Crash Course: Why right-wingers love to play victim

Have you noticed how much "manly" conservatives whine? none Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgphu1X8ymGJZjKvUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). none none Why are right-wingers so in love with victimhood? As Salon readers have definitely heard by now, the biggest reason why the U.S. is getting hit with a third wave of the COVID pandemic, driven by the fast-spreading omicron variant, is our low level of vaccination compared to most other major Western nations. And the big reason for that, as Salon contributor [Sophia A. McClennen writes](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0R1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMjcvdGhlLWNvbnNlcnZhdGl2ZS11cmdlLXRvLWJlLWEtdmljdGltLXdoeS1yaWdodC13aW5nLXZpY3RpbWhvb2QtaXMtc3ByZWFkaW5nLXNvLWZhc3QvVwNzcGNCCmG7VfzKYYlmMq9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~), is "because the GOP weaponized the pandemic for political gain, convincing their supporters to distrust science and resist any policy, no matter how reasonable, if it came from a Democrat." Going another level deeper still, McClennen locates this seemingly puzzling and self-destructive behavior — well, OK, it's actually self-destructive — within a "larger political practice" she calls "Victimized Bully Syndrome." I mean, it explains a lot, right? When we at Crash Course read that, a light bulb went on just a little. McClennen says that VBS — let's shoot for an official diagnostic definition! — is closely related to DARVO, the acronym for "deny, attack and reverse victim and offender" that is used to describe emotional and psychologically abusive behavior. VBS is an ingenious inversion of DARVO, where the abusive behavior comes first and DARVO only emerges if the attacker is asked to take responsibility. But with VBS the cries of being victims come first and are used to justify the underlying bullying behaviors. The bully under VBS is always already acting in self-defense. Kyle Rittenhouse offers a classic, and tragic, example of VBS in action, with his (legally successful) claim that despite showing up at a protest in a city where he didn't life with an assault-style rifle, he was a victim who shot three people solely in self-defense. But of course America's leading practitioner of VBS is ... well, we hardly need to name him, do we? That would be the guy who encouraged a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol in an effort to shut down the democratic process, only to claim later that "the real threat to our democracy" comes from "those elected officials investigating what happened on Jan. 6, not the actual people who attacked the Capitol. (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) none none We kind of knew this: A double shot won't stop omicron — but the booster makes a big difference A new study by researchers at Imperial College London appears to validate scientists' concerns about vaccine effectiveness and the fast-spreading omicron variant of COVID — which got to Britain first, but is now found everywhere in the U.S. as well. As Salon's [Matthew Rozsa reports](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0Q3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMjcvYm9vc3Rlci1zaG90cy1vbWljcm9uL1cDc3BjQgphu1X8ymGJZjKvUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~), the London researchers found that what until recently was considered "full vaccination" — two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine (or other, similar vaccines used elsewhere in the world) — offer very little protection against omicron: specifically, a "vaccine effectiveness" between zero and 20 percent. That's ... definitely not great news. But there's absolutely a silver lining to the London report as well: Specifically, those who had received three shots — meaning the two-dose vaccination plus a booster shot — saw a vaccine effectiveness of between 55 percent and 80 percent against the omicron variant. What does this tell us? Well, it ought to tell you to head on out to Mr. or Ms. Pharmacist and get that booster, bub, if you haven't done so already. It also suggests that former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb may be right in saying he believes "the COVID-19 vaccine should be a three-dose, not a two-dose shot." It still appears likely that the omicron variant is less virulent than any of the previous variants — that is, it's less likely to make you seriously ill — but it's way more infective (or contagious, in lay terms). But if someone you love who previously had COVID believes they're protected by "natural immunity," tell them this: The Imperial College London team found that "people who were infected by the omicron strain are 5.4 times more likely to get reinfected than people who were infected by the delta strain." So, in other words, "past omicron infection provides little protection from reinfection." Get the shot! (Photo: AFP via Getty Images) none - Although better known for her literary personal essays and cultural criticism, the late [Joan Didion was also a great political analyst](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0R4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMjcvam9hbi1kaWRpb24tZXhwb3NlZC1wb2xpdGljYWwtc3Rvcmllcy1hbWVyaWNhLWlzLXN0aWxsLXRlbGxpbmctaXRzZWxmLWluLW9yZGVyLXRvLWxpdmUvVwNzcGNCCmG7VfzKYYlmMq9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~), who crashed the journalism boys' club and transformed it. - Think fascism is brand new to America? Maybe you don't know about the [1939 Nazi rally](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0ReaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMjgvZmFzY2lzbS1pbi1hbWVyaWNhLWl0cy1ub3doZXJlLW5lYXItYXMtbmV3LWFzLXlvdS1taWdodC10aGlua1cDc3BjQgphu1X8ymGJZjKvUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~), 22,000 Sieg Heils strong — in Madison Square Garden. - Jan. 6 House committee now hopes to track down [Trump's calls to Giuliani, Bannon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0R8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMjcvamFuLTYtY29tbWl0dGVlLXRvLWludmVzdGlnYXRlLXRydW1wcy1jYWxscy10by1hbGxpZXMtYXQtd2lsbGFyZC1ob3RlbC1iZWZvcmUtY2FwaXRvbC1yaW90L1cDc3BjQgphu1X8ymGJZjKvUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) and other allies at the Willard Hotel. - Will Congress use its [never-used secret powers](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0R8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMjcvd2lsbC1jb25ncmVzcy11c2UtaXRzLXVudXNlZC0yMzIteWVhci1vbGQtcG93ZXItLWp1c3QtaW4tdGltZS10by1zYXZlLW91ci1yZXB1YmxpY19wYXJ0bmVyL1cDc3BjQgphu1X8ymGJZjKvUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) — dormant for 232 years — to save the Republic? (Prolly not.) - Joe Biden tells governors [it's ultimately on them](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0RpaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMjcvdGhlcmUtaXMtbm8tc29sdXRpb24tYmlkZW4tc2F5cy1nb3Zlcm5vcnMtbmVlZC10by10YWtlLWxlYWQtaW4tcmVzcG9uc2UvVwNzcGNCCmG7VfzKYYlmMq9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) to slow the pandemic: "There is no federal solution." Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0QgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL25ld3NsZXR0ZXJXA3NwY0IKYbtV_MphiWYyr1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) to receive Crash Course. none none Don't count on the Red Hats and fascist wannabes dumping Trump over vaccines (unfortunately) Salon's Amanda Marcotte [drops some harsh wisdom](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0RyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMjcvZG9udC1nZXQtdG9vLWV4Y2l0ZWQtYWJvdXQtbWFnYS1hbmdlci1hdC1vdmVyLXZhY2NpbmVzLS10aGV5LXdvbnQtZXZlci1kaXRjaC1oaW0vVwNzcGNCCmG7VfzKYYlmMq9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) for the final week of 2021: Yeah, some Trump supporters may be big mad at the big guy for actually getting the COVID booster and urging others to do so — garnering praise from Joe Biden, of all people. But don't buy into the utterly unproven theory that this will be the long-awaited moment when the spell breaks, and the Trumpers realize they've been had: [Donald Trump is going to run in 2024](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0RUaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjUvdGhlLW9uZS1yZWFzb24td2h5LWRvbmFsZC1pcy1ndWFyYW50ZWVkLXRvLXJ1bi1mb3IvVwNzcGNCCmG7VfzKYYlmMq9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). [He's going to try to steal the election again](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0RcaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMDgvZmFjZWJvb2stYW5kLXRydW1wLWFtZXJpY2EtaXMtc2xlZXB3YWxraW5nLXRvd2FyZHMtZmFzY2lzbS9XA3NwY0IKYbtV_MphiWYyr1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) — and [he has an extremely good chance at succeeding.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMDQvbm93LXRoZS1oYXMtYS1jb3VwLXBsYW4tLWFuZC1zdGV2ZS1iYW5ub25zLXJlYWR5LXRvLXB1dC1ib290cy1vbi10aGUtZ3JvdW5kL1cDc3BjQgphu1X8ymGJZjKvUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) With [people in power unwilling](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0ROaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8xMi8yMy9vcGluaW9uL3RydW1wLWNhcGl0b2wtcmlvdC1qYW51YXJ5LTZ0aC5odG1sVwNzcGNCCmG7VfzKYYlmMq9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) or [unable to save us,](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0R8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTAvMjEvYWZ0ZXItbWlub3JpdHktaW4tdGhlLXNlbmF0ZS1ibG9ja3Mtdm90aW5nLXJpZ2h0cy1iaWxsLXNpbmVtYS1zdWZmZXJzLWV4b2R1cy1vZi1zdXBwb3J0ZXJzL1cDc3BjQgphu1X8ymGJZjKvUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) it's tempting to hope for some completely random happenstance to come in and fell Trump before he completes his grim march to a 2024 takeover. That is why, no doubt, there was a flurry of excitement over the holiday weekend when the MAGA faithful did what many on the left thought was impossible: flipped out on Trump. Yes, conspiracy-theory talk-show host Alex Jones called Trump "one of the most evil men who has ever lived," Candace Owens suggested that Trump was simply too old to find BS anti-vax sites on the interwebs and even [fanatical pro-MAGA cartoonist Ben Garrison](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP4QtAWh0dHBzOi8vdHdpdHRlci5jb20va2ltcG9zc2libGVmYWN0L3N0YXR1cy8xNDc0MTE4MDM5OTA1ODU3NTU3P3JlZl9zcmM9dHdzcmMlNUV0ZnclN0N0d2NhbXAlNUV0d2VldGVtYmVkJTdDdHd0ZXJtJTVFMTQ3NDExODAzOTkwNTg1NzU1NyU3Q3R3Z3IlNUUlN0N0d2NvbiU1RXMxX2MxMCZyZWZfdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LnNhbG9uLmNvbSUyRjIwMjElMkYxMiUyRjI3JTJGZG9udC1nZXQtdG9vLWV4Y2l0ZWQtYWJvdXQtbWFnYS1hbmdlci1hdC1vdmVyLXZhY2NpbmVzLS10aGV5LXdvbnQtZXZlci1kaXRjaC1oaW0lMkZXA3NwY0IKYbtV_MphiWYyr1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) has turned on the doubly-impeached (and trebly-vaccinated!) ex-prexy. "It's an exciting thought," Marcotte writes, "that this vaccine thing would split the Trumpian base and demobilize his support. Alas, it will never actually happen." Leading figures in MAGA World, she says, are "already making up excuses for Trump's deviation from anti-vaxx orthodoxy," which is effectively a disagreement over political strategy. For the fascist right, Trump is still their best path to victory, and his "pro-vaccine talk will, like his clear disdain for Christians and [members of the military](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0SBaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjAvMDkvMDUvdmV0ZXJhbnMtZ3JvdXBzLWNvbmRlbW4tdHJ1bXAtb3Zlci1yZXBvcnRzLWhlLWNhbGxlZC1mYWxsZW4tc29sZGllcnMtbG9zZXJzLWFuZC1zdWNrZXJzX3BhcnRuZXIvVwNzcGNCCmG7VfzKYYlmMq9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~), ultimately be a thing that most of his followers decide they can live with." Rats! But at least you read it here first. (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) none - LAPD releases video in police killing of 14-year-old girl inside clothing store. [The Guardian](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0RbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL3VzLW5ld3MvMjAyMS9kZWMvMjcvbG9zLWFuZ2VsZXMtcG9saWNlLWJ1cmxpbmd0b24ta2lsbGluZy12aWRlb1cDc3BjQgphu1X8ymGJZjKvUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - Thousands more flights grounded — Dr. Fauci suggests a vaccine mandate for air travel. [Yahoo News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0RKaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnlhaG9vLmNvbS9vbWljcm9uLWluZHVjZWQtc3RhZmYtc2hvcnRhZ2VzLXNub3ctMTgxNTIyNzg2Lmh0bWxXA3NwY0IKYbtV_MphiWYyr1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Manchester United legend Gary Neville says the team's underperforming current players are a bunch of "whingebags." [ESPN](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0SSaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZXNwbi5jb20vc29jY2VyL21hbmNoZXN0ZXItdW5pdGVkLWVuZ21hbl91dGQvc3RvcnkvNDU1NzI5Mi9tYW5jaGVzdGVyLXVuaXRlZC1wbGF5ZXJzLWJyYW5kZWQtd2hpbmdlYmFncy1ieS1mb3JtZXItY2FwdGFpbi1nYXJ5LW5ldmlsbGVXA3NwY0IKYbtV_MphiWYyr1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Prosecutor in Michigan school shooting says suspect's mom was having an affair while her son spiraled downward. [Detroit Free Press](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0SPaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZnJlZXAuY29tL3N0b3J5L25ld3MvbG9jYWwvbWljaGlnYW4vb2FrbGFuZC8yMDIxLzEyLzIzL294Zm9yZC1zY2hvb2wtc2hvb3RpbmctcHJvc2VjdXRvci1kaXNjbG9zZS1kZXRhaWxzLWFib3V0LXBhcmVudHMvOTAwNzU4NDAwMi9XA3NwY0IKYbtV_MphiWYyr1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - Is there actually hope for the latest round of nuclear talks with Iran? [Al Jazeera English](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0RWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYWxqYXplZXJhLmNvbS9uZXdzLzIwMjEvMTIvMjcvaXJhbi1udWNsZWFyLXRhbGtzLXZpZW5uYS1ob3BlZnVsLW5vdGUtamNwb2FXA3NwY0IKYbtV_MphiWYyr1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) none none Paranoid schizophrenia — and an overdose of Fox News — turned me into a Republican In an [extraordinary personal essay](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0Q5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTIvMjYvc2NoaXpvcGhyZW5pYS1tYWRlLW1lLWEvVwNzcGNCCmG7VfzKYYlmMq9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~), Salon contributor Patty Mulcahy offers one example of what might be a much larger pattern. While suffering a "psychotic break" due to what was later diagnosed as "untreated paranoid schizophrenia," she gravitated from being a standard-issue Clinton Democrat to a true believer in Donald Trump and his universe of conspiracy theories: The TV was talking to me. I was in the midst of a delusion that the news anchors on CNN were operatives of a shadow government run by the Clintons. Every time I crossed the living room of my father's dingy basement apartment, their heads followed me and the news anchors interrogated me about my role in the Russia investigation. I believed "Russia investigation" was really code for a global conspiracy to enslave humanity through mind control. President Donald Trump and the Republicans were secretly working to overturn this shadow government and end the deep state programs. Targets of torture like me would be set free. If that sounds an awful lot like what millions of people on the right believe who haven't been diagnosed with mental illness — well, Mulcahy has asked herself about that too: "Are we all susceptible to paranoid thoughts, [conspiratorial thinking](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0RvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMTEvMTYvYW50aS12YWNjaW5lLWNvbnNwaXJhY3ktdGhlb3Jpc3RzLXNheS15b3UtY2FuLXJldmVyc2UteW91ci12YWNjaW5lLXdpdGgtYm9yYXgvVwNzcGNCCmG7VfzKYYlmMq9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) and bias when executive function in the frontal lobes and our ability to reason are disabled by fear?" She continues: It's easy to mock people who think Bill Gates wants to put a microchip in them with the coronavirus vaccine. But it's much harder to separate conspiracy theorists' larger existential fears from our own. We're approaching the second year of a global pandemic, which is causing mass anxiety and depression. ... Fear-mongering is psychologically destabilizing to the most normal person. But this media environment can be toxic to someone with an untreated psychiatric illness. I wish politicians and their media allies would stop contributing to the collective unraveling of the American mind. (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). Our mailing address: 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200 Wilmington, 19801 DE [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmG7VfzKYYlmMq9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2021 Crash Course, All rights reserved. [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRjrYFSP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgphu1X8ymGJZjKvUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)