This just gets better and better everyday.
Trump's claim he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and not lose support has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Banning vaping will probably cost him more votes than any of the crimes he's committed, his history of sexual harassment, or his unhinged everyday behavior.
I have been intrigued by cults since I was a kid and heard about Jim Jones and Jonestown. Since then I have consistently studied cults, and have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours researching cults, what makes people susceptible to their influence, in-depth stories by survivors, and a host of other material.
A significant chunk of the United States has fallen under the sway of a personality cult. I don't think the majority are true believers. There's plenty who simply use the true-believers to grift. And, even more who are simply scared of the cult turning on them thus they play along. The problem, however, is that even top leadership of the cult can speak out and leave, and it rarely has any impact on the remaining adherents. It usually takes a powerful unforeseen event or an authority more powerful than the cult leader to strip the cult leader of their "aura" of invincibility and power.
Short of that powerful event or more powerful authority, the spell adherents find themselves under is nearly impossible to break. Criticism, allegations, and even direct confrontation with convincing evidence does little other than convince adherents that they and their leader are being persecuted.
Perversely, it actually makes them believe that their leader is even more powerful and special, and solidifies their belief that they too are special and have been chosen to defend their leader. Humans by nature, as evidenced in a number of recent studies, tend to double-down when a strongly held belief is being contested. Furthermore, they then seek out information that agrees with their already held position or belief. And, even if that information is dubious or implausible, it serves to strongly reinforce their preexisting beliefs.
It's why the grifters and propaganda media outlets are so integral to Trump's resiliency and power. It's also a wholly symbiotic relationship. They gain a monetary benefit by serving up preposterous justifications for Trump's behavior, and the consumers of their material get the psychological reinforcement they need to continue believing.
This Tweet has a link to a good article in the New Yorker that describes some of this phenomenon. Now, imagine that instead of your average human who already has these biases you're dealing with a cult member who is essentially already brainwashed.
I mention all of this in response to your tweet because we long ago moved past the "who am I going to believe, Trump or my lying eyes?" stage of things. This video would be damning to Trump supporters if it were about any non-Trump affiliated person. But, because it is someone with a Trump affiliation, in particular the Dear Leader himself, it will come up against an impenetrable and immovable force of psychological defense mechanisms that reason, facts, or evidence cannot make even the slightest dent in.
Harkening back to my statement about how dethroning a cult leader requires a powerful event or authority more powerful than the cult leader, let me pose a question to all. Who is more powerful than or even equal to the President of the United States? You might say God, but we've already seen that a huge portion of Christians have forsaken the teachings of Christ in lieu of supporting Donald Trump.
What physical earth-dwelling entity is as powerful or authoritative as the President of the United States? It's supposed to be our Congress and/or the Judiciary. Thus far, they've shown themselves to be wholly incapable of rising to the moment and properly asserting the checks and balances delegated to them by our Constitution.
In sum, I don't have much hope that Trump will ever be held accountable. It's not that impeachment isn't the proper institution for this moment in time -- it's simply that those tasked with its execution lack the wisdom, courage, foresight, and character necessary to wield its authority in the manner required.
Thus, it falls to we the people to do the job our elected Representatives have failed to do. It's simply not an option to forego voting this November. I'm not asking anyone to vote for a candidate they do not support or believe in. Write someone in. Vote for a sane independent. But make sure the final tally reflects an overwhelming and humiliating defeat for Donald J. Trump. Because, if we don't, the alternative is a Trump even more emboldened than he's been before, institutions powerless to combat his daily whims and tantrums, and a cult leader with an even stronger grip on his flock. If that doesn't make you feel nauseated then nothing can.
It doesn't matter if you agree with some of Trump's policies or if you think the Democrats are insane (which many apparently are). It's about the legitimacy of our system of government and the future of our nation. It can be easy to forget, but the Democrats are actually worse at getting legislation passed than Republicans, and the GOP's expertise at obstruction is unrivaled by any other political party on earth.
babylonbee.com
