Unfortunately, Donald Trump has inflicted himself on the national landscape for enough years to allow me to write several posts about how he acts like a cult leader, and his followers show him the devotion given to cult leaders. See:
Trump acts like a cult leader in his coronavirus briefings
Inside the cult of Trump, his rallies are church and he is the Gospel
Cult of Trump shows how delusion is linked to blind devotion
Cults can be political as well as religious
Last night I showed my dedication to studying the behavior of political cult leaders, along with the slavish devotion of cult members, by spending 1 hour and 47 minutes of my dwindling remaining lifetime watching Trump give the longest State of the Union speech in the history of the United States. I wrote about his lies in “I just watched Trump give the longest State of the Union speech ever. I deserve a freaking medal.”
Here’s some additional thoughts from a churchless perspective.
Philosophically — and believe me, philosophy is the farthest thing from Trump’s increasingly demented mind — his speech was thoroughly dualistic. This is typical of cult leaders. Shades of gray is too subtle and realistic for them. They adore black and white, naturally with them as the guardian of truth, even though in actuality most of what they spout are egregious falsehoods.
Previous presidents have correctly viewed political debate and discourse as being between two parties with distinct differences in how they view the world. Two, because the United States doesn’t have a parliamentary system, so Republicans and Democrats compete for the public’s attention and support.
This is akin to two teams competing on a single playing field. Or two religions competing on a single world stage. While there are contrasting goals — each team wants to win, and each religion wants the most followers — it’s generally accepted that each competitor has a right to be on the playing field or world stage.
So an observer of a political or religious contest may find themselves favoring one contestant for a while, then shifting to favor the other contestant. Or they may like most of what one contestant offers, but also like some of what the other contestant offers. This allows for a range of “fandom,” shades of gray. There are political and religious moderates, along with political and religious extremists.
But again, traditionally even the extremists accept that the other side has the right to exist and be treated respectfully. Few politicians want to do away with the opposing party, and few religious leaders want to do away with opposing faiths. They just want their “tribe” to come out on top.
Trump, though, being a cult leader, isn’t interested in maintaining a level playing field where Democrats and Republicans compete fairly for public support and votes. Last night Trump said that the only way Democrats can win an election is by cheating. However, there’s zero evidence of widespread voter fraud, either by Democrats or anyone else.
Thus it seems clear that this statement, along with other actions the Trump administration has taken to sow doubt about the validity of American elections, is part of a scheme to prevent Democrats from winning back control of one or both houses of Congress in the November 2026 midterm election. Even if Democrats accomplish this (they’re strongly favored both by history and Trump’s unpopularity), Trump could declare the election invalid because he has decreed that the only way Democrats win is by cheating.
If that sounds crazy, it is.
Sadly, cult followers don’t think in terms of sanity or craziness. They simply have their needs met by surrendering to the cult leader. They leave their rationality at the front door and are happy to sit at the feet of their Dear Leader, accepting without question whatever outrageous lies and absurdities they hear.
For example, last night Republican members of Congress gave Trump a standing ovation when he vowed to continue on with his imposition of costly tariffs on imports to the United States, notwithstanding a recent Supreme Court ruling that declared most of his tariffs to be illegal, even though they know that tariffs are a tax paid by American importers of goods from abroad, and the Americans who buy those goods at a higher price charged by the importer.
Usually Republicans detest taxes. But since it was their cult leader who wants to continue inflicting tariffs on American businesses and citizens, Republican members of Congress jumped to their feet and wildly clapped at what Trump said.
This is why I’m a proud Democrat and atheist. Democrats and atheists are flawed, just as everybody is. But at least we favor thinking for ourselves rather than allow someone else to do the thinking for us. That’s why Democratic meetings often are described as attempts to herd cats. Independent people don’t like to be told what they must do or believe. People drawn to cults are just fine with following ridiculous orders.
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There are always potential tyrants like nero, poll pot, Hitler etc etc but they will not come to fruitition lacking fertile circumstances..
These circumstances are not related to these tyrants!!
Looking at the presidents and rulers of the world to day, focusing on THEM is looking away from the real causes.
Whenever you see next time a documentary on the raise of Hitler, Nazism etc do not focus on him and his near circle but on the faces of the people …. THEY smile …THEY brought him to power
Next step what caused these people to be happy with a person they would not appreciate as having near and dear.
Then you might find that the cause thereof is not to be found with them.
Now use that in your own country .. you will be surprised if you unearth the roots.
P.S.
And if you think that criminals are always ugly and mean looking, there is a lot to learn and you will easily be misled.
By the way, the reverse is also true ugly and mean looking people kan have a soft heart
Um mentions the ‘fertile circumstances’ regarding the rise of tyrants. This also goes for political cult figures and populists. I would think that many of the fertile circumstances creating political cult figures and their institutions arise from people’s fear and insecurity. Although these fears could be narrowed down to fears of economic instability and inequality between rich and poor; population in-creases meaning everyone wants to increase or maintain their slice of the shrinking affluent pie; and generally, world-wide, the dwindling resources that everyone wants for themselves – or rather, wants their leader(s) to grab the largest share.
The world and its resources are finite. Brexit; America First; Russian expansionism seems to be all part of the land/resources/economic grab. With the growing threats of climate change, more and more people are becoming displaced. Coupled with population increases, many are jostling for mere basic survival, desperately trying to locate to one or other of the richer countries.
Somewhat pessimistically, I don’t see at the moment, much improvement with such issues. Trends show that at such times populations gravitate toward leaders like Trump who appear to address people’s fears, but to keep in power embrace mis-information, demonise any who disagree and loudly control the media and social media, creating more divisions through their rhetoric.
The health of our societies – and the world – depends on our connectedness and cooperation. While there are a few rotten apples being elevated to powerful world positions, the rest of the world, even those with reasonably better intentions, can only operate from a ‘rear-guard’ situation.
There’s a Trump Burger joint in Texas. I highly recommend the vegetarian ” Fuhrer Burger”.
@ Ron E.
Humans are not build to to look after themselves in a globalize world.
Their legs can only cover say 40 miles, Their eyes can only figure out what is there a nile etc, hands have strength to pick an apple etc …. and their brains are made to guide them.
Like all animals they have just what is needed to survive in a restricted environment, not more.
They do not have the capacity to look after nature or the mental capacity to organize and manage an ever growing cluttering of people in cities…and the more they do .. the worse it will get.
It is my personal understanding that all leaders of any institution, are not interested in the welfare of the people. .. not even for a moment.
They are so preoccupied being good managers, teachers, governors, presidents etc etc that by the time they discover that thhere exist also fellow human beings they are to old and have to leave office.
Trump is not an exception ..the others are of the same wood ..they differ only in making it seen as cat clean behavior.
Humans are made to look after themselves not about others … they cannot they do not look after others.
There is nothing wrong with them … they are just made that way.
And understanding the limitations of themselves they are well advised to more and more refrain from making things better
Just think of 5% profit on all human activities, investments etc. and change for the better
Have look at tall trees and you will understand what is needed to stay alive over a longer period of time.
If people would not be allowed to make a living further away from their home than what they can cover by walking or using a bike within 15 minutes…much of the pollution would not be there.
What to say of food etc that has been transported hundreds and thousands miles etc.
Refrain from exporting and importing what is not strictly necessary ..etc etc etc etc.
It is entirely appropriate to use your voice to decry evil wherever we see it. That’s why we have voices.
But if course, if we can view things from a higher perspective that can add some balance to the picture.
Um, you are right to say Trump exists within a context, a large minority that supports him. But I do not think these can be separated. Trump is in the swamp, he is the swamp and the swamp is in him. Every parasite had its host. You can indeed blame the health of the host, but generally, if you can get rid of the parasite you help the body do its own healing from that point onwards.
@ Spence
Ach Spence …if the body’s immune system works it will fight parasites etc.
If the soil is infertile the seed that falls on it will not come to fruitition.
If the winners of the First World War had acted different there would not have been a raise of Nazism. and not an second war
If after the second war the opportunity for the masses was NOT taken away from them, by privatization and replacing industries to Azia
etc etc there would not have been an populism and no Trump.
Who took away the means to earn their own living from the common men?
Brian
A couple of things about Trump’s distortion of reality.
1. He claimed that he is raising Americans out of poverty because there are now 2.4 million Americans who no longer receive food stamps.
But they have been made much worse. Their incomes didn’t climb. They were simply denied food stamps. Their communities are struggling to fill the gap all across the country, even as Trump makes billions.
2. He says he is helping the world to do its part. But by stopping hundreds of millions of dollars in international food aide, Trump has only created hundreds of thousands of starvations and deaths from starvation world wide. That is closer to genocide proportions.
I get the idea, “help” people become independent. But there is a difference between giving someone wings and teaching them how to use them, and simply pushing them off a cliff, so while collecting a paycheck to do so.
3. Tarriffs are a consumer tax on Americans. He is shifting the burden of taxation to those least able to pay. All while giving greater tax breaks to the wealthy. The result? Now a handful of people (less than 60) own nearly 50% of the nation’s wealth. The concentration of wealth in a healthy economy goes the opposite way.
And on REDDIT it says:
[q] Who is Sant Rampal Ji and why are his followers spamming popular twitter accounts?
I’ve noticed over the past few weeks that on a lot of popular twitter accounts (like the Pope or Trump) there will be a bunch of replies from Indians with hashtags like #santrampalji or #Kavirisgod. What is this all about?
https://online.jagatgururampalji.org/naam-diksha-inquiry
Please do read what is the consequence if you click yes.
Hi Um:
Great comments.
You wrote:
“Ach Spence …if the body’s immune system works it will fight parasites etc.”
You are discussing the state of a very healthy person.
But how do you help a person with a parasite? You get rid of the parasite first, while creating conditions for there to not be a parasite in the future. That’s an economy that is a little more balanced, sustainable and equitable; and an education in democracy and equality that has a little more depth.
You wrote:
“If the soil is infertile the seed that falls on it will not come to fruitition.”
No news there. So you fertilize. You show a better way, and how that way has actually worked. And there are lots and lots of examples, even here in the U.S. You can’t say “if things were perfect there would be no problems” Because that doesn’t actually help overcome problems. Growth does that.
You wrote:
“If the winners of the First World War had acted different there would not have been a raise of Nazism. and not an second war”
Winston Churchill wrote extensively that the excuse that the burdens of the Versaille treaty pushed Germany into WWII are false. Germany never paid those debts and no one expected them to. What pushed Germany into extensive debt was their own investment in the American stock market. When that crashed, in 1929, Hitler had his moment. Naturally he blamed banks and the Jews who owned some of them. But blame placing is just poor leadership. People are drawn to hate, but they can also be drawn to love, and realizing that all hands on deck is the answer.
“If after the second war the opportunity for the masses was NOT taken away from them, by privatization and replacing industries to Azia
etc etc there would not have been an populism and no Trump.”
With help from the Marshall plan after WWII there were more opportunities for growth than ever before. You help your brothers and sisters when they need it. That’s how you build family.
And today the world feeds and sustains a much, much larger population, and generally with limited disruption.
You wrote:
“Who took away the means to earn their own living from the common men?”
Jobs creation has done the opposite. Take a look at the gaming industry. It’s disruptive, yes, but now hundreds of thousands of artists have found work, even if it is piecemeal currently. More options have been given to “common ” people (not sure what that means ) than ever before. Education is the gateway to employment, even self-education, and probably mostly.
This idea that you didn’t have to think and you would be taken care of by “Daddy” company owner or by “Daddy Government” has always been very ignorant. But it is appropriate in a complex society to have good support systems, like roads, healthcare, education, that are not monetized at all, and which simply make it possible for a larger proportion of the population to contribute creatively and productively. There are so many examples of that. Medicare for example, provides the same care at 2/3 to 1/2 the cost of any other private insurance in America. It is the most efficient model internationally of any. And because Medicare is the largest purchaser of healthcare, it has driven incredible health metric and health service improvements. All private insurance depends upon medicare’s work to help create reliable healthcare.
For all that to happen, a vocal population is necessary, but so are realistic goals.
No blame. But full responsibility. Opportunity for growth every day. It is so in Sant Mat, and it applies very well in society.
And so we look forward to watching Donald Trump in his next TV streaming series, after he leaves office. There is a place where he can work within his skill set and his competency level. It’s just not in government. He has no real experience there of actually building value and service. But he is a wonderful TV personality.
@ Spence
I lived for years close to Germany and had enough possibility to get a glimps of what it means for Germans to be German.
Their national feelings were deeply hurt .. it is a matter of psychology, not of payments of debts.
And now they make the same mistakes in other places of this world even your own country … hear the cry .. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
In the society that has been developed, there is little left for a growing group of people to be proud of themselves participating to the welfare of their country working with their hands.
You still do not understand the meaning and the consequences of the EVIL of wealth …it gave birth to the raise also of the violent Islamic movements.
First they were slaves, than exploited as living machines and now they are even discarded not longer needed and left to rot and rust.
Get ready for Trump to declare an unnecessary war on Iran just in time to declare martial law and take over the national USA elections. His ICE is in place. Anyway that’s what I would do if my name was Donald and I was a male chauvinist narcissist king instead of just a dock worker on the waterfront. Babaji could have looked after me just a little bit. Just a little bit he could have looked after me. And I could have been somebody like Gill is. Nobody knew who he was 2 years ago either.
Hi Um
“We want to dare more democracy”
” Peace is not everything, but everything is nothing without peace”.
*The discipline of the Third Reich is toadyism and not freedom. . Fascism is intellectual slavery.”
Willy Brandt, chancellor of Germany (2969-1974) and Nobel peace prize laureate
Um
In every new idea is a new technology, new culture. And in every new technology is new wealth, indeed that has made all the wealth of nations. And, as it is based on a new idea, the potential is only limited by the human mind, by vision. Vision feeds the world., Um.
So, hold the higher vision. You can do that. And from that vision, new ideas, better ideas emerge. And if that vision includes equality and care, a better society emerges.
The only conquest that matters is the victory over our own selves by our higher selves.
All other resources arrange themselves around that.
@ Spence
I am not blind .. and not being blind i can see and have a vision of wealth.
What is it and what it does ….NOT ONLY … for those that …. strive to have it … those that have it ….and the effect it has on all of them and the “have nots”
Not to speak of the visions of wealth to be found in the teachings of the major religions and spiritual traditions and how that effects the cultures that favorite one of these.
So Spence I do not have any problem with wealth, as an commodity it has never played a role in my actions, thoughts and feelings … wealth by it self is “empty” .. it derives its value and meaning from humans …and …THAT is what i look at, what I see.
Let me end by putting before you what the honorable Grewal Singh used to say again and again .. In this creation nothing and nobody is perfect ..not even the teacher.
Life and my natural curiosity has made me understand, how correct it is …and ,, some individual and groups are more conditioned to hide it from public view and often also from their own vision upon themselves what made me state:
Things are what they are
seldom what they look like
let alone how they are made to be seen
or present themselves.
Evil .. is not a matter of magnitute or quantity but a quality … and it is that quality that corrupts the owner ….. reason for Christ and others to make statements like …. (Matteüs 7:3-5) : “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
The Hitlers, Nero’s etc of this world are not the creators of evil .. they have it the express it in more than average magnitude but it should not be use for others to deny their own evil .. it is there.
THAT is the reason why I am more interested in the collateral information that is to be had by looking at the common man, their faces, what they say in documentaries about the emperors of evil …the faces of those that stand on the streets when Hitler passed or spook
And these days I am not interested in the leaders of the peoples in the middle east but on the common man and woman in the street .. what i see there makes me shiver
Hi Um
You wrote
“The Hitlers, Nero’s etc of this world are not the creators of evil .. they have it the express it in more than average magnitude but it should not be use for others to deny their own evil .. it is there.
“THAT is the reason why I am more interested in the collateral information that is to be had by looking at the common man, their faces, what they say in documentaries about the emperors of evil …the faces of those that stand on the streets when Hitler passed or spook
“And these days I am not interested in the leaders of the peoples in the middle east but on the common man and woman in the street .. what i see there makes me shiver”
I kind of agree, as the leaders are the by product of culture, and that can also be seen in the less prominent people.
But both leaders and led are parts of the same system, fruit of the same tree, all products of the past.
And that tree is very, very old, with deep roots. Part of the tree is corrupt, in every twisted, decaying and fallen branch. Some of the dead branches haven’t fallen yet, that is so. But it is inevitable. No one escapes this system. Other branches are thriving in the sunlight, fully nourished at the very same time.
By choice, as St.Paul wrote, we can be grafted into the healthy and thriving branches, if we are so inclined even as other branches fall away in the, even large branches, from the weight of their own decay.
Our place isn’t in darkness, but in light, part of the whole living tree, not separated and in decay, as we can see some around us. What we are seeing actually are just the dead and past results, the feeling of agree that has already been cut down, to paraphrase Sawan Singh,when we have the opportunity to spend time looking to the light and to life.
Oops auto spell should read ” The greening of a tree that has already been cut down” Sawan Singh
Here we go again. Wah, Trump.
Guys…if you don’t like Trump, WIN AN ELECTION!
We live in a democracy. We had an election 2 years ago, and the Democrats lost by a landslide. Trump won.
I get it that part of American democracy is that you don’t have to like it when the opposition party wins. But the present democrat reaction to Trump is ridiculous. You all act like Trump sailed in via a UFO and took control of the country by force. Your reaction is actually un-democratic. You actually don’t respect democracy at all — you just demand your way 100% of the time. And if you don’t get it, you cry fascist nazi hitler cult. Every time, every day, on every issue.
Your attitude strikes me as far less democratic than anarchic.
Win a goddamn election if you don’t like the current president. Then you can reverse everything Trump has done, and realize all those political goals you so deeply care about….not really sure what they are, besides a passion for letting children medically change their gender and precise rules of order in council meetings.
That sounds like a joke, but I can’t help but note that in all your political diatribes, you never actually state just what you want to see happen. You don’t seem to have any genuine political goals for America. National politics to you seems to be nothing but a kind of Negative Guru Bhakti. That is, your politics is all about hating Trump. For no particular reason, no actual issues. Everything with you is sentiment.
This is why I’ve always felt that people who get tagged with the TDS label largely deserve it. Their animus against Trump doesn’t seem to be based on anything tangible. They don’t have any actual designs for America they’d like to see come to pass. Their whole trip is just chanting their simran “Hate Trump, Hate Trump.”
But good news. I asked AI who would likely win the prez election if it were held today, and it said the edge goes to the Democrats. So hang on a couple more years and happy days Trump will be out of office and all those years of hating him will finally be worth it. And America will be so much better off, won’t it?
Simple, Sant64, it isn’t about right, left or center.
It is about civility.
Respect for human dignity, regardless of how they look, their skin tone, and their weight.
Civility.
@Sant64,……I voted for Trump all 3 times, but now loathe not only seeing his face, but hearing his voice, always bragging about his wonderful he is, and all the wars he has won, single handedly, which are actually NONE, and as I watch his lips moving , knowing it’s another lie, but what saddens me the most is what a Bully he is, acting like a fat blubbering school yard bully always calling some one another derogatory name, because they stopped kissing his ass and sucking up to him. What’s even worse, is when he does that, like calling Margerie Taylor Green “Margerie TRAITOR BROWN”, because he said her Green has turned brown like rot, and she is a Traitor, MAGAits start threatening her, her family, her Business, to the point she, and many others Trump has labeled Traitors need to hire private Security to even go out in public. I have a Triple Dose of TDS! There is absolutely no doubt in my mind at least, that MEGA is a full blown Cult, with Trump as its Cult Master, as Gurinder Singh Dhillan is the Cult Master of RSSB. I’m through with BOTH Cults, and have quit drinking both brands of Kool Aid,…. But that doesn’t mean I have become a Democrat, or an Atheist. It means I have taken back control of my own mind, and have returned to being the rational human I once was, before I became a MAGAite or Satsangi, of which I was never full blown any way, so is a little easier to return to normality.
TODAY is my first day of quitting meditation as well, because as the Bible says, “My Son, attend to my Words, for they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh!” Proverbs 4:20-22 . Back to the Bible for me, where God always met me at my heart with Love, not in my head with light, sun, moon and the Star.
The Bible says we will know Saints “by their fruit”,…..which is Love, Joy, peace, etc. Trump’s fruit has become rotten to the core.
Hi Sant64
You wrote
“You actually don’t respect democracy at all — you just demand your way 100% of the time. And if you don’t get it, you cry fascist nazi hitler cult. Every time, every day, on every issue.
” Your attitude strikes me as far less democratic than anarchic.”
I agree that complaints never solved any problem, though they do draw attention to a problem. But they fix nothing. And they can actually interfere with real efforts at progress.
The responsibility to listen and understand one another grinds to a halt when we indulge in blame and anger.
If you wish to understand any view, other than your own, and where it has credibility, you must keep an open and inquisitive mind.
So, that begins with a desire to find common ground.
And then to get real facts and be willing to allow those to lead you.
These are the skills necessary in a democracy.
First, can we find common goals?
And then, what are the best solutions?
How we were raised has a lot to do with how each of us will answer those questions.so the answers won’t be the same. And therefore actual progress will require balance, compromise, and personal integrity to do as you promised.
You can respect the opposition where your goals are similar but interpretation of facts and your chosen solutions may differ. And then you may see where others respect your position also, and that is where real cooperation starts.
It doesn’t actually begin with complaint. Politics generally is the arena of complaint so your complaints and those of the opposition are understood. And often justified on the basis of fairness and justice.
But complaint, as we learn as children, is a distraction from getting real work done.
For that you need a visionary, someone whose career is not based on complaints, or blame placing, but principles, responsibility, respect for those of differing views, vision and teamwork.
Those are very dear qualities. They don’t exist very well on a platform of complaint.
But a successful society does require all hands on deck.
How to put aside complaint and build that? I suggest we start small.
And what timing! I posted the above BEFORE I heard that Trump has now attacked Iran, and put the U.S. in to yet another War, of which he promised during his 2015 Campaign to never do. Sane Americans now know that Israel controls Trump, and owns Congress. It will now be even sadder to watch American Military young men be returned to the U.S. in body bags,…..IF they are more fortunate than the Palestinians massacred in Gaza by the IDF now buried beneath tons of rubble.