Very well put. It's always struck me as odd that those that claim to love “freedom” (loaded word) have been so eager to embrace strongman politics. They have felt downtrodden and hated by “the elites” and “the system”, and they now have their champion--the very champion who fanned the flames of resentment--to make them feel powerful again.
Thank you for describing and summarizing so eloquently something I’ve identified but have been unable to articulate effectively to others in my circle. One of the most slippery and peculiar aspects of the MAGA mentality is their air of superiority insisting that they’re the enlightened while anyone “woke” is a “sheeple”…they think they’re in the know and are the critical thinkers while being so utterly entrenched in a rigid ideology that’s been spoon fed to them that it feels impossible to communicate with them or break through that delusion.
Your notion of “reclaiming the red pill” evokes for me another MAGA retort: Trump Derangement Syndrome.
The first time I heard this term years ago, I assumed it was referring to MAGAs themselves, not liberals. MAGAs have so clearly been spiralling down their fact-free decline for a decade, and dragging everyone who falls within their lazy populist thought-space with them, surely this is what Trump Derangement Syndrome must mean, I thought to myself!
Of course, like so much of what comes out of Trump’s & MAGA’s mouths, it’s projection, accusing others of what he/they have already breeched - with pride, no less - regardless of the galling hypocrisy on display every time.
I’ve tried to suggest to fellow liberals/moderates that WE need to reclaim the term Trump Derangement Syndrome for ourselves, to describe this fog of fact-free irrational projection.
Democracy requires deliberation, debate, compromise, all things that take time. I could understand the frustration with government of the anti-democracy crowd because they want what they want when they want it, but seems like negotiations are not their strong suit. Maybe the majority have ODD, oppositional defiant disorder. Fascism isn't better, chaos isn't better, except as perceived by a few and their followers who want to break the law for good.
Great article. To me, misogyny is the one through line with the disparate factions of the cult.
Very well put. It's always struck me as odd that those that claim to love “freedom” (loaded word) have been so eager to embrace strongman politics. They have felt downtrodden and hated by “the elites” and “the system”, and they now have their champion--the very champion who fanned the flames of resentment--to make them feel powerful again.
Thank you for describing and summarizing so eloquently something I’ve identified but have been unable to articulate effectively to others in my circle. One of the most slippery and peculiar aspects of the MAGA mentality is their air of superiority insisting that they’re the enlightened while anyone “woke” is a “sheeple”…they think they’re in the know and are the critical thinkers while being so utterly entrenched in a rigid ideology that’s been spoon fed to them that it feels impossible to communicate with them or break through that delusion.
Your notion of “reclaiming the red pill” evokes for me another MAGA retort: Trump Derangement Syndrome.
The first time I heard this term years ago, I assumed it was referring to MAGAs themselves, not liberals. MAGAs have so clearly been spiralling down their fact-free decline for a decade, and dragging everyone who falls within their lazy populist thought-space with them, surely this is what Trump Derangement Syndrome must mean, I thought to myself!
Of course, like so much of what comes out of Trump’s & MAGA’s mouths, it’s projection, accusing others of what he/they have already breeched - with pride, no less - regardless of the galling hypocrisy on display every time.
I’ve tried to suggest to fellow liberals/moderates that WE need to reclaim the term Trump Derangement Syndrome for ourselves, to describe this fog of fact-free irrational projection.
Democracy requires deliberation, debate, compromise, all things that take time. I could understand the frustration with government of the anti-democracy crowd because they want what they want when they want it, but seems like negotiations are not their strong suit. Maybe the majority have ODD, oppositional defiant disorder. Fascism isn't better, chaos isn't better, except as perceived by a few and their followers who want to break the law for good.