Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Trumpism On The Ballot

 

For the week up to the midterm elections, I’ll let the professionals have this space to remind us what Trumpism really is.

~~~

Duty to Warn is “an association of mental health professionals warning NOW about TrumpISM.

Many psychologists increasingly use Addiction Theory to explain the cult of Trump. The premise: Trump supporters engage compulsively, pursue rewarding stimuli, ignore adverse consequence. Like an addict. It explains why they adopt arguments that work against their own interests. One example of Trump supporters adopting an argument or taking action against their interests was not getting vaccinated. Another is sending him $. It's defiant behavior. It's compulsive. MAGA are very much addicted. The reward is owning the libs. The drug is dopamine.

Duty To Warn 

1- When we marvel or roll our eyes at Trump supporters, we're often asking the wrong question. Instead of asking: "How can they believe this nonsense?" Better we ask: "What do they get out of being part of Trumpism that makes them so willing to suppress reasoned thought?"

2- There are a lot of answers to the question of what they get out of Trumpism. First and foremost is "the need to belong." They can dislike and defy the same people, share common grievances, do stuff TOGETHER. It's a brotherhood of purpose. It's easier to "believe" than think!

3 - We're often asked if Trumpism is a cult. The short answer: YES, it is. A cult is defined by an unusual, unwavering interest or belief in a particular personality or goal, where devotion transcends reasoned thought. And when you do that, you transcend science, math, and facts

4 - But here's an important point: Trumpism changed. It's no longer a "Cult of Personality," about a man. It's about tribal contrarianism. The goal: TO WIN (and "own the libs"). When Trump himself got booed for advocating vaccines, that was a first sign of cult outgrowing man.

5 - Trumpism has become a full-on apparatus. Enablers. Amplifiers. Fox News. Talk radio. Right wing podcasts. Performative elected officials. Foreign actors, like Putin. It's spread like a plague to many millions of our most susceptible. The fearmongering alone is relentless.

6 - Culture wars. Nationalism. Demonization. Xenophobia. Perversion of words. (Does any Trump cultist understand the actual meaning of the word "evidence"?). Total politicization of EVERY issue. Lies that are shameless. In an echo chamber; with mass repetition. This - is TRUMPISM

7 - The future of OUR democracy will unfold before and during our midterm elections. We MUST not only be more plentiful at the polls, but we MUST be smarter in understanding what Trumpism is, and how to defeat it. We've got 75 (Now 6) days to jell into a highly focused, functional team.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

"We've got 75 (Now 6) days to jell into a highly focused, functional team."

My first question is where did you copy this from?

Second question is why do you think your unfocused and dysfunctional team deserves to continue destroying America?

Inflation is through the roof because of government spending. Crime is rampant in our cities because of no cash bail and leftist prosecutors. Our southern border no longer exists as close to 3 million illegal aliens have flooded our nation under Biden's watch. Iran gets closer to nuclear weapons and Biden is worried about what kind of ice cream he should have before bed time.

Democrats only give a damn about leftist special interest groups. They don't care about average Americans, or they would actually be trying to do something to fix these major problems. I am sure that will make me a Trumpist by your twisted definition though. Hey whatever lets you sleep at night, right?

Dave Dubya said...

Anonymous,
My, you certainly have a lot of assertions there. To bad you're unable to support them with evidence. I suppose that's expecting too much from a person who can't follow links.

Just because you have the same beliefs as Trumpists, doesn't mean you're a Trumpist?

OK. Whatever lets you sleep.

Anonymous said...

Same effects as all cults from Buddhism to Christianity. Group think is a dangerous weapon.

Dave Dubya said...

Anonymous,

The dangerous cults are the ones who feel they are God's favored people.
Those weren't Buddhists who stormed the Capitol, terrorized Congress, and beat cops. Damn near all of them would say they are "Christian".
If they were Buddhists, they would never be Trumpists in the first place. They value inner peace, don't have a deity, and are not bound to serve leaders. They are far more peaceful than the religions that employ politics to control others.
Jehovah's Witnesses are also unique in their apolitical stance. They don't vote. They have odd beliefs, but are not inclined to commit domestic terrorism like radical Right Christians or violent Jihadists.

Dave Dubya said...

Probably not Buddhists...

“Are you a mule?” That term is popular in right-wing circles to describe people who illegally cast mail ballots. Voter intimidation by armed Republican extremists is real.

Judge restricts how right-wing group can patrol Arizona drop boxes

A federal judge in Arizona imposed new restrictions against a right-wing group after voters complained about aggressive patrols of ballot drop boxes in the state.

The judge blocked members of the group, Clean Elections USA, from openly carrying guns or wearing body armor within 250 feet of drop boxes. The judge also banned members from speaking to or yelling at voters who are dropping off their ballots. The group is additionally banned under the order from photographing or filming any voters at the drop boxes or from posting similar images online – which they’ve done in recent weeks.

The ruling is a partial win for the civic organizations and liberal groups that sued Clean Elections USA, which has falsely asserted that the 2020 election was rigged and claims its drop box stakeouts are needed to prevent massive voter fraud in the 2022 midterms.

Anonymous said...

Any group demanding devotion, adherence to their rules, indoctrination of their ideology and philosophy is dangerous in itself. The group does not have to promote violence, but it bends the will of the individual to believe their thinking.

Shaw Kenawe said...

"Democrats only give a damn about leftist special interest groups."

Yeah. Right.

Explain the Inflation Reduction Act, a mammoth deal passed in August that addressed priorities around health care costs, climate change and increasing corporate taxes. The same can be said for the infrastructure bill and American aid to Ukraine. Not to mention putting vaccines into Americans' arms as soon as he became POTUS, because Trump had no plan to do so!

"Biden’s accomplishments are noteworthy in light of the close partisan divisions in both houses," said John J. Pitney Jr., a Claremont McKenna College politics professor. "Biden had to get his bills through a Congress that is highly polarized as well as closely divided."


Here's more:


• Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics, or PACT, Act. Widens veterans’ health benefits for those who experienced harmful environmental exposures during military service, including hazardous waste burn pits.

• Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which had lapsed, and two bills addressing sex abuse.

• National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, which included a pay increase for service members.

• COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which addresses attacks on Asian Americans partly by increasing access to the reporting of hate crimes and expediting the review of hate crimes related to COVID-19.

• Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which makes lynching a federal hate crime.

And on and on and on.

The claim by Anonymous on Nov. 2 @3:43 is plain B.S.

Dave Dubya said...

I highly doubt Anonymous even read the post. He certainly didn't comprehend it, and even answered the question, (Does any Trump cultist understand the actual meaning of the word "evidence"?)

Evidence, schmevidence!

They ignore meanings of words and invent new definitions to suit their leaders' lies and misinformation. Like a cult.

Evidence to the contrary is welcome. (This is one of the differences between open minds and closed minds.)

Dave Dubya said...

Duty To Warn:
TO TRUMP SUPPORTERS: That uncomfortable awkwardness you're feeling today that you can't quite describe, nor seem to be able to blame on anything in particular - that's called cognitive dissonance. You feel it because - pay attention - you feel it because you've been played.

Doug Werkema said...

4.9 Million Illegal Aliens Crossed Our Southern Border in the past 18 Months Since Joe Biden Took Office!
FOUR. NINE MILLION!
And who do you think paid for them? Who do you think paid for their ,Cell-Phones, their Welfare cards, their Rent, their Medical care, etc. Not to mention the massive expense of just handling Chaos just Dealing with them, and Processing them?

That’s roughly the equivalent of the entire population of most small countries. That is roughly the amount of the INVADERS that have illegally entered the United States in the 18 months Joe Biden has been in office, with many being released, and put on a Buss and sent into American communities, with thousands that have chosen the Texas chartered buses to New York City and Washington where they have no connections or where they know anyone

Dave Dubya said...

1)
Doug,
I'm not going to say illegal immigration isn't a problem. It is. The question is what do we do about it? Is inflicting cruelty on vulnerable desperate people the only option?

Remember the upside to having immigrants is their labor contributes to our economy and Social Security fund. (Illegal immigrants do not receive the benefits of Social Security or Welfare that citizens do.)

Did you know if you had a medical emergency in Europe, you would get free health care? Cruelty should never be the policy of the wealthiest country in the world.

Let’s clear one thing up. You’re citing a number of crossings, not people who are actually in the country. Many of the crossings are recidivist (repeat offenders) who were deported.

Yes, illegal and asylum immigrant numbers have increased. Unfortunately immigrants (and conservatives) are under the false impression Biden “opened the borders”, while Republicans refuse to even negotiate immigration reform laws.

The Washington Post reports Biden ordered prioritizing arrests of the more dangerous criminal immigrants.

Officers working for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) made about 74,082 administrative arrests during the 2021 fiscal year, down from 104,000 during fiscal 2020 and an average of 148,000 annually from 2017 through 2019.
Biden administration officials said the figure reflects the administration’s efforts to emphasize “quality over quantity” by directing ICE to prioritize immigrants who pose public safety and national security threats.
The report said ICE arrested 12,025 individuals last year with aggravated felony convictions, nearly double the 2020 total.


The Biden administration continues deporting people under the Title 42 public health authority,

It’s NOT an “open border”.

“U.S. border officials seized 13,021 pounds of the drug in Biden’s first full 15 months in office, which is 70% more than the 7,677 pounds seized in Donald Trump’s last full 15 months as president.”
https://www.factcheck.org/2022/06/ad-misleads-on-percentage-increase-in-fentanyl-seizures-under-biden/

Dave Dubya said...

2)
The number you cite is from the right-wing anti-immigration group FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform).

They don’t mention the figure includes 3.9 million who have been apprehended entering the U.S. illegally nationwide.

FAIR is the white nationalist voice on immigration. They are literally worried about losing “white power”.

In their own words:

“Immigrants don’t come all church-loving, freedom-loving, God-fearing … Many of them hate America, hate everything that the United States stands for. Talk to some of these Central Americans.” – FAIR President Dan Stein, interviewed by Tucker Carlson, Oct. 2, 1997

“Do we leave it to individuals to decide that they are the intelligent ones who should have more kids? And more troublesome, what about the less intelligent, who logically should have less? Who is going to break the bad news [to less intelligent individuals], and how will it be implemented?” – John Tanton, letter to eugenicist Robert K. Graham (now deceased), Sept. 18, 1996

“I blame ninety-eight percent of responsibility for this country’s immigration crisis on Ted Kennedy and his political allies, who decided some time back in 1958, earlier perhaps, that immigration was a great way to retaliate against Anglo-Saxon dominance and hubris, and the immigration laws from the 1920s were just this symbol of that, and it’s a form of revengism, or revenge, that these forces continue to push the immigration policy that they know full well are [sic] creating chaos and will continue to create chaos down the line.” – FAIR President Dan Stein, "Oral History of the Federation for American Immigration Reform," interview of Dan Stein by John Tanton, August 1994

“I’ve come to the point of view that for European-American society and culture to persist requires a European-American majority, and a clear one at that.” – John Tanton, letter to eugenicist and ecology professor Garrett Hardin (now deceased), Dec. 10, 1993

“As Whites see their power and control over their lives declining, will they simply go quietly into the night? Or will there be an explosion?” – FAIR founder and board member John Tanton, Oct. 10, 1986

https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/federation-american-immigration-reform

White nationalists have no interest in developing fair, compassionate and practical solutions.

They want to keep America white as possible.