Kinkservatism: The Politics of Repression and Control

Kinkservatism: The Politics of Repression and Control August 1, 2024

Image created via Leonardo.ai

If you strip away the patriotic cosplay and ‘family values’ rhetoric, Christian conservatism reveals itself as a bizarre kink driven by repression and the infliction of pain on others, born from a deep well of self-hatred and shame. The political theater we witness today isn’t just about policy; it’s a masochistic display of power, control, and punishment. The 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee highlighted this in an unexpected way when the influx of attendees caused the gay dating app Grindr to grind to a halt, revealing the repressed desires simmering beneath the conservative veneer. This pious facade is merely an act, a role they get off on playing.

Repression and Conservatism

Conservatism thrives on repression. Think Victorian morality, where public virtue masked private vices. Today, similar dynamics are at play. Conservatives rail against LGBTQ+ rights, restrict women’s autonomy, and cling with an iron grip to outdated social norms with divine-ordained hubris at their command. The louder they shout about moral decay, the clearer it gets. Their outrage is a smokescreen for their own repressed desires.

Take the crusade against LGBTQ+ rights: it’s not just about religious doctrine, but a desperate attempt to suppress what they fear within themselves. So in legislating against others’ freedoms, they hope to silence the turmoil in their own souls. Classic case of “methinks they doth protest too much.”

The Psychology of Self-Hatred

At the core of this conservative kink is profound self-hatred. It’s no coincidence that the loudest conservative voices have personal scandals lurking in their closets. Their shame and self-loathing fuel their public personas. They project those internal battles onto society, hoping that by punishing others they can somehow atone for their own perceived sins.

Think of the rhetoric around “family values.” The voices championing these ideals often have the messiest personal lives. Their public morality crusades are desperate attempts to cleanse their private failings. Hypocrisy does not get more staggering, but it’s also deeply revealing: their policies less about guiding society, more about wrestling with their own demons and shame.

Inflicting Pain on Others

Conservatism’s kink isn’t just about internal repression; it’s about projecting that pain outward. The harm done to marginalized communities is intentional, not incidental. Anti-immigration laws, healthcare restrictions are deliberate strategies to perpetuate suffering.

Take the draconian abortion laws sprouting up across the United States. These laws aren’t about protecting life; they’re about control and punishment. Women’s bodies become battlegrounds for conservatives to impose their warped sense of morality. It’s a calculated effort to ensure that pain and repression are felt on a grand scale.

The Kink of Conservatism

Let’s call it what it is: Kinkservatism. Not in the sexual sense, but in the twisted pleasure found in control, repression, and inflicting pain. Like many kinks, it’s all about power dynamics, secrecy, and deriving a perverse satisfaction from punishment.

Conservatives may cloak their actions in righteousness, but the real motivation is clear. They revel in controlling others. They get off dictating how people should live. They derive pleasure from punishing those who stray from their rigid norms. This is never about guiding society – it’s about feeding their own need for dominance and control.

Breaking the Cycle

Recognizing conservatism as a kink lets us break the cycle. Stop taking their moral grandstanding at face value and see it for the performative act it is. Expose their repression and self-hatred to challenge their policies effectively.

There are healthier ways to address personal and societal issues—ways that don’t involve repression or inflicting pain. For conservatives, therapy would be a good start.

By promoting understanding, empathy, and genuine moral values, we can create a society that doesn’t hide behind repression. It’s time to move beyond the kink and towards real, compassionate progress.

The Climax

Conservatism’s obsession with repression and control is a twisted form of self-punishment projected onto others. Recognizing and challenging this dynamic is the only way to break free from the cycle of pain and create a more compassionate world. If conservatism is just a kink, it’s time we stop letting it control our lives.

 

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About Stuart Delony
I'm Stuart Delony, your companion on this exploratory journey. As a former pastor now podcast host, I've shifted from sermons to conversations with Snarky Faith, promoting meaningful discussions about life, culture, spirituality. Disheartened by the state of institutionalized Christianity, my aim is to rekindle its foundational principles: love, compassion, and dignity. If you're yearning for change or questioning your faith, you've found a refuge here. You can read more about the author here.
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