John Pavlovitz: The Cult of Trump

[highplainsdem]

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2019/02/04/when-someone-you-love-joins-a-cult/

“I don’t recognize her anymore.”

Through choked back tears, a man shared these words today about his 74-year old mother. The last two years have seen their once-loving relationship deteriorate precipitously, now relegated to cold exchanges via text and strained small talk conversations at family gatherings—sandwiched between explosive screaming matches which are often followed by extended periods of radio silence.

He shared screenshots of his mother’s Facebook profile, littered with Alt-Right talking points, discriminatory memes, and effusive tributes to the President—always juxtaposed with hateful diatribes regarding our former President. The racism and homophobia and Islamophobia she generates every day is both shocking and devastating to her adult son.

“She just believes every word out of his mouth, everything she watches on FoxNews.” he said. “I can’t reason with her. It’s like talking to someone who’s been brainwashed. She isn’t the mother I knew.”

This is how cults work. They gradually alter people’s brains, attuning them to a singular voice, and weaponizing them against any dissenting opinions. To their manipulated minds, efforts to reach them with objective truth become acts of aggression against the one they see as divine—and trigger an ever-more passionate affection toward their leader. They will defend (even to relational death with people they once loved) that one person.

America is in a cultic crisis, and Trumpism is the cult. There is no other way to approach these days.

When you believe one man above Science, above our Intelligence agencies, above former CIA directors and retired generals and revered journalists—when you believe that one man above even your own eyes and ears—you are fully indoctrinated.

-snip-

Well worth reading in its entirety at the link.

And well worth sharing.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. If my father were still alive, he'd be just like this unfortunate woman.

My father was addicted to FOX News. Quoted the hosts all the time. Actually got excited about it.

Then again, when my father was 4 in 1928, he was excited when the Klan had a parade in his small town -- and he was Jewish. He thought it was like the circus coming to town.

[llmart]

2. My 74-year old sister hates Trump with a passion...

and whenever we talk she always says, "those people who follow him - it's a cult plain and simple."

[Rhiannon12866]

3. K&R! Arguably the most important article of the day

I obviously don't get this at all, but there has to be an explanation for the demented followers of this offensive fool. Thanks so much for posting!

[highplainsdem]

19. Thank you! I thought it was a very good explanation of the Trump cult.

[enough]

4. I have no doubt about the cultic element in Trumpist politics.

But I also saw the same change in my elderly parents long before Fox took over the world. And before Trump was anything other than a pathetic wannabe.

My parents were active and passionate lefties all their long lives (they would have said they were not liberals because they were much farther “left” than that). They also were very open in their personal lives and had good friends in all vectors of what is now called diversity.

As they were taken over by dementia, this strange and terrible thing happened. My intelligent, aware, compassionate parents became paranoid hate filled bigots who seemed compelled to spread viciousness at every opportunity.

This is one of the most mysterious things I ever experienced. And devastating.

[TheBlackAdder]

5. The mantra of cults.

.



.

[dalton99a]

6. Kick

[Garrett78]

7. But rather than focusing on turning out our increasingly young and diverse base...

...some are convinced that the key to winning in 2020 is converting members of Cult45. It's laughably absurd.

[rufus dog]

10. I'm with you

My long term friends that are repukes are lost. Waste of time to try to convert them. One middle of the road Repub couple flipped, but they flipped prior to the election. The others just respond with fake news, Joe Biden resume enhancements, Ted Kennedy/Chappaquiddick, and Robert Byrd/KKK.

The only concession we ever agreed was to make the fights over living people and events that occured in our lifetimes.

Half proudly state they only watch Faux, the other half claim they go to multiple sources but never provide solid examples.

[Garrett78]

13. There will inevitably be some Trump voters who vote for our nominee in 2020. That's a given.

But to suggest that winning over "white working class" Trump voters (while bashing "identity politics," because 'white' is apparently not an identity) is the key to taking back the White House is quite possibly the most absurd argument I've seen put forth on DU...and that's saying something.

[TheBlackAdder]

8. McLovin It!

.



.

[rufus dog]

9. Fox News is extremely good at manipulation

I flipped over one night prior to the election just to hear what they were spewing. Watched for a minute and then tuned it out and started doing some work or internet surfing.

About five minutes later my left leg is twitching up and down like it did when I was in HS sitting at a desk. I realized the ominous music and flashing chyrons were causing the reaction. They know exactly what they are doing, overwhelming their viewers with hate and propaganda. It took me a couple of minutes to come to my senses, can't imagine the impact of a person watching hours of this crap.

[smirkymonkey]

21. Particularly when it comes to Trump...

[Poiuyt]

11. I heard one man say he'd believe Trump over Jesus

That shocked me because most Trumpists are Christians (or at least they say so). That statement convinced me the trump is a cult leader.

[standingtall]

12. Yes Trumpism is a cult and most of his most loyal followers were easy to brainwash

Last edited Thu Feb 7, 2019, 12:33 AM - Edit history (1)

For the most part they are older white people who held racial sentiments. 25 years ago some of those people would've been more honest about their feelings towards race about themselves and would've been more on guard so that it didn't spill into overt racism, but they have been conditioned by talk radio and fox news to think that the racist stuff they do and say all the time isn't really racist. So of course when a demagogue like Trump comes along and says all the nasty things this people always wanted to hear they love him.

[Garrett78]

14. Look no further than his approval rating over these 2 long years.

No predecessor has had an approval rating even remotely as steady as Trump's.

Scroll down to "How Trump compares with past presidents": https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/

[peggysue2]

15. I've mentioned this before but my mother became a Rush ditto head

There wasn't anything Rush Limbaugh said--regardless of how outrageous or vile--that she didn't swallow and repeat verbatim.

You could not reason with her or suggest a different viewpoint without a screaming match. I gave it up overtime, just refused talking politics. Why? Because she was elderly and widowed and unhappy. I think she felt some control by blaming others for her disappointments, her failing health. And this was someone brought up in a union-supporting, activist Democratic family. A complete 180 in outlook and sentiment.

If my mother were still around, I have no doubt she'd be a Trumpster supporter because the Trumpster spiel dips into the same well of lies, hyperbole, bigotry and rationalizations.

It is a form of brainwashing and people who are isolated, who may feel bitter about whatever in their lives are perfect vessels for the twisted messaging.

[Demovictory9]

16. more from the article

This hasn’t happened by accident, but by sickening design. Cult leaders prey upon emotionally vulnerable people, leveraging their loneliness, their disenfranchisement, their disconnection. They bombard their targets with a steady stream of misinformation, incendiary rhetoric, and chaotic prophecy—and into the swirling confusion created inside their heads, they come promising safety and security, while having no concern for them at all. They start a fire—and rush in with a bucket of water.

Donald Trump has mastered the art of emergency manufacturing and danger generation.

[ffr]

18. +1

Sad, yet true.

[ffr]

17. The brainwashed MAGAts are all around us.

They're like divisive little demons, without a kind word to say about their fellow American.

[NastyRiffraff]

20. Trump was right about one thing

He said if he shot someone in the middle of 5th Ave. he wouldn't lose supporters. He was right. Cultists will find ways to excuse, ignore, or deny to give their god a pass. The god can literally do no wrong, even if his actions hurt the cultists themselves.

[EleanorR]

22. "The Brainwashing of my Dad"

From IMDB-

Jen Senko, a documentary filmmaker, looks at the rise of right-wing media through the lens of her WWII vet father who changed from a life-long, nonpolitical Democrat to an angry, right-wing fanatic after his discovery of talk radio on a lengthened commute to work. In trying to understand how this happened, she not only finds this to be a phenomenon, but also uncovers some of the forces behind it: a plan by Roger Ailes under Nixon to create a media for the GOP; the Lewis Powell Memo, urging business leaders to influence institutions of public opinion - especially the universities - the media and the courts; and under Reagan, the dismantling of the Fairness Doctrine - all of which helped to change the entire country's direction and culture, misinformed millions, divided families and even the country itself.


Watch it here-

http://www.thebrainwashingofmydad.com/