The Republican Party’s NPC Problem — and Ours

The New York Times ^ | Feb. 16, 2025, 1:02 a.m. ET | Ezra Klein

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This is an edited transcript of an episode of “The Ezra Klein Show.” You can listen to the conversation by following or subscribing to the show on the NYT Audio App, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.

A few years back, the online right became enamored of a new epithet for liberals: “NPC,” short for “nonplayer character.” The term was lifted from video games, where “NPC” refers to the computer-controlled characters that populate the game while you, the live player, make decisions. NPCs don’t have minds of their own. They’re automatons. They do as they’re told.

“NPC” quickly became a favored dismissal for all those liberals with their Black Lives Matter and #MeToo hashtags, their Ukrainian flag icons, their “they/them” pronouns and antiracism reading groups. Liberals, in this story, thought what they were allowed to think, said what they were allowed to say. You might have seen the memes — featureless gray faces, sometimes surrounded by liberal icons. Elon Musk loved posting them.

Like any good insult, the NPC meme served a dual purpose. It contained a kernel of truth about its target. We liberals can be conformist. We can be too afraid to offend. We can be overly deferential to institutions. We can be cowed by the in-group policing we inflict on ourselves and quick to take up the cause of the moment. But the real purpose of the NPC insult was self-congratulation. The right was full of live players...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

It’s a genuine failure of Democrats that they didn’t put more energy into making the government faster and better when they were in charge.

As usual, Ezra is completely clueless.

[BobL]

Ukraine was a NO-BRAINER for me, since the Democrats, Globalists, Neocons, and every Tom, Dick, and Harry IMMEDIATELY sided with Ukraine, without even having a clue.

Obviously now, people have looked at it more closely, which is why Trump is saying what he’s saying regarding the causes of the war and its present situation.

[BradyLS]

…It’s a genuine failure of Democrats that they didn’t put more energy into making the government faster and better when they were in charge…

…You mean they were lying/gaslighting when they said that’s what they were doing? 👶

[PGR88]

Remember when even leftist drones Congress were waiving Ukraine flags like low IQ sheep?

I sometimes wonder, with "leadership" like this, how the USA is able to keep the lights on, or make the toilets work.

[nwrep]

I hope Ukraine is swallowed up by Mother Russia.

[nwrep]

Actually it is an honest appraisal by Klein. He even accepts the NPC epithet, which is a huge insult lobbied by the right at the left.

[griswold3]

Manufactured consent to Permission structures, the left think themselves superior tacticians.
They think you’re stupid and they can get you to believe anything. Just look how long they propped up Joe Biden in office. Good thing people caught on to Kamala Harris’ faked resume ( well just enough)

[bray]

Translation: Our money laundries have been exposed.

[LS]

That was never, ever the DemoKKKrats’ intent. It was to build the biggest, fattest, most expensive bureaucracy in history with the intention that it would be too big to ever be torn down.

Surprise.

[LS]

That was never, ever the DemoKKKrats’ intent. It was to build the biggest, fattest, most expensive bureaucracy in history with the intention that it would be too big to ever be torn down.

Surprise.

[A strike]

Ezra Klein: “The Constitution is like over 100 years old .”

[Political Junkie Too]

Boy... talk about long grudges...

The NPC jab must have really stung, because the Democrats are always looking to throw a barb back at Republicans.

In this case, the "NPC" meme applied to Democrats acting like lemmings, echoing obvious lies like an Eliza-bot that's coded to repeat what it's told, even when it goes against reality.

Trump supporters are reacting to provably positive things in real-time, but some Democrats have long knives, never letting go of a past "I've been wronged" vendetta to wait for the opportunity to throw it back in the face of someone else.

They're still NPC wrong, but it makes them feel better doing it.

-PJ

[youngidiot]

The left is caught in an emotional loop. Rather than face the fact that they messed up, they double down. This is to protect their feelings. It’s their primary motivation. They wrap themselves in a false morality but they’re cowards- choosing the absurd over reality to protect their feelings.

[griswold3]

Sunk Cost Fallacy. They cannot admit they’re wrong

[GOPJ]

That was never, ever the DemoKKKrats’ intent. It was to build the biggest, fattest, most expensive bureaucracy in history with the intention that it would be too big to ever be torn down. Surprise.

You're right. Best reply of the month...