I dabbled in conservatism briefly as a teenager, but that only lasted until I moved to a red state in high school and saw those policies in action. Modern Republicanism is a cult in the truest sense. Their leaders spend so much time fearmongering about "urban liberal hellscapes" and demonizing anyone politically to the left of Newt Gingrich because unquestioning fear of alternatives is the only thing that keeps the GOP's brand of theocratic extreme capitalism alive.