It makes sense from the point of view of radicalisation paths, which tend to target the unsophisticated and the callow as their marks. These companies are the gateway between exurban white lady woo/goop and outright white nationalism.
The fascists are experimenting with these pathways. For example, the Proud Boys have been using violent anti-vaxx protests as covers to attract idiots (and media attention) to their brand of hate for months, as in the NYC situation described by @smulder above.
“Donald Trump supporters unwilling to accept Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory gathered in cities across the country including Washington, D.C., where thousands rallied; after night fell in the nation’s capital, demonstrators favoring Trump clashed in the streets with counterprotesters, resulting in injuries to demonstrators and police officers and charges against nearly two dozen people.”
Any reporter worth their salt will always describe him as “shambling in” to whichever authorities are trying to hold him to account for his part in the attempted putsch.
Not just there. You may have heard of the anti-lockdown/anti-vax-mandate/anti-whatever protests in Australia recently (especially in Melbourne).
We don’t have so many Proud Boys down here as an organised group, but the straight out Neo-Nazis were very openly at the heart of that whole schemozzle, and were documented showing the sorts of signs which are designed to entice people into seeking them out and dipping their toes in fascism.
Parents protesting ‘critical race theory’ identify another target: Mental health programs
Groups this year have voiced opposition to suicide prevention programs, mental health coordinators and social emotional learning, claiming they are being used to indoctrinate students.
Suicide prevention is bad for kids? WTF?
Wait…knew you’d be in there:
“ “Focus them on something productive and useful so that they feel competent and confident that they’re doing well in school. They shouldn’t be questioning their gender identity and worrying about marching and worrying about social justice.”
It isn’t exactly wrong, to the extent that compassion would let kids see the world from lenses other than their own. They might as well say, “We don’t want our children to be good people.”
I don’t think it’s a good or funny thing. I think it’s the far, racist right wing of the party purging the less authoritarian far right of their party. That really doesn’t bode well.
I definitely see where you’re coming from on this, and don’t necessarily disagree. As you write, Cheney herself is no moderate. But in this case they’re not purging her over anything she believes that has to do with political policymaking. It’s about stifling speech from someone who agrees with them on nearly every policy.
This is another example of a party that has no idea what it’s about anymore, and I feel like even in places like Wyoming this kind of thing won’t play well. It’s a kind of disorganization that will start to make it hard to get people elected.