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I've often wondered this about the British devotion to the royal family. What on earth does it get them but more taxes to support that lavish lifestyle? What do they---the little people---get out of all the pomp?
Then again, Americans have the Kardashians which is just inexplicable, from my POV.
But yeah, even on these forums we have the "little guys" bravely and unstintingly supporting the billionaires and corporations, far more than the working stiffs. Cannot understand it either!
I'm still not quite sure what the OP was getting at in the first post, but this makes more sense to me. I was skimming through the thread here on CD about Bob Saget's death, thinking that it was going to be people talking about what a tragedy it was, etc. I was floored to see the mental gymnastics some posters were going into to make the situation into a conspiracy. And to what end? A b-list celebrity died, the medical examiner released a report. Who would be benefitting from this coverup, and why do these people who have no connection or first hand knowledge whatsoever care so much?
I'm still not quite sure what the OP was getting at in the first post, but this makes more sense to me. I was skimming through the thread here on CD about Bob Saget's death, thinking that it was going to be people talking about what a tragedy it was, etc. I was floored to see the mental gymnastics some posters were going into to make the situation into a conspiracy. And to what end? A b-list celebrity died, the medical examiner released a report. Who is benefitting from this coverup, and why do these people who have no connection or first hand knowledge whatsoever care so much?
Good points. I was attempting to be vague as to not point fingers in any particular direction. I didn't want to set off a firestorm, and obviously that was at the expense of clarity.
I'm thinking a false sense of safety along in addition to what others have said. The devotion is so fierce and irrational in some cases that it seems to come from a place pretty low on the hierarchy of needs pyramid.
Good points. I was attempting to be vague as to not point fingers in any particular direction. I didn't want to set off a firestorm, and obviously that was at the expense of clarity.
I assumed you were tip toeing around politics, but this sort of thing can happen in many situations. Perhaps next time look for one that can be clearly explained without insulting anyone. For example, "Some people have strong brand allegiance," instead of "Some people only like Birdseye."
And yes, I am deliberately insulting all you Birdseye lovers out there. REAL frozen veggie lovers only eat Green Giant products. : )
I assumed you were tip toeing around politics, but this sort of thing can happen in many situations. Perhaps next time look for one that can be clearly explained without insulting anyone. For example, "Some people have strong brand allegiance," instead of "Some people only like Birdseye."
And yes, I am deliberately insulting all you Birdseye lovers out there. REAL frozen veggie lovers only eat Green Giant products. : )
Doesn't even have to be politics. One could argue that supporting a certain figure or platform is promoting an ideology or policies that either directly or indirectly benefits you.
But let's take social media, and maybe more specifically Facebook. Let's say you're well aware of the fact that Facebook has compiled and used user data and habits to manipulate their future behaviors in a way that has been destructive to the fabric of society. Let's say you're aware of the detrimental effects that such platforms have had on the mental well being of its users, particularly children, based on various research conducted by FB itself.
Let's say you know these things to be true, and yet you still participate on the platform. And let's say it goes even further in that you will vehemently defend FB if anyone denounces it or criticizes it. You are not a stakeholder in FB, therefore there is no monetary gain from its success. It's just a platform that you take part in, for one reason or another.
Are they pushing and trying to sell everyone on it, and are they personally gaining something from that?
In reference to the bolded,
No matter what the cause, that's the ambiguity I'm trying to understand. For instance, a white person might advocate for BLM because they believe it's the morally correct thing to do. So maybe it makes themselves feel better, but it's not something they are directly gaining from. I can understand shilling for that.
It's the shilling on behalf of the thing, idea, cause, etc., that seemingly provide little to no benefit to the one who is shilling.
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