How the MAGA cult came to be

[mainer]

The psychology behind it. Worth listening till the end.

Link to tweet

?s=61&t=cSnkab_GYBjAWds51uZU8Q

[The Wizard]

1. The trickle down economic policy has failed

Last edited Sun Jun 29, 2025, 10:42 AM - Edit history (1)

the working class. Working hard and playing by the rules only serves to widen the gap between the wealthy elites and the vast majority.
The leaders of the cult have a propaganda operation that would embarrass Goebbels.
The use of immigrants / minorities as scapegoats comes right out of "Mein Kampf."
Remember when Trump said he loved the poorly educated? The lack of critical thinking skills had the poorly educated thinking Trump really loved them. They didn't know it was an insult.
Ignorance and bigotry are Democracy's enemy.
The Democratic leadership must get out the message in plain language that only the Democrats will create living wage jobs that raise living standards for the vast majority. When minimum wage laws were first enacted the wage set was a living wage.
Ronald Reagan imposed trickle down economics 45 years ago, and the working class has been taking it on the chin ever since.
Pox (deliberate typo) News has divided this nation so as to turn Americans against each other for political gain (See "The Prince" for details.)
Trickle down economics now means the wealthy elites get golden parachutes at the expense of the working class that must accept golden showers as the norm.
Any member of the working class who believes Stephen Miller is on their side is a poorly educated victim who will remain poor until they stop voting against their own best interests. The fascist appeal to the worst fears and lowest instincts is a major factor in the white working class grievance.
We're better than this. Put America back to work for a living wage and Trumpism goes to History's dust bin.

[Joe Cool]

5. The Democratic party just needs to say following Trump is stupid

Use the word stupid over and over again when describing Trump. No one wants to be associated with anyone or anything that is stupid. Democrats need to stop being polite and start being real.

[jmbar2]

2. K&R - outstanding

I was thinking yesterday about the Black Panthers in the 1960s.

They went to the most reviled and abandoned communities in the US and brought food, clinics, schools and self-determination.

With the impending destruction of the safety net, I think a similar self-determination movement will be needed, and may offer a dignified exit to tRumpism. Offer them entry to that new community of self-help. We're all gonna need it.

[BoRaGard]

3. Break the spell

Excellent video.

Darkside repubes occult machinations have poisoned the souls
of the human beings they have manipulated and "suckered."

[Joe Cool]

4. None of this shocking nor suprising

Trump's base is largely stupid (yes, stupid is the right word and not the more polite term less educated) older white people who have achieved very little in life and think following a literal fraud makes them someone. They are losers in life and think supporting him makes them a winner.

[EverHopeful]

6. Highly recommend Steven Hassan's work

Planning to re-read some of his work before an upcoming family gathering. Can't see how we'll ever restore our democracy if we don't figure out how to overcome the divide and conquer strategy being used.

https://freedomofmind.com/

[gulliver]

7. Fringe right and left are warring sects of the same cult

The cult of identity losties. Dems need to reject identity politics completely. It's bad for the world. It's functionally equivalent to a bad, dumb religion.

We need to make sure we don't trade cows for magic beans. We're about to lose cancer patients, because their Medicaid will be cut. We traded their healthcare for an expensive mirage of sweetie pie identity.

[William Seger]

8. Good analysis of the reasons WHY the cult came to be, but it doesn't really explain how

For that, I think a good starting point is the commercial success of Rush Limbaugh's reactionary (i.e. knee-jerk anti-liberal) propaganda and the subsequent army of Limbaugh clones on radio, and then Fox and it's clones on TV and the internet, all featuring stories intended to create anger and resentment of liberals and liberalism, all playing on the factors this video discusses, and all very profitable. This environment thrived in the backlash to the Civil Rights movement, and it created an entire alternate reality, ripe for Trump's exploitation, leveraging his alternate reality of a successful businessman, created by his "reality TV" show.

[peggysue2]

12. Think you're on the money, William

For the last thirty years, Republicans have been laying the ground work with their own lies about and destructive manipulations of the system. The constant drumbeat against all things progressive in nature, the 'corporations are people' mantra, the introduction of dark money, the endless complaints about universities breeding communism in our midst, the wedge issues taking the place of constructive policy while blame-gaming the 'other.'

The lies and distortions continued unabated.

None of this happened suddenly; it was tended, nurtured then spread like seeds across the country, aided by bad actors here and abroad, amplified by right-wing broadcasters, all to weaken the country, rile distrust and outrage within the populace.

Then it took root.

Agent Orange took up the mantle, wrapped himself in it and became the vessel, the voice of grievance, arrogance, lies and F*ck You. The lure of obscene wealth and absolute power for the upper echelons was/is the driver.

Is it a cult? Yes, indeed, spearheaded by Trump, fueled by greed, hate, revenge.

The strange, tragic aspect of all this is MAGA supporters cannot, will not imagine that they too will be crushed along with the rest of us.

The Wrecking Ball set in motion doesn't care.

[Hornedfrog2000]

9. This is a very good article on how Putin

Did the same thing (article from 2015) https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/04/how-the-media-became-putins-most-powerful-weapon/391062/

[Timeflyer]

10. Really good explanation of tRump's cult of personality, in less than 6 minutes. Thanks for posting.

[orangecrush]

11. Kick

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. trump followers are in a cult

Link to tweet

What if Charles Manson was elected president?
What if Jim Jones was elected president?
What if David Koresh was elected president?
That's what happened when people elected Donald tRump for president.
When Cult Leaders like tRump are allowed to be free, people get hurt & die!