Deprogramming Conservatives?

Apparently, some people are suggesting that those with extreme right-wing views need to be “deprogrammed,” that controversial idea normally associated with wresting a loved one from the jaws of some sort of cult.  A few thoughts:

• There is a difference between “right-wing” and QAnon; subscribers to the latter have intractable beliefs that pose real danger to those around them.  Flag-waving, gun possession, segregationism, war-mongering, etc., are one thing; they should not be conflated with armed insurrection and murder. 

• Having said that, while we have every right to protect our safety, we have no right to force other people to change their minds about political matters, nor are we capable of it even if it were an option.

• Instead of “deprogramming,” what’s the problem with “education?” Educated people do not believe the Earth is flat, that climate change and the pandemic are hoaxes, that the election was rigged, that Bill Gates is endeavoring to enslave the world’s population, or that keeping little children in cages is an acceptable way for a civilized country to behave.

• Science has recently discovered that self-described “liberals” and “conservatives” are wired differently, in a literal sense of the word.  Through exhaustive experimentation with exposing large numbers of subjects to a variety of stimuli and measuring the precise results in terms of brain activity, it has been proven that conservatives view the world as a far different (more dangerous) place than liberals.  This may explain their positions on immigrants, and those of different color, religion, and sexual orientation.

• Long before this discovery came the concept of cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias. By nature, human beings are far more comfortable proving what they already believe than challenging their mindsets.  As a consequence, we tend to seek out news sources whose content is unlikely to make us angry or ill-at-ease.  This is part of the human condition; it applies to almost everyone, regardless of where one is on the political spectrum.

Again, quality education lies at the core of any workable democratic society.  Imagine a country full of people who understand math and science, who read the world’s great books, who ask their fellows to comment on humanity’s great questions, and, preferably, who travel to foreign lands and see for themselves how other people live.  Then, try to imagine those people behaving like the guys shown above.  It simply cannot be done.