The moment the GOP became a cult


I've posted a lot about politics, and while it used to be pretty even-sided, most of it lately has been lambasting the GOP and Trump and all associated peoples. Many have commented on this and challenged my moniker and my political ideology as a moderate. Most of them are far right trolls, so I take their criticism both as a compliment and with a mountain of salt, but I think the question does deserve to be asked of me: why do I think the GOP is a cult?

Well, aside from meeting the absolute definition of a cult (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/27/cults-definition-religion)
the GOP did one thing in 2016 which erased their status as a political party and fully transformed it into a cult. This moment ensured that no longer could it act as a political instrument of the USA, but as the personal toy of one man. This moment made it impossible to treat them as even or equal, because they no longer qualified as a functional party.

That moment was this:
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2016/07/21/trump-i-alone-can-fix-the-system.html

The moment Donald Trump stood in front of thousands of supporters and hundreds of political actors and stated that out of all of them, all the nation and all the world, only HE could could fix the problems (his party created). That moment when those same people cheered him and agreed. That moment when people who worked hard for years to help the USA, even in ways that didn't help a lot, decided they would agree that a failed reality TV show businessman was the ONLY person who could fix our nation, that moment is when the GOP became a cult.

Some people resisted the cult. They were thrown out at the first opportunity. Others pushed the cult to be less extreme. They were summarily removed from positions of power. Now the only people left are the fanatical and the cowed. Just like in every single cult that has ever existed.

The GOP is a cult. Of that there is no question. And the moment it happened was the moment the GOP stood silent as the cult leader claimed not the party, not that nation, but he alone could fix everything.

I hope you now all understand, and understand why I am dedicated to bringing him and it down. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

That Uplifting Tweet You Just Shared? A Russian Troll Sent It

Image
Here’s what Russia’s 2020 disinformation operations look like, according to two experts on social media and propaganda. By   DARREN LINVILL   &   PATRICK WARREN Internet trolls don’t troll. Not the professionals at least. Professional trolls don’t go on social media to antagonize liberals or belittle conservatives. They are not narrow minded, drunk or angry. They don’t lack basic English language skills. They certainly aren’t  “somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds,”  as the president once put it. Your stereotypical trolls do exist on social media, but the amateurs aren’t a threat to Western democracy. Professional trolls, on the other hand, are the tip of the spear in the new digital, ideological battleground. To combat the threat they pose, we must first understand them — and take them seriously. MORE: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/russia-troll-2020-election-interference-twitter-916482/ Posted by Jamie B.
Read more

The Nightmare Scenario That Keeps Election Lawyers Up At Night -- And Could Hand Trump A Second Term

Image
The Nightmare Scenario That Keeps Election Lawyers Up At Night -- And Could Hand Trump A Second Term   (Photo: Photos: Getty Images) Americans will almost certainly go to bed on Nov. 3 without knowing who won the presidential election. Since millions of people will vote by mail, constraints on time and resources will slow ballot counting into potentially a weeks-long process. Voting patterns suggest it’s likely that President  Donald Trump  could end Election Day in the lead in certain key states, only to be overtaken by Democratic opponent  Joe Biden  when more votes are tallied.  This could create a nightmare scenario during the three months stretching from Election Day to the Jan. 20 inauguration: a battle on the state and congressional level over who is the legitimate winner. This could include Congress reconvening on Jan. 6, presided over by Vice President  Mike Pence , with no consensus over its potential role in choosing the next president. This is arguably the most likely of th
Read more

Philosophical Question #14 – Lifestyle Choices

Image
Here is an interesting question in my list of philosophical questions: 1.) Should governments have penalties for those who live unhealthy lifestyles? A list of unhealthy lifestyles would include things like smoking, drinking, illegal drugs, prostitution, and other “vice” type activities. I guess the “government penalties” would be referring to monetary punishments, withholding medical treatments (insurance companies would love that), possibly imposing/regulating very high (exorbitant) prices on things considered unhealthy in order to cut down on their use, and other possibilities. 2.) Or, would you say that living an unhealthy lifestyle, likely resulting in a LOT of eventual personal pain and suffering, should be punishment enough for unhealthy lifestyles? When people make bad choices in life, often in their youth where ignorance and immediate gratification takes them over,  3.) Should a society be obligated to help "fix" them, by way of tax money?   Is that part of
Read more