I heard somewhere that extremists are more likely to go to the opposite extreme than to moderation.
Yeah, that tends to happen when people consider religious claims seriously. Moderation is the land of compartmentalization and going-through-the-motions.
Because Fred Rogers was such a fanatic. This may shock you, but somebody can be devoutly religious without being a frummer.
No, they really can't. Religion claims a monopoly on absolute truth, and when your scriptures have poison in them, you either:
a) reject the religion wholesale
b) follow it to the letter
c) compartmentalize and try not to think about the glaring contradictions
A and B are serious approaches. C is mainly done only for social approval.
The world isn't black & white, sweetness.
Why does such a damn nice hat, that I wear, no less, have to be associated with such idiots?
Call it what it is, a Trilby, not a Fedora.
Frankly, Fedoras are much more stylish & classy. Reclaim the Fedora! Ditch the Trilby!
Back to the subject, there needs to be more stories of Wingnuts becoming Progressives. There's all these stories of of allegedly Progressive/Liberal/Lefty/Apolitical/Moonbat/Hippie/Counterculture Types/etc. going Wingnut. I'm sick of it! What's the appeal?! I'm a zillion times happier than I was as a Bible-butt. I'm free & open!
I mean.....The guy from Midnight Oil, Dennis Miller, Jerry Rubin, Rick Springfield, Maureen Tucker, Charlton Heston, that NeoPagan artist that turned into a Bible-Butt and went on The 700 Club, That NeoPagan Witch that had her own reality show....now this guy!
.....and he's become an anti-Semite, too!
Wingnuts are the real-life, BORG!
Don't forget Ted Nugent and Charlie Daniels.
Oh, GAWD, yes! *hoogh*
Here's an early example from decades ago, classic newspaper comic strip artist Al Capp, the guy behind
Li'l Abner. Started off a Progressive guy who lampooned Big Business/Right-Wingers/Fascists/etc. only to turn proto-Limbaugh in the 1960's.
Then there's the comic
B.C.Relax. Within the entertainment industry (and pundits do qualify, don't think they don't), you tend to have mostly what would be called progressives, so anyone who became conservative as time went on would stand out. Plenty of the people who are outspoken progressives/secularists now used to be conservative/fundamentalists, probably when they were children.
At least that's something to consider. Katy & Miley come to mind. Katy Perry used to be a Christian pop singer named Kate Hudson. Miley's the daughter of the Achy Breaky Guy & used to spout some "holy & wholesome" stuff.
Perhaps these are dumb examples.
That said, perhaps Cons-turned-Libs don't toot their horns like Libs-turned-Cons do.
Also, some of the latter are likely opportunists who see $$$ or attention in being a wingnut, were never really Progressive to begin with ('Rocker' does not always mean 'Liberal', just ask the late Johnny Ramone or much of the Norwegian Black Metal scene...or hate-label
Resistance Records) or were old guys who lost step with changing generations and just got cranky. Perhaps some are selfish types who saw that the Right-Wing fit them more. Perhaps Jerry Ruben was a member of CONTELPRO. The guy who runs the W.B.C now was originally a secular guy who wanted to do an anti-W.B.C documentary but realized that he found a way to indulge in his latent psychopathy, so he joined and eventually the usurper/leader.
.....and some are messed up & confused like Michelle Schocked.
But some may be earnest & perhaps took "Left-Wing" to mean "permissive", had issues with addiction and lack of direction and somehow found happiness in restriction.
