I think I figured something out about why so many Republicans seem to outright worship Donald Trump. And oddly enough, the insight came via a webcomic. [giantitp.com]
In a prequel book (meaning you can't find this actual quote online), the Big Bad of the story has just quelled a rebellion and at the same time, bound his chief lackey to him by manipulating him to perform a heinous act. (Like trying to overturn legitimate election results.)(Actually it was a little more heinous than that, but follow me through here...)
The villain is afterward certain of his lackey's utter subservience and compliance, because, as he puts it:
You'll obey me forever now, because I give you an excuse for your inexcusable behavior.
Trump gives his fans an excuse to be the worst people they can possibly be, because in Trumpworld black is white, white is black, evil is good, good is evil. Lies are the truth and the truth is a lie.
And those who would otherwise feel ashamed of their actions are told they should be proud of themselves.
That's my little epiphany for the day, anyway.
There has always been that 30% who lived under the rocks of this society. tRuMp gave them the OK to come out and act out their worst atrocities. I predicted this when he was elected in '16 and was right, unfortunatly.
Makes sense to me, the first thing I have heard that actually makes sense without degrading.
You are absolutely correct. Dr. Bandy Lee wrote something that made me understand an important aspect of Trumpism. On a most basic, primitive level, the most ardent Trump supporters see having him as President as a matter of life and death survival, like they are children and he's a parental figure. He's the only one who can fix things. He has all the answers. "Under these emotional bonds, his followers will likely experience any threat to his position as an existential threat to themselves, which is why negative facts about him only activate defensive denial and disavowal, rather than abandonment. Abused children rather blame themselves than the parent as a survival impulse, for the parent is their lifeline, and it is easier to believe that he or she could never do wrong—and the more untrue this belief, the more insistently they cling to it."
That does explain a lot
Thank you MUCH for sharing this article.
@Santanaman9 My pleasure. Full disclosure: I lifted it from a post I saw elsewhere
Congratulations on the insight. It sounds a great deal like how I've viewed the Christian dogma where those who swear loyalty are forgiven whatever sins they commit. Thus, they come to believe they have a blank check to sin however they wish, knowing they have a get-out-of-jail/hell-free card.