Proud Boys
I do make an effort to be evenhanded and nonjudgemental. That is why I try to see different perspectives. Hooray for me.
But –
I have zero tolerance for Bullies and Liars. I am judgmental on people who are judgmental.
Trump is perhaps the biggest bully in a position of power in this country, at least in our lifetimes.
Trump is the worst liar, at least the most prolific. Santos was bad, but didn’t talk 24-7.
Trump portrays himself is vastly superior to everyone else.
Trump portrays himself as the most popular person on the planet. Loved by all (that aren’t evil and stupid).
Most of the people that do love him fall into the judgmental category.
Cousin Steve
I’m still trying to figure
out how Donald Trump has taken control of the Republican Party. He’s not
charismatic – see blog of August 18, 2024. He’s rich, but he hasn’t been that
successful in business. He’s actually gone bankrupt 5 or 6 times. I forget which.
He hasn’t been a successful executive. His money is in real estate, and it
seems like many of his business ventures are crooked. His “Trump University” was a scam and he had to pay a
fine for cheating his students. He used money from his “charity” for personal
expenses and had to pay a fine for that. He has avoided paying income tax by
underestimating the value of his properties and has gotten loans and insurance
by overestimating those same properties. The only thing he has succeeded at has
been his TV show, “The Apprentice.”
It seems Trump can get away
with anything, winning a presidential election after bragging about fondling
women. As president, he funneled money to himself by holding official events at
his resorts, requiring that government personnel stay at his hotels, and even
accepting money from foreign governments for favors, contracts and grants.
Now, after all Trump’s
scandals, he is in control of the Republican party. His daughter in law is now
chair of the party, and Republican candidates can’t get on the ballot without
an endorsement from him. He caused a
bipartisan immigration bill to be killed in the House of Representatives just
so it would remain an issue he could run
for reelection on. He is currently running neck and neck with Kamila Harris in the race for president, polling
just under 50% among registered voters. How can this be?
Trump’s followers seem to
have blind faith in whatever he tells them. They believed he won the
presidential election of 2019 without any evidence, and then mobbed the capital
on January 6, 2020 in an effort to keep him in power. He has claimed that the
current administration is targeting him with law suits and his followers have
made death threats against politicians, attorneys, government officials who
have opposed him. At the same time he has threatened to prosecute officials in
power now if he regains power, and to try for treason military officers who
stood up to him.
Trump seems to be trying to
create a mass movement such as Eric Hoffer describes in his book, The True
Believer. According to Hoffer, mass movements, whether religious,
revolutionary, or nationalistic have many things in common. They attract
followers by a frustration with the present, and unite them by a desire for
change. They need a leader who kindles enthusiasm for a cause, whether it be
untold riches, radical societal reform, a common fear, or the coming of a
Heavenly Kingdom, and they need a source of power. Mass movements all attract
the same type of individuals: the poor, the misfits, the outcasts, the sinners,
those who view their lives as ruined, those who want to replace their
meaningless lives with a holy cause. Mass movements, regardless of their
purpose, all breed fanaticism, violence and chaos, and their early followers,
even though they may be in the minority, shape the character of the movement.
In my opinion, Trump’s MAGA
Republicans check all these boxes. They share a fear and hatred for immigrants
and foreigners, and they favor change:
change in government institutions, the “deep state” as they like to call it,
change in international relations, the traditional alliances, free trade, even
our constitution and election system. Many of Trump’s followers, such as politicians,
have gone along with him in order to stay in power, and many supporters, such
as wealthy businessmen and foreign leaders support him because of promised
favors or financial gain, but his base, those who cheer at his rallies and
those who stormed the Capital on January 6, come from the lower classes of
society, those with no respect for the current system such as the “Proud boys,”
the “skinheads,” Neo-nazis and other fanatical groups supporting white supremacy,
Misogyny, antisemitism, gun rights, etc. These groups have the potential to
produce violence and chaos.
Whether the MAGA movement gains
the power to develop into a full blown
mass movement depends on whether the moderate majority summons the courage to
fight to preserve our system.
