesn't matter to maga that these parents with small children are NOT coming back to federal service once "il douche" realizes, "Oops, we shouldn't have fired you before we understood what you actually do and how brilliant you are--we need you, please come back!"

It doesn't matter to maga that the chaos and instability are tanking productivity across the board--scientists and researchers watching the trump shitshow are leaving en masse (I've heard several say, "Why even work for the government anymore?") creating a tremendous brain drain in this country that will only weaken the military they claim they love so much because actual individuals are leaving the system because they and their families cannot tolerate the instability.

Nope! 

To maga, it's just a collective full of interchangeable, replaceable, non-human widgets (just like maga, perhaps?).

This is why maga is so viciously eager to vote for leopards eating people's faces. They're so steeped in shame, fear, and hate that they absolutely thirst for others' blood, no matter how innocent of any actual crimes those others are. As long as you're not in maga's chosen collective, they want you dead...preferably after as long as they can make you suffer first.

And this is why, every damn time, maga is so damn shocked when the leopards eat THEIR faces. They're so unable to perceive humanity as a whole collective of individuals that it never occurs to them that they, too, are individuals who are vulnerable to the wrath they seek to inflict on innocent others. 

This is why maga only objects to outrages when they're committed on them--on themselves as individuals and on other individuals they know and, for whatever reason, value. 

FAFO is a stupid and sorry way for republicans to learn empathy, but better late than never, I guess.