Republicans get off on cruelty and power directed at those who can't fight back. Pedophiles get off on cruelty and power directed at those who can't fight back. Spot the connection.

Pedocon theory

• https://www.liberalcurrents.com/we-need-to-talk-about-pedocon-theory/

Pedocon theory is a theory like gravity is a theory. Women's subservience is what they believe in: they'll just tell you. Children's obedience is what they believe in: they'll just tell you. Fathers' right to rule their families is what they believe in: they'll just tell you. Pedophilia is the natural outcome of all these ideologies: children are the property of men. MAGA has made a religion of patriarchy. In many cases, this toxic vine is wound deeply through their actual religious practices of fundamentalist Christianity. If that is the theory, pedophilia is the practice. The evidence is there, if you're willing to look.

"If you're willing to look." I've used such phrases throughout this essay. That is because pedocon theory is a self-censoring fact: something so profoundly uncomfortable to think about that you instead choose not to. You sweep the evidence away, add up one bad apple after another and pretend you do not see.

• https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/04/from-hastert-to-gaetz-lets-talk-about-republicans-and-sex-crimes.html
• https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pedocon

Epstein's sick buddies took over the country is the problem

looks at the history of the Catholic church

Forever.

My grandfather was staunchly Republican. For forever. Eventually became a maga person, he had the hat and everything. He was always at the very least a "bit" racist vocally. Towards the end of trump's last term something happened that spured him to leaving the maga movement. They cut his VA benefits. He's still a racist but since it directly affected him, he was against it. This example clearly it directly affects this person's family, but not the person himself. They make excuses that explain away all the transgressions via religion or "better for country". It's more important than ever to remember when he said "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?" He doesn't tell the truth often, but this is a circumstance that I actually believe he did. I don't know how we got to this point of delusion, but I do think it's systemic. He's a result of the disease, not the actual problem. Remember "the sin of empathy"?