"In the walls of the cubicle there were three orifices...and in the side wall, within easy reach of Merrick's arm, a large oblong slit protected by a wire grating."
America has always been in denial about its vulnerabilities. We don't want to deal with our problem with guns, and we ignored the opioid epidemic for years. We still "remember 9/11" but refused the self-reflection necessary to understand it. I think the foot dragging over Donald Trump has come in large part because we don't want to admit to either ourselves or anyone else that a president/former president can be a criminal, let alone a traitor.
It's also frightening to see how easily a cult can form, and how vulnerable we are to the alluring words of grifters, especially when those words tell us how we should feel towards our government (one thing the cults have done is to turn people against their own best interests), saying we've been betrayed and forgotten. Ironic that such words would be credible coming from a rich man who has exploited and screwed over working class Americans for decades.
Everywhere I look I see Democrats who think all we need to do is "vote blue." That's not going to get rid of MAGA, Q-Anon and the other cults out there. It's not going to persuade anyone away from fascism, which is growing. There is no effort being made to reach a modicum of sanity, perhaps because the project is so daunting.
There is no other explanation for the pervasive lack of coverage regarding this phenomenon. Dr. Bandy Lee posted a great article recently about this topic and how it affects populations. I think the problem is just too big, too many people are affected and we lack the resources to address it. Iam angry that no attempts to acknowledge it or even offer mental health care for the ones affected are even being considered. Anti-depressants are offered when deprogramming is needed, but our health care services are owned by the same conglomerates that own the media so it's understandable. The apathy is a symptom. Denial is a choice. Folks want to live in a world they are familiar with but this psychopathy has been normalized and that's dangerous.
Keep speaking out Jim. I believe in what you say. I too have a close family member taken in. His worldview has completely changed. You have my support. And I need to know someone out there is bringing attention to it. Thank you for the work you’ve done - the evidence you have put together.
We've surely been at war since 2015. I've been estranged from my family since Dec. 26, 2020. They've all gone down the MAGA rabbit hole. Arresting Flynn, Bannon, Prince, etc. doesn't go far enough. Their convictions and executions is what is called for. That is the penalty for treason.
I see dedicated (and seriously worried) Democrats clinging more and more tightly to Joe Biden as the guy who’s going to “save us from a Trump/MAGA victory” in 2024. They refuse to entertain the idea that any candidate other than Biden, or any tactic other than “Get Out The Vote” should be considered. And the Democrats’ big plan?...”Send us money so we can defeat [vulnerable Republican’s name here]”This way lies defeat.
The problem of a candidate’s age is much deeper than this one election (even if it is the most critical one of our lives.) The American 2-party system has cemented itself on the top of our system and claims there are and should only ever be two parties. Additionally the party “leaders” claim the right to die in office. A whole generation is locked out of being leaders. A wasted generation.
My brother is one who is under the influence of the death cult. No one can reason with him. He gets all his information from YouTube videos. His doctor told him to find another physician because my brother would argue and literally shout at the doctor about treatment plans. He is antivax and recently told my nephew not to vaccinate his dog. (By the way, 30%of pet owners now believe it’s not necessary to vaccinate, even for rabies). My brother is an intelligent, educated and financially successful man with a devoted wife and children. He is 100% totally convinced he is in the right and we are the crazy ones. I really don’t have any hope he will change.
That's the hardest thing to understand - that otherwise normal and intelligent people believe crazy things. I think the allure is the sense of belonging these people feel when they join cults. Our brains are wired to respond like herd animals - we are social, not solitary, so we gravitate towards other humans. We live in groups, socialize, belong to religions, etc. Perhaps cults fulfill a particular need in some people to feel safe in a world that they find overwhelming, as one step above simply believing in conspiracy theories.
What has happened to these people, the ones who stopped trusting their doctors, others who scorn everything as being part of "corporate" this or that and keep their money stuffed under their mattress because banks are evil? I think our first step in rescuing ourselves rests with the psychologists and sociologists, not the voting booth.
"The media, the White House, Congressional Democrats, and the military have all failed to explain this reality" -- thank you for acknowledging what many left-wingers won't. At the messaging level, our institutions appear too weak to be effective.
"In the walls of the cubicle there were three orifices...and in the side wall, within easy reach of Merrick's arm, a large oblong slit protected by a wire grating."
America has always been in denial about its vulnerabilities. We don't want to deal with our problem with guns, and we ignored the opioid epidemic for years. We still "remember 9/11" but refused the self-reflection necessary to understand it. I think the foot dragging over Donald Trump has come in large part because we don't want to admit to either ourselves or anyone else that a president/former president can be a criminal, let alone a traitor.
It's also frightening to see how easily a cult can form, and how vulnerable we are to the alluring words of grifters, especially when those words tell us how we should feel towards our government (one thing the cults have done is to turn people against their own best interests), saying we've been betrayed and forgotten. Ironic that such words would be credible coming from a rich man who has exploited and screwed over working class Americans for decades.
Everywhere I look I see Democrats who think all we need to do is "vote blue." That's not going to get rid of MAGA, Q-Anon and the other cults out there. It's not going to persuade anyone away from fascism, which is growing. There is no effort being made to reach a modicum of sanity, perhaps because the project is so daunting.
There is no other explanation for the pervasive lack of coverage regarding this phenomenon. Dr. Bandy Lee posted a great article recently about this topic and how it affects populations. I think the problem is just too big, too many people are affected and we lack the resources to address it. Iam angry that no attempts to acknowledge it or even offer mental health care for the ones affected are even being considered. Anti-depressants are offered when deprogramming is needed, but our health care services are owned by the same conglomerates that own the media so it's understandable. The apathy is a symptom. Denial is a choice. Folks want to live in a world they are familiar with but this psychopathy has been normalized and that's dangerous.
Keep speaking out Jim. I believe in what you say. I too have a close family member taken in. His worldview has completely changed. You have my support. And I need to know someone out there is bringing attention to it. Thank you for the work you’ve done - the evidence you have put together.
Well said. Will be sharing.
We've surely been at war since 2015. I've been estranged from my family since Dec. 26, 2020. They've all gone down the MAGA rabbit hole. Arresting Flynn, Bannon, Prince, etc. doesn't go far enough. Their convictions and executions is what is called for. That is the penalty for treason.
I see dedicated (and seriously worried) Democrats clinging more and more tightly to Joe Biden as the guy who’s going to “save us from a Trump/MAGA victory” in 2024. They refuse to entertain the idea that any candidate other than Biden, or any tactic other than “Get Out The Vote” should be considered. And the Democrats’ big plan?...”Send us money so we can defeat [vulnerable Republican’s name here]”This way lies defeat.
Why is any candidate preferable to Biden? Don't tell me it's about his age, either.
The problem of a candidate’s age is much deeper than this one election (even if it is the most critical one of our lives.) The American 2-party system has cemented itself on the top of our system and claims there are and should only ever be two parties. Additionally the party “leaders” claim the right to die in office. A whole generation is locked out of being leaders. A wasted generation.
Me neither. And yes, please arrest Mike Flynn.
My brother is one who is under the influence of the death cult. No one can reason with him. He gets all his information from YouTube videos. His doctor told him to find another physician because my brother would argue and literally shout at the doctor about treatment plans. He is antivax and recently told my nephew not to vaccinate his dog. (By the way, 30%of pet owners now believe it’s not necessary to vaccinate, even for rabies). My brother is an intelligent, educated and financially successful man with a devoted wife and children. He is 100% totally convinced he is in the right and we are the crazy ones. I really don’t have any hope he will change.
That's the hardest thing to understand - that otherwise normal and intelligent people believe crazy things. I think the allure is the sense of belonging these people feel when they join cults. Our brains are wired to respond like herd animals - we are social, not solitary, so we gravitate towards other humans. We live in groups, socialize, belong to religions, etc. Perhaps cults fulfill a particular need in some people to feel safe in a world that they find overwhelming, as one step above simply believing in conspiracy theories.
What has happened to these people, the ones who stopped trusting their doctors, others who scorn everything as being part of "corporate" this or that and keep their money stuffed under their mattress because banks are evil? I think our first step in rescuing ourselves rests with the psychologists and sociologists, not the voting booth.
"The media, the White House, Congressional Democrats, and the military have all failed to explain this reality" -- thank you for acknowledging what many left-wingers won't. At the messaging level, our institutions appear too weak to be effective.