Anger is a drug

Newsweek has an article on fat-bashing examining why Americans love to rage against overweight people.

However, the part I found most interesting is this, and think of the tea-baggers and birthers when you read this:

But why do the rest of us care so much? What is it about fat people that makes us so mad? As it turns out, we kind of like it. "People actually enjoy feeling angry," says Ryan Martin, associate professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, who cites studies done on people's emotions. "It makes them feel powerful, it makes them feel greater control, and they appreciate it for that reason." And with fat people designated as acceptable targets of rage—and with the prevalence of fat people in our lives, both in the malls and on the news—it's easy to find a target for some soul-clearing, ego-boosting ranting.

Doesn't this make sense? Look at the town hall yellers. They're what I'd mostly classify as fringe people. They don't run their own companies, they don't seem to have the most education. In many cases they're seniors. In almost all cases, they seem to be those who normally have little control over their lives.

And so venting at a town hall, even if it's pushing lunatic and discredited theories, makes them feel better. More in control. Sadly, rage - even against ghosts that don't exist - seems to make them feel happy.