[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Exactly! That's exactly how it works.

Again, The people without a moral compass aren't the root of the problem. The root is leaders and public figures that point a compass in the wrong direction, for personal gain.

People are weak, they are tribal, they can't make sense of their own world and play the victim. They follow any compass needle that eases their pain by inflicting pain on others. Inflicting pain is strength. It's community. It creates a focus for them to make sense of why they are where they are. People are weak.

Leaders exploit that weakness, they exploit their pain.

Leaders and public figures create boogeymen. They create enemies. Creating an enemy creates a shared experience with other like-minded individuals to fight against something. It creates a community. Communites are comforting and self-reinforcing. Many Americans, more than the greater human population, are more comfortable being against something than for something. It's easier. You don't have to think. A leader or public figure tells you who the enemy is and people bond around the fight against it. It's comforting. It gives you PURPOSE and EXPLAINS why you aren't where you want to be in life. Scapegoats are powerful concepts.

Enemies are easy to create. The community built to fight them are even easier to exploit.

For leader's and public figure's personal gain.

Way back in 1989 there was a school shooting in Stockton. The motivation of the perp in that case would seem to follow Shauns thoughts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Elementary_School_shooting_(Stockton)