12 Comments

The interview and comments are wonderful. Any possibility of an interview/article with ‘Cult of Trump’ author Steven Hassan down the road?

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Enthusiastic endorsement of Steven Hassan’s work investigating cults since his escape from the “moonies” in 1970’s

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Hope he can be interviewed!

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Perspective can be made by creating permanent thought sculptures - for viewing, disassembling and re-assembling in different structures and perspectives. Rather like the engagement involved in going to an art gallery. Brain-engaging, creative, open. All encapsulating an attitude to life for the future and the 'most important plans for the planet'.

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Very helpful perspective.

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Thank you, Marianna, for your wisdom, courage and for inspiring us to pursue a non-violent path of resolving conflicts that currently seem insurmountable.

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Are there similar positions in the U.S. at a major media outlets?

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I am not sure about the dedicated disinfo part

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President Joe Biden “We are facing the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War,” I’m not saying this to alarm you; I’m saying this because you should be alarmed.”

We must, he said, have “the will to save and strengthen our democracy.”

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Spot on RBG. Propaganda leads to polarization, polarization leads to survivalist mode (there can be no compromise, its either our way or total destruction) and survivalist mode leads to violence. If 70% of Republicans believe the last election was stolen can they ever accept the legitimacy of a Democrat winning an election again? Is violence the inevitable result if they can't?

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America is in a battle for the truth. We are seeing 40 million people believing that Trump won the election, which is delusional. In social psychology there is a phenomenon known as the Backfire Effect, where those with a mistaken belief are given corrective information. But these people not only reject the information but double down on their original mistaken belief. The correction backfired. This effect is common in conservatives but rare in liberals. The difference has been traced to a larger amygdala in conservatives. Conservatives more easily get stuck in a post-truth rut. Getting them out of that rut can take years, just like the McCarthy era.

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See "When Prophecy Fails" by Leon Festinger, which is a study that measures whats happens when people in a UFO cult have their beliefs disconfirmed by evidence. He's the guy that invented the the theory of Cognitive dissonance. Agree with you that getting them out of their ignorance rut may take years and years, especially since they live in a bubbles of disinformation and propaganda. Social media and the FNC aren't going anywhere anytime soon...

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