Wingnut

{{significantly problematic}}[[image:wingnut.jpg|thumb|right|165px|A typical wingnut, sporting an attractive bright zinc plated finish. Note that the right wing is diametrically opposed to the left wing, [[Horseshoe theory|but otherwise identical]].]]{{politics}}
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A '''wingnut''' is a specialized, convenient item of hardware.

Like a normal nut, it has threads on the inside to engage the threads on a bolt or stud. However, instead of flat faces that must be engaged with a wrench (or Mr. Goodpliers), a wingnut has (typically) two large "wings" that allow it to easily be tightened or loosened with the fingers. Unlike some nuts, squirrels don't have much of an appetite for wingnuts (they find them tasteless, and hard to swallow).

Wingnut is also a [[Loaded language|snarl word]] referring to anyone whom the speaker considers unreasonably far to the [[rightist|right]], analogous to "[[moonbat]]" — mostly by those on the [[leftist|left]], but also some people of faith (especially Christians) have used it to refer to batshittery within their own camp — mostly for the [[religious right]] and [[creationism|creationists]].

==Alternative meaning==
Just like not all [[conservative]]s are [[neocon]]s, not all conservatives are wingnuts either. In fact, more often than not, the term is usually used interchangeably with "[[reactionary]]" or "[[Radical#radical right|radical right]]".

Being a wingnut requires a particularly [[paranoid]] [[worldview]], teetering on the edge of or falling wholesale into [[tinfoil hat]] territory, as wingnuttery causes the victim to [[Confirmation bias|refuse to accept any source of information]] that doesn't back up their prejudices (essentially, wingnuts are almost always [[Bob Altemeyer|authoritarian]] as well as being politically right-wing). Constant gibbering about the "[[liberal media]]" as well as a slavish devotion to [[cognitive dissonance]], [[conspiracy theories]], [[global warming denialism]], [[COVID-19 denialism]], [[psychological projection]], and [[crackpot]] theories of [[economics]] (e.g. [[Austrian school]], [[Social Credit]]) are also, if not required, at the very least nearly universal symptoms. This is all usually accompanied by a side dish of a severe [[persecution complex]]. Not all wingnuts are [[racism|racists]], [[misogyny|misogynists]], [[homophobia|homophobes]], or transphobes, [[Crank magnetism|though many racists, misogynists, homophobes, and transphobes are also wingnuts]].

Unfortunately, in the [[United States]], that seems [[Republican Party#A very long list of Republicans|all the more common every day]].

==See also==
*[[Moonbat]], the wingnut's left-leaning counterpart.
*[[Abstinence programs]]
*[[Conservapedia]]
*[[Glenn Beck]]
*[[Flat Earth Society]]
*[[Fox News]]
*[[MAGA]]
*[[Qanon]]
*[[Sarah Palin]]
*[[Tea Party movement]]
*[[Townhall.com]]
*[[WorldNetDaily]]
*[[Newsmax]]
*[[Salem Radio Network]]
*[[Breitbart]]
*[[Conservative talk radio]]

== External links ==
* [[Wikipedia:Wingnut (politics)]]

{{stub|Politics}}

[[Category:Far-right politics]]
[[Category:Political terms]]
[[Category:Political euphemisms]]
[[Category:Neologisms]]
[[Category:Right-wing activists]]
[[Category:Snarl words]]

Categories: Far-right politics, Political terms, Political euphemisms, Neologisms, Right-wing activists, Snarl words