Dr. Bandy Lee (#3)

[H2O Man]

https://www.alternet.org/2020/11/trump-authoritarian/

1- In April, 2017, you organized the “Duty to Warn” Conference. Later, you were the editor and contributor to the book “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump.” Has Donald Trump’s behaviors since losing the 2020 election reinforced your opinion on the dangers Trump poses to a civilized society?

We no longer opine but have certainty. And we are seeing the last bout of just how much he is willing and able to destroy norms and to push the limits. It is clear he does not intend to leave without placing us in further danger, and we are not yet in the clear. My regret is that, because of the “gag order” on all mental health experts, which the American Psychiatric Association forced through public campaigns since this administration, the people are still left vulnerable without having learned much. As we see from the 72 million who voted for him again, we are very likely to repeat our errors.

..........

[spanone]

1. I have no doubt either.

[H2O Man]

2. Right.

I am not happy with the effort to silence Dr. Lee and others who have attempted to exercise their duty to warn. I think she is among the most important voices needing to be heard at this time.

[malaise]

3. Thanks WaterMan

Fascinating

[H2O Man]

6. Thank you!

Dr. Lee is always worth listening to!

[malaise]

7. Your OPs are always must read

[coeur_de_lion]

4. It will happen

Last resort after his multiple failed legal challenges but you can see it coming a mile away.

[H2O Man]

10. Yep.

There has been a disturbing increase in propert crimes against those with Biden and/or BLM lawn signs around here. Also more verbal aggression in public places on the part of cult members.

[Mike 03]

5. Another extraordinary interview.

This is one of many portions that stands out:

I have defined authoritarianism as "the handing over of all institutional, professional, and personal authority, including over their own survival, so as to appease a single person." The more his followers' minds are controlled, and the more horrific his oppression and massacre of the people, the less they will be able to face the truth. Therefore, a subconscious collusion happens between perpetrator and victims. We can see how powerful this emotional force is if we recall that the pandemic was not always politicized, and the right mindset in the beginning would have changed people's behavior to be life-saving instead of death-spreading.

Could this possibly explain the madness of genocidal violence in areas where for decades or centuries people have lived side by side in peace. (i.e., Rwanda and former Yugoslavia)? I'm thinking of dangerous figures like Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic, who gradually normalized extreme violence (and, to this day, are still idolized in certain quarters, including by White Supremacists.)

Thank you H20 Man!

[malaise]

8. He is the latest version of Jim Jones, their Pied Piper

according to a close friend of a good friend. Sadly there is reason for their hopelessness,

[Mike 03]

9. I think so too.

This interview is full of treasures

This is pertinent to what you are saying:

I believe it is useful to keep in mind that followers of Trump are diverse and complex, but we should not miss important overarching patterns. First, there is the psychological injury that relative, not absolute, poverty produces—whether it is relative to previous generations or those currently at the top—and this makes people vulnerable to false authority figures. Sociopathic individuals who exploit such psychological vulnerabilities to claim they will take care of them, when their intention is to plunder, become a gift for the billionaires. There is nothing like mental pathology to distract and detach people from the reality of their unfair power arrangement.

The authoritarian who promises to make all their problems go away.

How do people fall for this?

[H2O Man]

17. That's a good question.

I've been thinking about this for the past few days. Quite a few people have been asking me about this since the election results showed the number of people who voted for Trump. I might write up something that presents more of an indepth sociological view of the dynamics involved.

It seems to have a lot to do with the tribalism found within crumbling empires throughout the past three of four thousand years of human history. I'm also going to go back to review some of the conversations that I had with Hurricane Carter over the years -- while he died before Trump "won" the presidency, that would have come as no surprise to him.

[H2O Man]

12. Yes.

Early on, Jones did some good things, although the potential for bad -- very bad -- was always there. But in the last few years of his life, Jones was a horrible human being.His substance abuse added to the prolonged psychotic episodes he experienced. Yet, I doubt that Jones ever dreamed of being responsible for 250,000+ deaths.

[malaise]

13. It will be 500,000 before long

Killa Con is a shameless mass murderer. I am waiting to hear one person ask why would anyone responsible for all these deaths and infections want to hold on to power? Why would anyone enable this monster?

[H2O Man]

14. It seems possible,

even likely, that we will reach that point by the New Year. I hope not, of course. But the Trump cult's behavior includes the refusal to wear masks, etc. I will speculate that they will ignore safety steps over the holidays, just as they have all this year. Because they will be inside during the cold weather seasons, the virus will spread more quickly than in the summer months. This means that they will be putting others at risk beyond their gatherings.

[malaise]

15. I just finished rereading the interview

ReTHUGs must never be forgiven for enabling this monster.

[H2O Man]

16. They need to be

held responsible for their actions, and in many cases, inactions.

[H2O Man]

11. Thanks!

I'm glad that you saw this! After all, I hold you responsible for urging me to contact Dr. Lee back in February!