Trump’s MAGA cult seem to me to be a bunch of “sick puppies!” How can anyone subjugate themselves to another person who has no character or integrity? It’s just inexplicable to me, unless it’s underscored by their quest for power and control! I have the same feelings about the followers of Charles Manson & Jim Jones!
David Koresh was a psychopath; Manson probably was, and Jim Jones probably as well. tRump being a sociopath, fits the mold as a cult leader.
"The sense of grandiose omnipotence of the leader is especially appealing to his needy follower. "
J.M. Post
There have been psychological studies on those that follow far right politicians. Many seem to have segments of the Dark Tetrad Personailty (psychopathy, narcissism, sadism, Machiavellianism).
It's a formula as old as human civilization. Every despot and tyrant throughout history has utilized it. Egypt, Sparta, Rome, and on. Trump is just a figurehead. Pay attention to what's going on behind him, foreign and domestic. Looking forward to Sunday.
Yes, Trump the holy man is ridiculous, especially because it's apparent to those not in his thrall that he's acting the part in the photo. Good con men need to know how to fool their audiences, and Trump is one of the greatest cons of modern times. The only question is whether Trump is so adept at dissembling that he's able to slip unrehearsed into the role of the beleaguered man of faith or whether, like Hitler, Trump works with a professional photographer to perfect his poses and expressions.
What's not funny is that many of the so-called religious figures who surround Trump in this photo and behind closed doors have attained a new level of crazy. Jerry Falwell Sr. and Ralph Reed seem like Rockefeller Republicans compared to the nutjob Charismatics, Pentacostals, Christian Reconstructionists, White Christian Nationalists and other fringe actors who've risen to power and prominence during the Trump era.
In the run-up to January 6 and on that date, there were Charismatics and other madmen running around the DC area engaging in so-called spiritual warfare to combat specific demons they believe inhabit specific territories. Anyone who heard Old-Testament shofar horns blowing in the capital during that chaotic and violent period is a witness to the rise of religious extremism. Also, there's now a sect who believe in the existence of "apostles" living among us who have the power of "prophesy." The newbies makes Fundamentalist Evangelicals (or is it Evangelical Fundamentalists?) and their homophobia and patriarchal subjugation of girls and women seem tame by comparison when they're anything but.
They're as fervently opposed to secular society, our liberal constitutional democracy and less radical faiths as pro-lifers were and still are to abortion. Rural America is their stronghold and recruiting ground. They're waging culture war right now to undermine public schools because they interfere with their indoctrination of youth.
For additional information, listen to the following podcasts:
"Like so many others in the GOP, Meadows would likely do it all again if he knew it would succeed.” This was clearly seen in the interview of Ronna McDaniel as she once again lied and tried to manipulate her views. I was glad to see the backlash of this hire and how quickly NBC fired her.
It was good to see Ronna McDaniel get sacked, but I do have a lot of trepidation about NBC Leadership now. Where the hell have they been? Surely not paying attention to their own News organization.
Both CNN and ABC were also in the bidding for her lies. NBC just won the bidding war, which points out the issue of commercial news in general which, as commercial corporate entities, are mandated to just be in it for the money. They see FOX and, rather than fighting the lies it perpetuates, are fighting each other for the audience FOX has attracted.
Just because a high profile hire like her gets dumped does not mean that they won't continually try to somehow pander to the moron MAGAs for the revenues they represent. Beware.
Yes, I thought this was the reason. I just find it so appalling that given the MSNBC programming that they, in particular, would not go there. I would so hate for them to become like CNN is now since their shift to be more inclusive of Republican jerks fouling their air.
I have seen a few of the executives’ names but not much explaining except from the Chairman over NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC, Cesar Conde. It would be good to hear from the others who were more directly involved with her hiring.
Professor please CONNECT Trump & Paul White, his "Televangelist" who leads her OWN CULT! At one time when Trump was routinely living in Trump Tower, Paula White had a Condo in Trump Tower. She gave his inaugural Invocation, followed him INTO the White House, and either conducted or attended Prayer Breakfasts. She has resurfaced at Mara-a-Lago. I suspect she is his main connection to the White Nationalist and the religious right.
You may want to check out Anthea Butler's book, "White Evangelical Racism." Ruth recommended it when answering someone's question during last Friday's Q&A.
It's not long - I just started reading it today. I believe it eventually gets to TFG's connection to Evangelicals and their influence.
As soon as trump decided to run for POTUS in his first primary, unlike the moderate Republican folks I knew, I was confident he'd win the the primary and then the election. His use of the birther movement to start his campaign early, cemented him with the crowd that was looking for an easy scapegoat. Racism, nationalism, & hate provided him a winning formula. I read an article early in comparing trump to Mussolini. Moderate Republicans poo pooed me & assured me that he didn't have a shot. But people would go to his rallies disliking him and leave at to vote for him. And ultimately he won the election. And note folks have amnesia about how bad his years in office really were.
In my attempts always to make sense out of unexpected — catastrophic in this case — occurrences is generally to go back further for background, understanding (thus possible strategies to counteract). Jenny Cohn just wrote today regarding Leonard Leo and his realization as presented by his former media relations director that Leo “figured out 20 years ago that conservatives had lost the culture war. Abortion, gay rights, contraception—conservatives didn't have a chance if public opinion prevailed. So they needed to stack the courts."
Meanwhile, 20-30 years ago in the United States Donald Trump was embarking on numerous business failures & financial flops with bailouts from his sociopathic conditional love self-made father: including Trump Airlines, beverages, Vodka, “the Game,” casinos, a university, cologne, etc
All of Trumps efforts were hopeless attempts to prove to the world that he was as successful as sociopathic conditional love self-made father!
……..meanwhile, money, loans were still needed and while he used to be able to borrow from Big Banks (through his father from Chase Manhattan etc) afterwards it was loans to foreign nationals with money laundering risks & predatory lending……RISKS……and autocracy, Leonard Leo agenda, Putin agenda, China……..
That last essay sentence right there. .thats the call for action!
The greatest weapon in our human arsenal is emotional intelligence. What makes it most powerful is our emotional integrity. Is that not why we are here together? Use this weapon humbly and wisely followed by action. Participation of voter engagement exercises, I.e. campaign literature distribution, communication events, voter registration drives, contributions and attendance of events, educate each other, these and others sharpen your emotional integrity. Don’t be a counter personality cult member. Demenstrate through actions the destruction of the strongman culture.
The personality cult is only half the reason for Trump's blind commitment from millions of Americans. There were two books written in the last few years about Trump's cult and his control over the minds and souls of so many Americans. The first one is The Cult of Trump, which was written by Steven Hassan - a cult expert. I wrote the other book called From Democracy to Democrazy based on my twenty years living and working in dictator-led countries, explaining how they operate, and focusing on the Russia-Trump connection.
At this stage in his "cult" leadership, a whirlwind of legal woes orbit around Donald Trump and many of his followers have stated that "if he is convicted of a crime, they might reconsider voting for Trump." With 91 criminal charges against him, the chances of such a conviction is relatively high. He has already been convicted in civil court of FRAUD and RAPE. How can so many people who call themselves Christians believe this man's lies? It is called "mass mind manipulation."
In 1997, Putin was the PM of Russia and inline to be the second President shortly thereafter. In this same year, a 600+ page book (in Russian) was published in Russia called the Foundations of Geopolitics. Contained in this book (I read it) are lengthy discussions about Putin's goals as the President. (I am paraphrasing) but this list includes the destruction of the U.S. democracy which he blames for the downfall of the Soviet Union. The influence of Putin's strategies quietly attempts to reshape the trajectory of American politics and American lives. We are seeing that happening now. The shadow cast by Putin over the landscape of American democracy, and his influence and "control" over Trump grows larger and darker by the moment.
Putin has spent his entire life believing that the United States is his enemy. His life's dream was to become a KGB agent, which he accomplished. He was assigned to work in East Germany and while there he gained the same horrific skills used by Hitler to convert an entire peaceful and lawful country into a society of mass murderers. He returned to Russia in the 1990's, worked in the city government of St. Petersburg, and then moved to Moscow to become the next President. He instantly converted the Russian government from a communist/socialist system to a dictatorship. He planned to rebuild the glory days of the USSR, and this meant placing someone loyal to Putin to lead other countries. This was how the Soviet Union operated and the only government model he knew.
In the meantime, Trump had begun traveling to Russia in 1987 and visited many times during the 1990's. My daughter managed the Beverly Hills casino, night club, and restaurant (in Moscow) who was half owned by Mayor Lyushkov/Moscow and the other half by Chuck Norris, the American movie star. Trump attended their grand opening and returned several times. The "Beverly" was known for it's corruption, naked women, and famous faces. Trump's vile behavior was splashed in local media - I know because I lived there.
I also had experienced the KGB/FSB recruitment process of flattery, wining, and dining. I was not caught because I understood Russia. Trump, on the other hand, appears to be loyal to Putin and Russia. While only Putin and Trump know what evidence was acquired by Russians to ensnare Trump, my guess would be that he was probably either caught with Russian prostitutes - a very common trap for foreign men in Moscow, or was loaned a large sum of money to bail out his failing businesses. In 2008, Trump Jr. bragged about the Trump Organization receiving large assets from Russia (www.businessinsider.com) and a few years later Eric Trump confirmed by saying they had $100M from Russian banks. (www.vanityfair.com) Russian banks loan large sums of money to foreigners to either laundry money into another country's economy, or they give money to entrap/compromise that foreigner. In 2018, the Foreign Policy magazine wrote an informative article called "How Russian Money Helped Save Trump's Business." The Washington Post article in 2019 was titled "Trump's businesses are full of dirty Russian money." The Trump Tower in SoHo (in New York) was entirely funded with Russian money. (The Washington Post, 2018/04/12) This article stated that "A now-defunct Russian-language website and ads starring Ivanka Trump . . ."
Russian banks also gave $9.8M to Marie LePen who was the foremost opposition leader in France, in an attempt to overthrow the French government. This amount is a small cry compared to what Russian's have given Trump.
Trump is well aware that he has sold his soul and our country to the Russians. Last year, Cassidy Hutchinson stated that "Trump is terrified of being poisoned." Poison is a common lethal method used worldwide by the KGB/FSB.
Wikipedia defines "brainwashing" as telling lies over and over until it is perceived as the truth. Almost every speech given by Trump contained lies. CNN even reported a short while ago that 70% of the Republicans still believe that the 2020 election was stolen - a lie he admitted to and was published in Politico, 09/17/2023. To quote this article "Former President Donald Trump said Sunday on "Meet the Press" that he didn't respect lawyers and members of his campaign who told him he lost the 2020 presidential election, and that it was his decision to buy into the theory that the election was rigged." In fact, after the 2016 election Trump was quoted as saying that "Clinton stole the popular vote from him." NPR reported on 11/27/2016 that "President-elect Donald Trump won a convincing electoral vote victory on Nov. 8, but he is claiming falsely that widespread voter fraud cost him the popular vote" - same lie just different election.
Time will resolve the Trump's Cult's controlled behavior and minds. But yes, they are comparable to the Jim Jones cult, the Charles Manson group, and more importantly to Hitler's total mind control of Germans. Make the connection folks - Hitler/Germany to Putin/Russia to Trump/USA. Whether it is called fascism or communism, it is based on the same control methodologies. Coercive mind control WORKS and has been used worldwide in dictator-led countries and a few others. It is now found in the United States and used on the majority of Republicans.
Those who are "life-long" dedicated and loyal Republicans face a hard choice this November. They either vote for a man who is a cult leader and with 91 criminal charges against him - but he is running on the Republican ticket, or they don't vote. God forbid that they vote for Biden - a man who has been an honest public servant for almost 50 years and whose constituents returned him to Congress for a total of 36 years. He served 8 years as the Vice President to Obama - who is already selected to be on the top 10 list of best President's of all times. In his four years as our President, he has corrected the financial disaster left to him by Trump; he has reduced unemployment so it is below 4%; the economy is steady, the stock market is up, and he has reduced our national debt by one trillion dollars.
Lize Cheney (R) sat on the January 6th Oversight Committee. She had an inside view of the true Trump. She risked her job and spoke out against Trump, in an attempt to prevent him from ever again winning the Presidency.
Both Putin and Trump are consummate liars, but their web of lies cannot withstand the light of truth. It is up to all of us to explain, talk about, and shout about brainwashing and what has happened in our country - before it is too late.
Brilliant analysis, Elizabeth! Thank you! Yes, I have often thought that Putin must be sitting over in the Kremlin laughing his ass off as he watches Americans ripping one another limb from limb. His not-too-subtle disinformation campaign is getting the job done for him, at least partly because so many Americans are so gullible and so predisposed to detest one another. Putin/Trump are merely exploiting pre-existing fissures in American society. Divide and conquer. As Timothy Snyder pointed out, Putin cannot do much to make Russia stronger, but he can make America weaker, and thus he benefits, in relative terms.
The thing that has puzzled me is how Putin has managed to co-opt so many in the Republican Party, e.g., "Moscow MItch," for example. Any thoughts on that? Thank you!
Hi John and thanks for your comments. Yes, I do have thoughts on the Republican Party and their unwavering commitment to Trump - a man who is convicted of FRAUD AND RAPE, and as of today is facing a long list of criminal charges - all based on solid and documented evidence.
In my studies on dictator-led countries and brainwashing or coercive mind control, I found that most of the dictator-led countries in the last century all used some form of mass mind manipulation. China is notorious with their slogans and sayings, but the Soviet Union and Communism used posters, TV, printed media, and so on to enlist the loyalty of the masses and/or instill life-threatening fear. Trump has used these methods on Republicans. When Putin initially took office, he set about to destroy any independent media. In the first few months of his Presidentcy, about 80+ reporters were killed via contract killings. Within Russia, the rumors were numbers closer to 200 who were murdered.
I heard from a Russian friend just yesterday, that the government is not telling people the truth or even much information about the Crocus terrorism. They are kept in the dark.
To simplify, repeated lies convince people they are the truth over time. If a lie contains hatred - which is used by Trump daily, then it releases a chemical in the human brain to enact violence - what we saw on Jan. 6th. Once a person is brainwashed (or hypnotized) there is little to no independent thought. I was at a book signing event at a Barnes and Noble in Tucson, AZ. A woman came up to me and said "I think Putin is a smart and great leader." I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out - I was in shock. These were the same words spoken by Trump one week prior and right after Russia invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine. This is brainwashing!!!
As for McConnell - he and other Republicans have been intimidated by the Greene's of Congress and the other MAGAs (maggots). Trump's thugs have threatened the lives of anyone opposed to him - it is like he has his "own" little KGB operating behind the scenes. He calls them "hostages" but these people in prison who attempted to destroy the Capitol and stop our government from operating are all violent criminals - and they DO belong behind bars. But then, so does Trump.
Just bought your book DemoCrazy and looking forward to reading it but first have to finish The Scheme by Senator Seldon Whitehouse about how the rich took the court system.
This week's MAGA bible sales has really sent me through the roof. Like it just could not be more reprehensible or blasphemous. And yet his sheep will buy them up like candy. He is such a disgusting phony who needs to be humiliated and banished for good. WE must do this in November!
As Rachel Maddow pointed out on her show on 3/25/2024, no other wannabe strongman leader in American history ever managed to co-opt one of America's two major political parties. This has been a key to his success thus far, and it is instructive about the challenge faced by those of us wishing to defeat Mr. Trump.
I believe one key to defeating Trump will be to ensure that American voters are enlightened about what it would mean -- in practical, easily understood terms -- to live under authoritarian rule. Clearly, most Trump supporters have no understanding of that; they have not read 'Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present.' We cannot realistically expect many Trump supporters to read this (or any) book, and, therefore, we must find other effective ways to enlighten them about the consequences of voting an authoritarian ruler into power.
We need our own modern-day equivalent of a Paul Revere riding throughout our nation crying out loudly, "The Authoritarians are coming! The Authoritarians are coming!" Our own Ruth Ben-Ghiat is doing her best to fulfill this role, but she can use all the support we can provide.
You write that conviction can deflate cults. I understand that if people get their news from reliable sources, but I'm wondering how many of them will ever hear about convictions on Fox "news". Or believe them if they do. I personally can't wrap my brain around being caught up by a cult leader.
Yes, we again, as a human race, are facing the specter of the Hobbesian Leviathan and tempted to fall for Hobbes' theory of human nature that the natural state is one of a war of "all against all" without a strong powerful leader to impose order. I don't subscribe to the authoritarian view of 'unity presidency' as the answer for governance, but democracy is hard pressed these days to prove that it is capable of the leadership necessary to urge us to follow our better angels. I still have hope and believe that democracy - in a more perfect form - is the better option. Clearly Trump is the latest proof of the problems of authoritarianism.
Trump’s MAGA cult seem to me to be a bunch of “sick puppies!” How can anyone subjugate themselves to another person who has no character or integrity? It’s just inexplicable to me, unless it’s underscored by their quest for power and control! I have the same feelings about the followers of Charles Manson & Jim Jones!
It's the same mentality.
David Koresh was a psychopath; Manson probably was, and Jim Jones probably as well. tRump being a sociopath, fits the mold as a cult leader.
"The sense of grandiose omnipotence of the leader is especially appealing to his needy follower. "
J.M. Post
There have been psychological studies on those that follow far right politicians. Many seem to have segments of the Dark Tetrad Personailty (psychopathy, narcissism, sadism, Machiavellianism).
Perfect description!
It's a formula as old as human civilization. Every despot and tyrant throughout history has utilized it. Egypt, Sparta, Rome, and on. Trump is just a figurehead. Pay attention to what's going on behind him, foreign and domestic. Looking forward to Sunday.
You’re right. I, too, have great concerns about the organization he has behind him! Miller, Bannon, congressional millions, foreign allies , etc!
Sunday?
Lucid 3rd birthday party. There's a link in the post. Join us!😀
Oh yes! It’s a monumental achievement!
Ruth has such expertise and knowledge to share! Her insights are beneficial to all!
Those behind him deserve much more attention. They are more dangerous.
That photo of holy man Trump has the vibe of a low budget brainwashing-aliens-have-landed science fiction movie. I can't stop laughing. 😂
Yes, Trump the holy man is ridiculous, especially because it's apparent to those not in his thrall that he's acting the part in the photo. Good con men need to know how to fool their audiences, and Trump is one of the greatest cons of modern times. The only question is whether Trump is so adept at dissembling that he's able to slip unrehearsed into the role of the beleaguered man of faith or whether, like Hitler, Trump works with a professional photographer to perfect his poses and expressions.
What's not funny is that many of the so-called religious figures who surround Trump in this photo and behind closed doors have attained a new level of crazy. Jerry Falwell Sr. and Ralph Reed seem like Rockefeller Republicans compared to the nutjob Charismatics, Pentacostals, Christian Reconstructionists, White Christian Nationalists and other fringe actors who've risen to power and prominence during the Trump era.
In the run-up to January 6 and on that date, there were Charismatics and other madmen running around the DC area engaging in so-called spiritual warfare to combat specific demons they believe inhabit specific territories. Anyone who heard Old-Testament shofar horns blowing in the capital during that chaotic and violent period is a witness to the rise of religious extremism. Also, there's now a sect who believe in the existence of "apostles" living among us who have the power of "prophesy." The newbies makes Fundamentalist Evangelicals (or is it Evangelical Fundamentalists?) and their homophobia and patriarchal subjugation of girls and women seem tame by comparison when they're anything but.
They're as fervently opposed to secular society, our liberal constitutional democracy and less radical faiths as pro-lifers were and still are to abortion. Rural America is their stronghold and recruiting ground. They're waging culture war right now to undermine public schools because they interfere with their indoctrination of youth.
For additional information, listen to the following podcasts:
"Straight White American Jesus." https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/
"Mindshift." https://mindshiftpodcast.co.uk/
"Preacher Boys Podcast." https://www.preacherboyspodcast.com/
"Like so many others in the GOP, Meadows would likely do it all again if he knew it would succeed.” This was clearly seen in the interview of Ronna McDaniel as she once again lied and tried to manipulate her views. I was glad to see the backlash of this hire and how quickly NBC fired her.
It was good to see Ronna McDaniel get sacked, but I do have a lot of trepidation about NBC Leadership now. Where the hell have they been? Surely not paying attention to their own News organization.
Both CNN and ABC were also in the bidding for her lies. NBC just won the bidding war, which points out the issue of commercial news in general which, as commercial corporate entities, are mandated to just be in it for the money. They see FOX and, rather than fighting the lies it perpetuates, are fighting each other for the audience FOX has attracted.
Just because a high profile hire like her gets dumped does not mean that they won't continually try to somehow pander to the moron MAGAs for the revenues they represent. Beware.
Yes, I thought this was the reason. I just find it so appalling that given the MSNBC programming that they, in particular, would not go there. I would so hate for them to become like CNN is now since their shift to be more inclusive of Republican jerks fouling their air.
We need intrepid reporters who will name the executives behind the recruitment of that Trump liar and explain their thinking to us.
I have seen a few of the executives’ names but not much explaining except from the Chairman over NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC, Cesar Conde. It would be good to hear from the others who were more directly involved with her hiring.
I saved a picture of the guy from TASS in the Oval Office with Trump.
It came in handy when I was getting harassed by the Briebart kids on Twitter. Funny, not funny.
interesting post, Ruth. I enjoyed reading it.
Professor please CONNECT Trump & Paul White, his "Televangelist" who leads her OWN CULT! At one time when Trump was routinely living in Trump Tower, Paula White had a Condo in Trump Tower. She gave his inaugural Invocation, followed him INTO the White House, and either conducted or attended Prayer Breakfasts. She has resurfaced at Mara-a-Lago. I suspect she is his main connection to the White Nationalist and the religious right.
You may want to check out Anthea Butler's book, "White Evangelical Racism." Ruth recommended it when answering someone's question during last Friday's Q&A.
It's not long - I just started reading it today. I believe it eventually gets to TFG's connection to Evangelicals and their influence.
Keep up your cannon barrage on Fort Trump because the battlements will fall under the assault of American voters.
As soon as trump decided to run for POTUS in his first primary, unlike the moderate Republican folks I knew, I was confident he'd win the the primary and then the election. His use of the birther movement to start his campaign early, cemented him with the crowd that was looking for an easy scapegoat. Racism, nationalism, & hate provided him a winning formula. I read an article early in comparing trump to Mussolini. Moderate Republicans poo pooed me & assured me that he didn't have a shot. But people would go to his rallies disliking him and leave at to vote for him. And ultimately he won the election. And note folks have amnesia about how bad his years in office really were.
In my attempts always to make sense out of unexpected — catastrophic in this case — occurrences is generally to go back further for background, understanding (thus possible strategies to counteract). Jenny Cohn just wrote today regarding Leonard Leo and his realization as presented by his former media relations director that Leo “figured out 20 years ago that conservatives had lost the culture war. Abortion, gay rights, contraception—conservatives didn't have a chance if public opinion prevailed. So they needed to stack the courts."
Meanwhile, 20-30 years ago in the United States Donald Trump was embarking on numerous business failures & financial flops with bailouts from his sociopathic conditional love self-made father: including Trump Airlines, beverages, Vodka, “the Game,” casinos, a university, cologne, etc
All of Trumps efforts were hopeless attempts to prove to the world that he was as successful as sociopathic conditional love self-made father!
……..meanwhile, money, loans were still needed and while he used to be able to borrow from Big Banks (through his father from Chase Manhattan etc) afterwards it was loans to foreign nationals with money laundering risks & predatory lending……RISKS……and autocracy, Leonard Leo agenda, Putin agenda, China……..
That last essay sentence right there. .thats the call for action!
The greatest weapon in our human arsenal is emotional intelligence. What makes it most powerful is our emotional integrity. Is that not why we are here together? Use this weapon humbly and wisely followed by action. Participation of voter engagement exercises, I.e. campaign literature distribution, communication events, voter registration drives, contributions and attendance of events, educate each other, these and others sharpen your emotional integrity. Don’t be a counter personality cult member. Demenstrate through actions the destruction of the strongman culture.
The personality cult is only half the reason for Trump's blind commitment from millions of Americans. There were two books written in the last few years about Trump's cult and his control over the minds and souls of so many Americans. The first one is The Cult of Trump, which was written by Steven Hassan - a cult expert. I wrote the other book called From Democracy to Democrazy based on my twenty years living and working in dictator-led countries, explaining how they operate, and focusing on the Russia-Trump connection.
At this stage in his "cult" leadership, a whirlwind of legal woes orbit around Donald Trump and many of his followers have stated that "if he is convicted of a crime, they might reconsider voting for Trump." With 91 criminal charges against him, the chances of such a conviction is relatively high. He has already been convicted in civil court of FRAUD and RAPE. How can so many people who call themselves Christians believe this man's lies? It is called "mass mind manipulation."
In 1997, Putin was the PM of Russia and inline to be the second President shortly thereafter. In this same year, a 600+ page book (in Russian) was published in Russia called the Foundations of Geopolitics. Contained in this book (I read it) are lengthy discussions about Putin's goals as the President. (I am paraphrasing) but this list includes the destruction of the U.S. democracy which he blames for the downfall of the Soviet Union. The influence of Putin's strategies quietly attempts to reshape the trajectory of American politics and American lives. We are seeing that happening now. The shadow cast by Putin over the landscape of American democracy, and his influence and "control" over Trump grows larger and darker by the moment.
Putin has spent his entire life believing that the United States is his enemy. His life's dream was to become a KGB agent, which he accomplished. He was assigned to work in East Germany and while there he gained the same horrific skills used by Hitler to convert an entire peaceful and lawful country into a society of mass murderers. He returned to Russia in the 1990's, worked in the city government of St. Petersburg, and then moved to Moscow to become the next President. He instantly converted the Russian government from a communist/socialist system to a dictatorship. He planned to rebuild the glory days of the USSR, and this meant placing someone loyal to Putin to lead other countries. This was how the Soviet Union operated and the only government model he knew.
In the meantime, Trump had begun traveling to Russia in 1987 and visited many times during the 1990's. My daughter managed the Beverly Hills casino, night club, and restaurant (in Moscow) who was half owned by Mayor Lyushkov/Moscow and the other half by Chuck Norris, the American movie star. Trump attended their grand opening and returned several times. The "Beverly" was known for it's corruption, naked women, and famous faces. Trump's vile behavior was splashed in local media - I know because I lived there.
I also had experienced the KGB/FSB recruitment process of flattery, wining, and dining. I was not caught because I understood Russia. Trump, on the other hand, appears to be loyal to Putin and Russia. While only Putin and Trump know what evidence was acquired by Russians to ensnare Trump, my guess would be that he was probably either caught with Russian prostitutes - a very common trap for foreign men in Moscow, or was loaned a large sum of money to bail out his failing businesses. In 2008, Trump Jr. bragged about the Trump Organization receiving large assets from Russia (www.businessinsider.com) and a few years later Eric Trump confirmed by saying they had $100M from Russian banks. (www.vanityfair.com) Russian banks loan large sums of money to foreigners to either laundry money into another country's economy, or they give money to entrap/compromise that foreigner. In 2018, the Foreign Policy magazine wrote an informative article called "How Russian Money Helped Save Trump's Business." The Washington Post article in 2019 was titled "Trump's businesses are full of dirty Russian money." The Trump Tower in SoHo (in New York) was entirely funded with Russian money. (The Washington Post, 2018/04/12) This article stated that "A now-defunct Russian-language website and ads starring Ivanka Trump . . ."
Russian banks also gave $9.8M to Marie LePen who was the foremost opposition leader in France, in an attempt to overthrow the French government. This amount is a small cry compared to what Russian's have given Trump.
Trump is well aware that he has sold his soul and our country to the Russians. Last year, Cassidy Hutchinson stated that "Trump is terrified of being poisoned." Poison is a common lethal method used worldwide by the KGB/FSB.
Wikipedia defines "brainwashing" as telling lies over and over until it is perceived as the truth. Almost every speech given by Trump contained lies. CNN even reported a short while ago that 70% of the Republicans still believe that the 2020 election was stolen - a lie he admitted to and was published in Politico, 09/17/2023. To quote this article "Former President Donald Trump said Sunday on "Meet the Press" that he didn't respect lawyers and members of his campaign who told him he lost the 2020 presidential election, and that it was his decision to buy into the theory that the election was rigged." In fact, after the 2016 election Trump was quoted as saying that "Clinton stole the popular vote from him." NPR reported on 11/27/2016 that "President-elect Donald Trump won a convincing electoral vote victory on Nov. 8, but he is claiming falsely that widespread voter fraud cost him the popular vote" - same lie just different election.
Time will resolve the Trump's Cult's controlled behavior and minds. But yes, they are comparable to the Jim Jones cult, the Charles Manson group, and more importantly to Hitler's total mind control of Germans. Make the connection folks - Hitler/Germany to Putin/Russia to Trump/USA. Whether it is called fascism or communism, it is based on the same control methodologies. Coercive mind control WORKS and has been used worldwide in dictator-led countries and a few others. It is now found in the United States and used on the majority of Republicans.
Those who are "life-long" dedicated and loyal Republicans face a hard choice this November. They either vote for a man who is a cult leader and with 91 criminal charges against him - but he is running on the Republican ticket, or they don't vote. God forbid that they vote for Biden - a man who has been an honest public servant for almost 50 years and whose constituents returned him to Congress for a total of 36 years. He served 8 years as the Vice President to Obama - who is already selected to be on the top 10 list of best President's of all times. In his four years as our President, he has corrected the financial disaster left to him by Trump; he has reduced unemployment so it is below 4%; the economy is steady, the stock market is up, and he has reduced our national debt by one trillion dollars.
Lize Cheney (R) sat on the January 6th Oversight Committee. She had an inside view of the true Trump. She risked her job and spoke out against Trump, in an attempt to prevent him from ever again winning the Presidency.
Both Putin and Trump are consummate liars, but their web of lies cannot withstand the light of truth. It is up to all of us to explain, talk about, and shout about brainwashing and what has happened in our country - before it is too late.
Wow! Very informative! Thank you for taking the time to share this info. No real surprises, but it has helped me feel less crazy.
Hi Susan: Thanks for the compliments and glad you liked the "read." I sure know what you feel like when you say "crazy" - been there too. Elizabeth
Brilliant analysis, Elizabeth! Thank you! Yes, I have often thought that Putin must be sitting over in the Kremlin laughing his ass off as he watches Americans ripping one another limb from limb. His not-too-subtle disinformation campaign is getting the job done for him, at least partly because so many Americans are so gullible and so predisposed to detest one another. Putin/Trump are merely exploiting pre-existing fissures in American society. Divide and conquer. As Timothy Snyder pointed out, Putin cannot do much to make Russia stronger, but he can make America weaker, and thus he benefits, in relative terms.
The thing that has puzzled me is how Putin has managed to co-opt so many in the Republican Party, e.g., "Moscow MItch," for example. Any thoughts on that? Thank you!
Hi John and thanks for your comments. Yes, I do have thoughts on the Republican Party and their unwavering commitment to Trump - a man who is convicted of FRAUD AND RAPE, and as of today is facing a long list of criminal charges - all based on solid and documented evidence.
In my studies on dictator-led countries and brainwashing or coercive mind control, I found that most of the dictator-led countries in the last century all used some form of mass mind manipulation. China is notorious with their slogans and sayings, but the Soviet Union and Communism used posters, TV, printed media, and so on to enlist the loyalty of the masses and/or instill life-threatening fear. Trump has used these methods on Republicans. When Putin initially took office, he set about to destroy any independent media. In the first few months of his Presidentcy, about 80+ reporters were killed via contract killings. Within Russia, the rumors were numbers closer to 200 who were murdered.
I heard from a Russian friend just yesterday, that the government is not telling people the truth or even much information about the Crocus terrorism. They are kept in the dark.
To simplify, repeated lies convince people they are the truth over time. If a lie contains hatred - which is used by Trump daily, then it releases a chemical in the human brain to enact violence - what we saw on Jan. 6th. Once a person is brainwashed (or hypnotized) there is little to no independent thought. I was at a book signing event at a Barnes and Noble in Tucson, AZ. A woman came up to me and said "I think Putin is a smart and great leader." I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out - I was in shock. These were the same words spoken by Trump one week prior and right after Russia invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine. This is brainwashing!!!
As for McConnell - he and other Republicans have been intimidated by the Greene's of Congress and the other MAGAs (maggots). Trump's thugs have threatened the lives of anyone opposed to him - it is like he has his "own" little KGB operating behind the scenes. He calls them "hostages" but these people in prison who attempted to destroy the Capitol and stop our government from operating are all violent criminals - and they DO belong behind bars. But then, so does Trump.
Elizabeth
www.democrazy2020.org
Hi Yoshie and thanks for your "like".
Elizabeth
Just bought your book DemoCrazy and looking forward to reading it but first have to finish The Scheme by Senator Seldon Whitehouse about how the rich took the court system.
My next book should be out around the end of the year. It is called The Cold War Myth.
This week's MAGA bible sales has really sent me through the roof. Like it just could not be more reprehensible or blasphemous. And yet his sheep will buy them up like candy. He is such a disgusting phony who needs to be humiliated and banished for good. WE must do this in November!
As Rachel Maddow pointed out on her show on 3/25/2024, no other wannabe strongman leader in American history ever managed to co-opt one of America's two major political parties. This has been a key to his success thus far, and it is instructive about the challenge faced by those of us wishing to defeat Mr. Trump.
I believe one key to defeating Trump will be to ensure that American voters are enlightened about what it would mean -- in practical, easily understood terms -- to live under authoritarian rule. Clearly, most Trump supporters have no understanding of that; they have not read 'Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present.' We cannot realistically expect many Trump supporters to read this (or any) book, and, therefore, we must find other effective ways to enlighten them about the consequences of voting an authoritarian ruler into power.
We need our own modern-day equivalent of a Paul Revere riding throughout our nation crying out loudly, "The Authoritarians are coming! The Authoritarians are coming!" Our own Ruth Ben-Ghiat is doing her best to fulfill this role, but she can use all the support we can provide.
You write that conviction can deflate cults. I understand that if people get their news from reliable sources, but I'm wondering how many of them will ever hear about convictions on Fox "news". Or believe them if they do. I personally can't wrap my brain around being caught up by a cult leader.
Yes, we again, as a human race, are facing the specter of the Hobbesian Leviathan and tempted to fall for Hobbes' theory of human nature that the natural state is one of a war of "all against all" without a strong powerful leader to impose order. I don't subscribe to the authoritarian view of 'unity presidency' as the answer for governance, but democracy is hard pressed these days to prove that it is capable of the leadership necessary to urge us to follow our better angels. I still have hope and believe that democracy - in a more perfect form - is the better option. Clearly Trump is the latest proof of the problems of authoritarianism.