Some of you who follow me may be about to get angry. That's too bad because facts are facts.
There is a reason I call Trump followers cult members.
- Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
- No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
- No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.
- Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
- There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
- Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
- There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
- Followers feel they can never be "good enough".
- The group/leader is always right.
- The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.
A cult does not require all ten of those in a leader to be considered a potential cult. Trump ticks off at least 9 of those warning signs.
Now, here are the ten warning signs that an individual might be in a cult.
- Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.
- Individual identity, the group, the leader and/or God as distinct and separate categories of existence become increasingly blurred. Instead, in the follower's mind these identities become substantially and increasingly fused--as that person's involvement with the group/leader continues and deepens.
- Whenever the group/leader is criticized or questioned it is characterized as "persecution".
- Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group/leader in personal behavior.
- Dependency upon the group/leader for problem solving, solutions, and definitions without meaningful reflective thought. A seeming inability to think independently or analyze situations without group/leader involvement.
- Hyperactivity centered on the group/leader agenda, which seems to supercede any personal goals or individual interests.
- A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor.
- Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group/leader.
- Anything the group/leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful.
- Former followers are at best-considered negative or worse evil and under bad influences. They can not be trusted and personal contact is avoided.
Given the above information, we can ask the following questions.
How many can say that their Trump loving family member now speaks and acts as crudely as Trump and shows as little empathy as Trump?
How many can say their Trump loving family member treats others worse if they don't accept Trump's judgement in everything?
How many Trump followers just parrot whatever Trump says, even when it contradicts what he said yesterday and defies plain logic?
How many Trump followers try to justify anything and everything that Trump does even when harmful, like his COVID-19 failures?
How many Trump followers have cut ties with friends or family members who refuse to support Trump totally, and then speak negatively about those former friends or estranged family?
How many Trump followers claim any criticism of Trump is "persecution" and "fake news"?
How many Trump followers praised a former Trump staff member but when that member is fired, they instantly join Trump in attacking that individual. Do you remember the sheer ludicrousness of calling John Bolton a liberal? Or all the attacks on his cabinet members who departed under clouds in the first three years?
How many Trump followers praised a former Trump staff member but when that member is fired, they instantly join Trump in attacking that individual. Do you remember the sheer ludicrousness of calling John Bolton a liberal? Or all the attacks on his cabinet members who departed under clouds in the first three years?
Stop and consider the questions just asked. They are questions based on the ten criteria above. If someone exhibits 6 or 7 of those signs, they are very likely members of a cult.
Now consider that most vocal Trump followers fit the seven questions above (from the ten criteria) and that Trump himself fits eight of ten cult leader signs, and what is the obvious conclusion?
Trump is a cult leader and many of his followers are cultists and beyond rational argument. They no longer need to be debated with. They need intervention and deprogramming.
No comments:
Post a Comment