Summary
As California battles its worst wildfire, consuming 28,000 acres and killing five, MAGA figures, including Trump and Elon Musk, blame DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) initiatives instead of climate change.
Trump attacked Gov. Gavin Newsom over false claims about water policies, while right-wing media targeted Kristin Crowley, LA’s first LGBTQ fire chief, for prioritizing DEI.
Musk amplified conspiracy theories, and MAGA commentators linked DEI to the state’s firefighting challenges.
Critics dismissed these claims, citing unprecedented fire strain, climate change, and misinformation.
They’re taking advantage of the tragedy to tie negative emotions to their political boogieman of the month. They’re all aware of what they’re doing, they’re all in on it
Literally every fucking time. If it wasn’t DEI it would be Newsom or whatever else he can use to his benefit.
I get that part from the side of the people spinning the narrative. It’s the ones believing and repeating it that truly confound me. Like, spend 3 seconds imagining how DEI propagates fires and then ask why the people you elected would say something that stupid.
It’s an epistemic immune system. Every event that could challenge US conservative beliefs and value gets instantly reinterpreted as PROOF of those values.
School shooting? Shooter was secretly trans Domestic terror? Terrorist secretly an immigrant Climate disaster? False flag by eco-terrorists and elites.Under-regulated corporation fucks up? It’s DEI. Global pandemic? Actually the sick people were well and the vaccinated people are dying.
When a person sees events that conflict with their worldview, that can create cognitive dissonance, the uncomfortable mental disturbance that can be an opportunity for growth, learning and personal development.
That’s when the right-wing social mediasphere and broader demi-media kick in. Instead of resolving cognitive dissonance by re-evaluating beliefs, people can wait for an X Blue Tick or Tim Pool or whoever to tell them why their old beliefs were right and they didn’t see what they thought they saw.
They support their team and don’t give a flying fuck about honesty, factual reality, or fair play. End of.
An alarming amount of people don’t go beyond first thoughts. They don’t follow through with executive functions.