Canada

I really appreciate your reply. You hit the nail on the head that I am being reductive and ableist. Per the latter point, I realize that calling them morons or unintelligent is problematic, so I shift to dumbasses, which is semantics and not a real solution.

I also agree that right-wing groups/people seem to get off on not having to make sense or explain themselves.

I find them so perplexing and problematic.

I guess it is less about ability and more about belief and identity. Like toxic masculinity, I might call it toxic citizenry or toxic humanity.

But they are being fooled though, for example to hate immigrants rather than billionaires.

LBJ [US president] understood how Southern politicians tricked poor Whites. “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pockets. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”(p264) The poor White man was simply “a pawn in their [Southern politicians’] game,” as Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan sang in 1963.

Source

There's so much truth to unpack LBJ's words there. I think the psychology of it fascinates me most of all. People adopt a simplification of reality that gives them a false sense of power, and living in that reality requires not questioning it. Something like: people will sell their brain to stroke their ego.