this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2025
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Leopards Ate My Face

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[–] [email protected] 157 points 2 days ago (5 children)

I’d like to see the information environment that made this guy a Trump supporter.

What did he see? Was he deep in Facebook? Twitter? Local stuff?

[–] [email protected] 132 points 2 days ago

From what I understand, Republicans, especially in Florida, put out political ads targeted specifically at Cuban immigrants. They play off the inherent hatred of communism in this demographic to convince them to vote against the "radical Marxist Democrats."

[–] [email protected] 57 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 39 points 2 days ago (3 children)

environment that made this guy a Trump supporter

A LOT of Immigrants and Illegals in the US are very pro-Trump. I spoke with a few in my old neighborhood to get their take.

They said that the government didn't worry them because it wasn't that far off from where they came from. They felt elitism created niches where someone knowledgeable could profit. Party of the entrepreneurs and all.

Two said they didn't want any more immigrants here, they felt pressure from the incoming immigrants to take their places and out-compete them for work.

Because this was the last trump presidency, there was less deportation talking. I'm sure that gave some concern, but If I had to guess based on their psyche, I'd say they expected the deportation to lighten the low-hanging fruit and take the pressure off their own jobs at the same time, expecting them would just be ok because they were always ok.

[–] [email protected] 47 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 days ago (1 children)

expecting them would just be ok because they were always ok.

And therein lies the problem. "It's always been good for me so the suffering of others doesn't bother me."

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

That lies at the root of most of our problems. There are more than enough resources to support everyone at a reasonable level if they were distributed fairly. People with empathy think that's the way it should be. People without it are happy to have everyone else suffer as long as they benefit. Our political system, our press, and large parts of our cultural heritage all favor the latter.

How can anyone think that a few people having billions of dollars is reasonable in a world where there is hunger, homelessness, and lack of medical care?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So what you're saying is mentally they were already republicans in that they had the "fuck you I got mine" mindset.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

Yes, unfortunately, a lot of the rhetoric resonated with them. I pondered trying to reason them out of it. After poking around a bit, it seems like it's part of their social integration. They took a chance, made it in, and worked hard for what they had. It was like a survival instinct to beat out the competition without empathy. I don't even know how to argue against that.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'm guessing that a lot of people who grow up under communist governments have learned that what the government says is bullshit and they should trust what random people say more, since they don't have the ability to do research online and have access to free, uncensored information.

Then they go to a democracy and continue the pattern.

No idea though.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

There's more context to it. When Castro first took over Cuba, the first wave of emigrants to flee the country was referred to as "the Golden exile." These were people who already had wealth and/or connections to the previous Cuban political regime. They feared losing their status and privileges under communism, so when they left and settled in other places, such as south Florida, they brought their beliefs and attitudes with them.

From the linked Wikipedia page:

By the middle of 1959 various new policies had affected Cuban life such as the redistribution of property, nationalization of religious and private schools, and the banning of racially exclusive social clubs. Those that began to leave the island were driven by them being negatively affected by new economic policies, their distaste with new national public schools, or anxiety over government supported racial integration. The government would quickly label exiles who left as "racists", discouraging Afro-Cubans to also emigrate. These conditions caused the majority of those who emigrated to be either upper or middle class, white, and catholic.

As a result, a large number of Cuban exiles that came to the United States aligned themselves with the Republican party. To this day, the connection remains (and is encouraged by politicians that can benefit from it, as another commented noted.)

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

i reside in a coastal community in south florida, and can confirm that in my experience wealthy cubans are just as racist and classist as wealthy whites. their kids all go to private school together. they have the same 3% stickers on their pavement princesses.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago

It really doesn't bring me any comfort to know that these fucks are going to have their wealth stolen from them and treated like any minority by maga-nazis once they run out of people to torment and turn on wealthy minorities.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 days ago

He's a scammer who stole money from people. That's why he loves a conman like Trump. It's also the reason why he was detained. Now he's going to get send to Gitmo, since Cuba probably doesn't want this guy either.