Trumpism as a political cult. NO MEMES

The word "cult" typically has religious meanings, but it is also used to describe political groups that exhibit some of the same behaviors, notably:

1. Unswerving zealous loyalty to a charismatic, strong leader.

2. Strong opposition to critical thinking, especially of the leader.

3. Belief in truth of leader's statements, even when disproved by facts.

4. Belief that leader and his movement are ordained by God.

5. Promotion of "us vs. them" tribalism, cutting off non-cult social relations.

6. Belief that larger society persecutes them.

7. Nostalgia for a past that probably did not exist in the form they believe.

8. Participation in gatherings that encourage an irrational frenzy.

9. If the cult leader is a political figure, the trend is towards authoritarianism, not democracy.

Please note that I am not talking about ordinary conservative vs. liberal politics, but rather, a cult of personality.

I am not talking about ideological conservatives: people who support the primacy of economics in political decision-making, smaller government, and traditional social hierarchies. These are the people who voted Republican in the past. This is different than adherence to a particular charismatic leader.

Today Trumpism is further motivated by disinformation campaigns, conspiracy theories (such as QAnon,) and plans to win a second term even at the expense of democracy, public health, and national security.

I do not include as cult members those conservatives who held their noses and voted for Trump anyway out of concern for a couple of particular issues . Rather, it's the fans who show up screaming "Lock her up!" or some such at Trump rallies, and who are apparently fine with overturning a free and fair election if it keeps Trump in the White House: which meets the definitions of a political coup and fascism.

So this thread is not intended to degenerate into an argument of staunch ideological conservatives vs liberals, but to look at Trump as a cult leader.

Please share your moderate thoughts on this matter. No conspiracy theory hijacks, please. Most of the charges of a "stolen election" have been discredited-- or will be. Please start your own thread if that's what you want to talk about.

And do you see Neptune at work? Neptune may be the astrological sleeper here, given all of the recent focus on planets in Capricorn.

awwww no memes...

Neptune definitely at play with the 'sheep' who believe MSM & that Beijing Biden won the election! It's not decided until the electoral vote on Dec 14th.

Neptune rules the 'Biden sheep' who cannot accept reality that he lost & that he may be the most corrupt politician to ever run for the Presidency. Not only do they ignore the massive election fraud, they ignore Biden selling out the country to China or whoever pays his
family & himself millions. Neptune unable to come to terms with reality of how truly dishonest, disloyal & rotten to the core their cult
Neptune Beijing Biden truly is. They prefer the image of a harmless old man & even ignore his senility!

Neptune rules the lack of reality with the Biden sheep who call his supporters racist, nazis, white supremacists, etc etc when President Trump increased his voter base with every minority group, particularly the Latino vote which came to almost 50% in FL & brought him the win there & in AZ!

Neptune definitely at play in their denial of the violence with the BidenBLM.Antifa mobs which rioted, looted, attacked, destroyed & killed all year while the Dems kept saying that Antifa doesn't exist & that the 'protests' were peaceful. Even with buildings burning in the background & windows being smashed, the 'reporters' claimed it was not violent! That's Neptune right there, completely fantasy!

Neptune definitely rules the Biden sheep living in a fantasy world because they are hypnotized & mesmerized by the Media which tell them lie after lie & have engaged in a smear campaign against President Trump for over 4 yrs. They can no longer discern what truth is because they are covered in a tidal wave of lies & deceit.

Neptune definitely at play with the Biden sheep who no longer believe in law or order or the Constitution. They are unable to overcome their feelings of hate because they live in their fantasy bubble of Trump as the most evil man that ever lived. Yep, more evil than Hitler according to them!
What's more Neptunian delusional than that!
Al Gore took 37 days to concede the election & demanded 2 recounts of ONE state....in 2020 we have several states with serious, credible allegations of voter fraud & the Media & the Dems want to cover it all up & demand he quit.
Not only Neptune but plenty of Mars rage & anger from them too! Really scary group of people when they don't get their way.

Trump supporters are earthy, realistic Saturn type people. Many of them blue collar workers, hard working, salt of the earth people. They know he's not perfect but he's perfect for America right now. He stands up for America, for the American worker & isn't afraid of world opinion. He does what is best for U.S.A. interests & not the U.N. interests. He puts America first & we love him because he's a true patriot. That's why he received 10 million more votes than 2016 & won in a landslide. Despite the Neptune propaganda against him from the Media & corrupt Dems, he is more popular now around the world than ever.

So for sure, Neptune rules the Biden sheep while the earth signs rule the Trump supporters.

waybread said:

The word "cult" typically has religious meanings, but it is also used to describe political groups that exhibit some of the same behaviors, notably:


Most of the charges of a "stolen election" have been discredited-- or will be. Please start your own thread if that's what you want to talk about.

And do you see Neptune at work? Neptune may be the astrological sleeper here, given all of the recent focus on planets in Capricorn.

Click to expand...

What's your rising sign, WB? Virgo maybe?

From an astrological point of view, would be interesting to do some research in terms of sun, moon or just rising signs in order to see which combinations naturally hate or love Trump. My guess is, the result probably won't surprise anyone. Just a thought.

I believe people have 'Trump Voters' confused with 'Trump'.



The fact is, there were millions of americans who were Fed Up with USA's degrading trade deals, illegal immigration, terrorism and leanings toward socialism, whithering moral and social decays and the "free for everyone else but I pay for it and get nothing" realities.



Trump didn't plant those 'cultish' thoughts into Trump supporters heads. Those thoughts were already in existence before Trump even announced candidacy.



At best - you could say that liberals refused to listen, refused to hear these complaints, trod right over them, with full Disrespect of social, cultural, religious beliefs of half of America.



Trump listened.



If you define that as cult -type leadership with victim brains, you are plain wrong. Menacing, even.

Folks, could we please stay on topic?

The intention was not to create yet another "Dump on Liberals" or "Dump on Republicans" thread. This thread is not about whatever bothers you about the Democrats.

As I mentioned in the OP, if you want to talk about conspiracy theories, please start your own thread. Or please post in the ones that have been floating around here for ages.

This thread is about the likelihood that the diehard core support for Donald Trump the man (vs. support for conservative values) has the earmarks of a cult of personality. I identified some of these earmarks in my OP.

In case anyone is unclear-- Donald Trump did very well in the recent election. I grant him that. But Joe Biden did better, won the popular vote and the Electoral College vote. The courts have thrown out Trump's lawyer's challenges. Trump is urging his followers--and lawyers-- to try to overturn the results of a democratic election.

If you're angry about Trump's loss, so be it.

Muchacho, this also is not a thread about me. With my sun at 23 degrees of Aquarius, it makes a close trine to Donald Trump's sun at 22Gemini 56'. My sun sextiles Trump's Mars-Ascendant conjunction, and also sextiles Trump's moon. My sun trines Trump's Libra Jupiter. My Leo moon conjuncts Trump's Pluto and sextiles his Neptune. My Mars in Pisces forms a wide trine with Trump's Mercury. My ascendant in late Virgo squares Trump's natal Gemini sun-Sagittarius moon opposition, but sextiles Trump's natal Cancer Venus-Saturn.

Our synastry is actually good.

So no, this isn't about some kind of personality clash with a Trump hater. It is about the fate of American democracy and whether Trump's core of supporters qualify as a cult.

If the shoe fits....

waybread said:

The word "cult" typically has religious meanings, but it is also used to describe political groups that exhibit some of the same behaviors, notably:

1. Unswerving zealous loyalty to a charismatic, strong leader.

2. Strong opposition to critical thinking, especially of the leader.

3. Belief in truth of leader's statements, even when disproved by facts.

4. Belief that leader and his movement are ordained by God.

5. Promotion of "us vs. them" tribalism, cutting off non-cult social relations.

6. Belief that larger society persecutes them.

7. Nostalgia for a past that probably did not exist in the form they believe.

8. Participation in gatherings that encourage an irrational frenzy.

9. If the cult leader is a political figure, the trend is towards authoritarianism, not democracy.

Please note that I am not talking about ordinary conservative vs. liberal politics, but rather, a cult of personality.

I am not talking about ideological conservatives: people who support the primacy of economics in political decision-making, smaller government, and traditional social hierarchies. These are the people who voted Republican in the past. This is different than adherence to a particular charismatic leader.

Today Trumpism is further motivated by disinformation campaigns, conspiracy theories (such as QAnon,) and plans to win a second term even at the expense of democracy, public health, and national security.

I do not include as cult members those conservatives who held their noses and voted for Trump anyway out of concern for a couple of particular issues . Rather, it's the fans who show up screaming "Lock her up!" or some such at Trump rallies, and who are apparently fine with overturning a free and fair election if it keeps Trump in the White House: which meets the definitions of a political coup and fascism.

So this thread is not intended to degenerate into an argument of staunch ideological conservatives vs liberals, but to look at Trump as a cult leader.

Please share your moderate thoughts on this matter. No conspiracy theory hijacks, please. Most of the charges of a "stolen election" have been discredited-- or will be. Please start your own thread if that's what you want to talk about.

And do you see Neptune at work? Neptune may be the astrological sleeper here, given all of the recent focus on planets in Capricorn.

Click to expand...

Interesting subject Waybread, the cult of personality.

I would say, that the cult of personality is affecting, America, with Trump. And that Neptune, in its domicile should be considered.

I don't think it is just Trump and America either, all leaders, that are voted in, need the cult of personality, just to gain the attention required to get elected.

Trump is just such a good example. As a face man, for whatever party he ran for, he would be advantageous. For, in the end, he is, and they are just face men/women, for the agenda of the parties, or for something larger, maybe?

Trudeau, Canada's main, idiot, somehow, gets in, with a minority government. I hear, all despise him, and yet, he is not usurped.

Are bigger powers at play, keeping their cult of Covid personality going, distracting us, with Neptune, while they change our world.

I like your comparison, for Trump, and others.

waybread said:

The word "cult" typically has religious meanings, but it is also used to describe political groups that exhibit some of the same behaviors, notably:

1. Unswerving zealous loyalty to a charismatic, strong leader.

2. Strong opposition to critical thinking, especially of the leader.

3. Belief in truth of leader's statements, even when disproved by facts.

4. Belief that leader and his movement are ordained by God.

5. Promotion of "us vs. them" tribalism, cutting off non-cult social relations.

6. Belief that larger society persecutes them.

7. Nostalgia for a past that probably did not exist in the form they believe.

8. Participation in gatherings that encourage an irrational frenzy.

9. If the cult leader is a political figure, the trend is towards authoritarianism, not democracy.

Please note that I am not talking about ordinary conservative vs. liberal politics, but rather, a cult of personality.

I am not talking about ideological conservatives: people who support the primacy of economics in political decision-making, smaller government, and traditional social hierarchies. These are the people who voted Republican in the past. This is different than adherence to a particular charismatic leader.

Today Trumpism is further motivated by disinformation campaigns, conspiracy theories (such as QAnon,) and plans to win a second term even at the expense of democracy, public health, and national security.

I do not include as cult members those conservatives who held their noses and voted for Trump anyway out of concern for a couple of particular issues . Rather, it's the fans who show up screaming "Lock her up!" or some such at Trump rallies, and who are apparently fine with overturning a free and fair election if it keeps Trump in the White House: which meets the definitions of a political coup and fascism.

So this thread is not intended to degenerate into an argument of staunch ideological conservatives vs liberals, but to look at Trump as a cult leader.

Please share your moderate thoughts on this matter. No conspiracy theory hijacks, please. Most of the charges of a "stolen election" have been discredited-- or will be. Please start your own thread if that's what you want to talk about.

And do you see Neptune at work? Neptune may be the astrological sleeper here, given all of the recent focus on planets in Capricorn.

Click to expand...

In other words.... Don't bother to comment if you don't agree and fall in step with Waybread's premise. Okay. Got it.

Kintpuash said:

In other words.... Don't bother to comment if you don't agree and fall in step with Waybread's premise. Okay. Got it.

Click to expand...

That is not what waybread said.

You could agree with her and still be off topic for this thread. If you're using it to dump on EITHER side, Democrat or Republican or any sector thereof, you're veering away from the intention.

You could also disagree with her and be perfectly within the thread topic, as long as you're addressing cultism as it applies (or doesn't?) to people in the Trump camp. You can disagree with that whole premise, but please keep your commenting to saying you disagree and why.

That's what I understand her to be saying, anyhow. She did make it clear that it's not to be about her.

Please respect that.

Deleted the last two posts because they consisted of dumping on political parties and/or waybread herself. Gossiping about another member, present or otherwise, is NOT allowed in this forum, period. Please follow that rule AND stay on topic.

Cult of Personality is the yin yang of life law and astrology. So be it. No memes, no counter points aka attacks on illusion or unpresented evidence. Okay, got it.

waybread said:

Rather, it's the fans who show up screaming "Lock her up!" or some such at Trump rallies, and who are apparently fine with overturning a free and fair election if it keeps Trump in the White House: which meets the definitions of a political coup and fascism.

Click to expand...

"Free and fair" - with some counties reporting 400% voter turn out.

Osamenor said:

That is not what waybread said.

You could agree with her and still be off topic for this thread. If you're using it to dump on EITHER side, Democrat or Republican or any sector thereof, you're veering away from the intention.

You could also disagree with her and be perfectly within the thread topic, as long as you're addressing cultism as it applies (or doesn't?) to people in the Trump camp. You can disagree with that whole premise, but please keep your commenting to saying you disagree and why.

That's what I understand her to be saying, anyhow. She did make it clear that it's not to be about her.

Please respect that.

Deleted the last two posts because they consisted of dumping on political parties and/or waybread herself. Gossiping about another member, present or otherwise, is NOT allowed in this forum, period. Please follow that rule AND stay on topic.

Click to expand...

Kintpuash is right though. This thread is biased and serves no purpose.

The thread contains a number of restrictions set by the OP to prevent actual discussion from occurring. For example, "election fraud" can't be mentioned or discussed - which shows there is no intention to have an actual conversation ... just to offend Trump supporters.

If it's offensive and shuts down discussion why even bother to comment on the thread?

AppLeo said:

If it's offensive and shuts down discussion why even bother to comment on the thread?

Click to expand...

I'm hoping the restrictions can be lifted and the actual topic be discussed like adults. Also, memes.

All:

If the OP designates a thread no memes, from the beginning, in the title and/or the first post, then no memes are allowed. OP's may also set other reasonable rules for their threads, as long as they do so in the first post, and as long as those rules don't call for anything the forum's rules prohibit. Later posts may clarify the rules if the first post wasn't clear enough, and waybread has done so.

If you don't like this thread's rules, then post somewhere else. There are plenty of political and election-related threads where anything goes (as long as it's within forum rules). And you may start one of your own.

If you want to further discuss or dispute the restrictions set by the OP, again, take it elsewhere. Continuing to do so is hijacking this thread.

Back on topic,
Osamenor

I agree with the OP - Trump supporters are cultist - It is very clear now.

He certainly incites passion on people who follow him, which makes Trump supporters cultists. And cultism is bad, like the orange man.

Trump supporters should give up their wrong thinking.

Do you concur comrades?

At least... I suggest to Waybread to fix the title from Trumpism "as" a political cult, to Trumpism "is" a political cult.



It would be more honest.

Dirius said:

I'm hoping the restrictions can be lifted

and the actual topic be discussed like adults.

Also, memes.

Click to expand...

siriusly - also memes?


memes not allowed


.





.

Kintpuash said:

At least...
I suggest to Waybread to fix the title from Trumpism "as" a political cult,
to Trumpism "is" a political cult.
It would be more honest.

Click to expand...

honesty is the best policy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_iB_oPxpQM




.

Honestly, folks-- what I expected was that some of you would come back with opposing comments to the effect that, Trump is not a cult leader for X, Y, Z reasons.

Or as Osamenor put it:

You could agree with her and still be off topic for this thread. If you're using it to dump on EITHER side, Democrat or Republican or any sector thereof, you're veering away from the intention.

You could also disagree with her and be perfectly within the thread topic, as long as you're addressing cultism as it applies (or doesn't?) to people in the Trump camp. You can disagree with that whole premise, but please keep your commenting to saying you disagree and why.

That's what I understand her to be saying, anyhow. She did make it clear that it's not to be about her.

Please respect that.

Click to expand...

Also, please seriously consider who lives in a universe of alternative facts. Fox News, for 4 years the Trump media outlet of choice, backed him up. Even they are saying now that Trump lost the election. Including their Queen of Mean, Laura Ingraham.

Surely you are aware of baseless conspiracy theories supporting Trump. Not every far right-wing accusation is correct. To date, the claims of voter fraud that found their way into the courts have been dismissed, including by Republican judges.

Please look at the list of cult characteristics in the OP.

And get back to me.