Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Number 102

MAGA Is a Cult, and Trump Is Their Leader

Below is my paraphrase of ten warning signs that a group of people and/or their leader might be a cult. I got the list from the website for the Cult Education Institute (link below). Perhaps it's humorous; perhaps it's compelling - I'll let you decide. Since 2016 I have spent a great deal of time pondering just what it is that makes Trump so impervious to any sort of critical evaluation by Senate Republicans (Hiya, Mitch) and/or the MAGA crew. Perhaps it's easier for me to be critical, because I disagreed with so many of his stated policy goals right from the start. But I have many friends and family members that identify as being conservative and/or Republican. They are good and decent people; but I um utterly and exhaustively stumped that many of them still don't understand what an awful person he is - far beyond any policy disagreements. I implore everyone - for the good of our country - do your part to see that he is not re-elected in 2020.

Ten Warning Signs of a Potentially Unsafe Group/President.

  1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability. (Trump)
  2. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry. (Trump)
  3. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement. (Trump)
  4. Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions. (Trump/MAGA)
  5. There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil. (Trump/MAGA)
  6. Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances. (Many former cabinet members)
  7. There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the president. (Trump)
  8. Followers feel they can never be "good enough". (Trump's children; also reflective of his own relationship with his father)
  9. The president is always right. (Trump/MAGA)
  10. The president is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible. (Trump/MAGA)

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