Cult of Trump shows danger of blind faith

Here in the United States we're facing a scary prospect in upcoming elections, especially the next presidential election in November 2024.

A recent Forbes story captures the problem in its headline: "Poll Finds Most Americans Think An Election Will Be Overturned Because Of Partisan Sour Grapes."

In a CNN/SRSS poll of 2,119 U.S. adults released Wednesday, 51% of respondents said it is somewhat or very likely that some elected officials will “successfully overturn the results of an election” in the U.S. in the future “because their party did not win.”

That belief was held by 49% of Democratic respondents and 57% of Republicans, as Democrats have fretted about new laws in GOP-controlled states that increase partisan officials’ power over election administrators and restrict ballot access.

Republican skepticism appears to be drawn from former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen: 78% of Republicans agreed that President Joe Biden “did not legitimately win enough votes to win,” while 63% overall said he did.

Recent moves by Trump and his allies are likely to only worsen Republican voters’ faith in elections. Trump and California recall candidate Larry Elder, a right-wing radio host, repeatedly and baselessly claimed in the run-up to the vote that it would be stolen through widespread fraud. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, handily beat back the recall effort on Tuesday.

Religious believers like to claim that there's nothing wrong with blind faith. Actually, there is. 

Even though Donald Trump lost a free and fair 2020 election to President Biden, Trump has never stopped making the utterly false claim that the election was stolen from him.

This Big Lie has infected the minds of the vast majority of Republicans -- 78% according to the poll referenced above. That's a highly disturbing number. Over three-fourths of those who belong to one of the two main political parties in the United States have lost touch with electoral reality.

Why? It isn't that the truth of the 2020 election is difficult to find. It's plain to see by anyone with vision that isn't clouded by blind faith in the utterances of Trump, who still commands the loyalty of most members of the Republican Party.

There are clear parallels between the Cult of Trump and a religious cult.

Both cults are led by an authoritarian leader who lives by the sentiment, "My way or the highway." Meaning, you either agree with me, or you should leave the cult, because obedience to the leader is non-negotiable. 

Both cults tell their followers to distrust facts disseminated by mainstream sources: scientists, journalists, academics, government agencies. Anyone who fact-checks the falsehoods spewed by the cult leader is branded as "fake news."

Both cults promise wonderful things to those who commit to blind faith in the cult teachings. Trump's devotees are told that he'll become president again, maybe even before the 2024 election, once the truth of his 2020 victory is revealed. This is akin to a Second Coming where the faithful will be rewarded and unbelievers cast into hell.

Both cults punish heretics. Republican politicians who disagree with Trump are banished from leadership positions in their party and face a primary challenge from someone more faithful. Religious cults shame and threaten those who leave the cult.

Now, I'm not saying that all fundamentalist religious people act in cultish ways. Nor am I saying that all Trump supporters worship him as their Dear Leader.

However, it seems unarguable that when unquestioning blind faith replaces reason and independent thinking, bad things happen in both politics and religion.

Comments

[um]

>> . Over three-fourths of those who belong to one of the two main political parties in the United States have lost touch with electoral reality.<<

That is going on all over the place, in Europe too. And yes, the way it presents itself has the typical imprint of this or that country. In western Europe religion plays no longer a role but the distrust of authorities is none the less as great as in the USA.

As I have written several times, If government and their officials can be ridiculed, day in day out, for many years at an stretch and those responsible for the government of an organisation or state, are summoned to be publicly questioned in talk shows ... the ... of course in the end people start to forget that these people are just representing an OFFICE. The man or women in the role of president is not that OFFICE The media have eroded that OFFICE by treating these officials as their own neighbour.

This is the ultimate outcome of the ANTI-AUTHORITY movement that has been started in 1968, that started out with the wel educated upper class and has finally reached the slums of society ... and they ... my friends ... will handle the matter differently

Never piss publicly on an office because the person representing that office doesn't please you, or does things you doo not want to be done.

Read history books.... the worst will come out of it.

[um]

In the 10 Commandments it says:

""Honour thy father and mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the lord, thy god giveth thee.""

This command does not say ... YES, the good ones ... an ... NO, the bad ones.!!
The command does not differentiate between the attributes.
It not even speaks about the persons involved
It addresses the institution of parent ship
It is an advice given to the children for THEIR good
It has nothing to do with the parents.

That command, that advice is given for a good reason.

As children in the proces of growing up stand in need of the guidance of the parents, in the same way groups, in order to function needs somebody in the position of giving direction.

That is why we have honored conductors in orchestras.

The potter slaps the clay from the outside and supports it with the other hand from the inside. If criticism on an authority is only directed at the person involved, without respecting the office, the outcome wil be that the potter has no longer his hand in the pot to support it and his slaps will destroy what he is making.

[um]

@ Brian

See if you can receive this in your country.
https://www.npostart.nl/buitenhof/26-09-2021/VPWON_1325472

Starting at 40:05 The reporter discusses the works of Edouard Louis, whoes books by now are translate in most languages. It is spoken in english.

In the earlier part of the program she discusses the fact that politics are based on 3 pillars, [1] Vision, ideas etc [2] policy and [3] persons. and what the consequences are if only the third pillar remains and all focus is on humans.

Louis, makes it vary clear, that politics for the upper class is something different than for the lowerclass, that suffer the consequences of the policies made by the upper class; the class that is always protecting itself at the cost and the suffering of the lower class. He describes the situation at the hand of being an child born in the lower class laborers of Northern France, that have neither access to culture nor understand it and how he escaped that situation, came to learn and understand the mechanisms...mechanisms that scream for ... yes ... here it is again .... REVOLUTION of the suppressed labour class.

He manage to push your face as a reader directly on the FACTS of everyday life for the millions, without offering escape to turn ones head and hide behind lofty words.

He describes it as a worldwide issue, reason why his books have become best selling all over the place.

Against this background you might understand the people that vote for Trump and see him as their saviour. ... it has nothing to do with religion ....NOTHING AT ALL

If the governments before Thrump would have also protected the lower classes, there would never have been a trump as president ... never.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89douard_Louis

[Spence Tepper]

Hi Um
You wrote
"If criticism on an authority is only directed at the person involved, without respecting the office, the outcome wil be that the potter has no longer his hand in the pot to support it and his slaps will destroy what he is making."

I think the situation is a bit of the opposite: People are indignant that Trump does not honor the office, the rule of law, nor the will of the people. This is the source of indignation for the majority.

Trump has no respect for the office of the Presidency. Removing him by popular vote shows that the majority respects the office and its authority.

The Trump supporters, as you rightly claim, are disenfranchised. So they cling to the illusion of safety in bigotry, in a racist homogeneity, and in a past economy based on exploitation.

Our society is becoming more diverse. Blacks, Asians, Muslims, Hispanics, Women, LGBT, Other Abled, and all variations who were always here, but kept in the shadows, are beginning to have a seat at the table.

But they are fighting their way in our of necessity. They are not the cause of our problems, but the source of the solution. To truly live by the creed of one person, one vote, and that we are all created equal in God's eyes. That is the state of our soul.

And the best way to reduce this conflict, which is echoed by the extremists on both sides, is to simply build a larger table, get more chairs, and have a celebration at their new membership.

Whenever a soul enters Trikuti, thousands of angels shout, cheer, sing and applaud.

We should follow their model.

[um]

@ Spence

The last years more and more documentaries are shown on TV also the German TV.
In most of them the propaganda machine is focused on and many an speech is shown.

Most of the time I do not listen to the speech or the speaker but my attention wanders to the faces of the public, the men and women in the street.

The same happens when I saw speeches of Trump, or that Lady of the tea party or that man behind the scene Bannon.

If the previous presidents after the war would have looked after the welfare of the people and the infra structure of the land instead of squandering money in armed interventions, there would not have been a Trump.

Read what that french writer has to say .. things that you people are so afraid of an government that looks after the welfare of the masses.

Your government has turned that country into a third world country, deprived the massed from the possibility to earn their life ... the rest is all saloon talk

[Manoj]

Cult of Trump shows danger of blind faith....

Trumps cult shows somewhat of blind faith, but Gurinder Singh Dhillion & RS Cult is a total disaster of blind following the blind, absolute blind faith.

Have faith in me he says I will take you where you want to go, how can a crooked and bent baba like GSD take you anywhere but where he now belongs himself, behind bars in a cell eating rotten rotis.

A Land grabbing desperate old man, free loading of the sangat whilst ripping of his family members and throwing them in jail.
You deserve a well placed pat on your back GSD well done chap. Lavishly living of a hard impeccable record of stolen millions, how do you sleep at night GSD? A still give a lame ass Satsang.

Nope I think I will miss the blind faith crap and follow my own inner wisdom thanks.

[GSD_Rules]

Cult of Trump shows danger of blind faith....

Trumps cult shows somewhat of blind faith, but Gurinder Singh Dhillion & RS Cult is a total disaster of blind following the blind, absolute blind faith.

Have faith in me he says I will take you where you want to go, how can a crooked and bent baba like GSD take you anywhere but where he now belongs himself, behind bars in a cell eating rotten rotis.

A Land grabbing desperate old man, free loading of the sangat whilst ripping of his family members and throwing them in jail.
You deserve a well placed pat on your back GSD well done chap. Lavishly living of a hard impeccable record of stolen millions, how do you sleep at night GSD? A still give a lame ass Satsang.

Nope I think I will miss the blind faith crap and follow my own inner wisdom thanks.
Posted by: Manoj | September 26, 2021 at 11:57 AM

😂😂😂😂😂

[Tendzin]

Religious believers like to claim that there's nothing wrong with blind faith. Actually, there is.

Even though Hillary Clinton lost a free and fair 2016 election to President Trump, Hillary and her supporters have never stopped making the utterly false claim that the election was stolen by Russia.

Thanks to the liberal media and Silicon Valley, this Big Lie has infected the minds of the vast majority of Democrats -- close to 100% over the last 4 years. That's a highly disturbing number. Perhaps half of the citizenry bought into the false claim that the 45th president was in cahoots with Russia.

Why? It isn't that the truth of the 2016 election is difficult to find. It's plain to see by anyone with vision that isn't clouded by blind faith in the utterances of CNN and the New York Times who still commands the loyalty of most members of the Democrat Party (or is it vice versa?)

There are clear parallels between the Cult of the Progressives and a religious cult.

Both cults are led by an authoritarian leader who lives by the sentiment, "My way or the highway." Meaning, you either agree with me or "there will be consequences" because obedience to the leader is non-negotiable. His patience is wearing thin.

Both cults tell their followers to distrust facts disseminated by mainstream sources: scientists, journalists, academics, government agencies. This is why you still see people wearing masks even though they've been vaccinated. It's why they excuse General Milley for breaking the chain of command. It's why they excuse rioters in the name of social justice. It's why they left behind thousands of people -- even U.S. citizens -- to the fate of rule by the Taliban. Anyone who fact-checks the falsehoods spewed by the cult leader is branded as "fake news."

Both cults promise wonderful things to those who commit to blind faith in the cult teachings. Biden's devotees are told that socialism is actually capitalism and that the tax bill in decades actually won't cost anyone anything. They're told that 13 dead Americans in Afghanistan is an operation that was a "remarkable success."

Both cults punish heretics. Progressive journalists who disagree with Biden are banished from their jobs. In fact, Biden himself is a victim of his own cult and its surrender to the most extreme progressive ideas. Religious cults shame and threaten those who leave the cult.

Now, I'm not saying that all fundamentalist religious people act in cultish ways. Nor am I saying that all Biden supporters worship him as their Dear Leader.

However, it seems unarguable that when unquestioning blind faith replaces reason and independent thinking, bad things happen in both politics and religion. Ask the families of the dead soldiers.

[Spence Tepper]

Tendzin
Most Democrats, myself included, know that Trump won the election in 2016, with the help of Russian interference, but not the popular vote. Hillary had 3M more votes than Trump.

And Trump lost fair and square the 2020 election in the most thoroughly vetted and cross checked election in American history.

The first sign that misinformation is being peddled is when someone says "they think...." about others they disagree with.

[Di]

Michael sandel's book "The Tyranny of Merit - What's Become of the Common Good?"
Is a great read in order to understand the root of current Populist Anger and Uprising in our society.
Di

[Dungeness]

@ Tendzin : [ Both cults tell their followers to distrust facts disseminated by mainstream sources: scientists, journalists, academics, government agencies. This is why you still see people wearing masks even though they've been vaccinated. ]

Which scientist, during the Delta surge, said you don't need a mask
if you're vaccinated?

[Ron E.]

Yes, it is pretty obvious that there is a base source to whatever or whoever we worship. We have a natural tendency toward survival and as humans we have extended that instinct toward protecting the self or me that we each have constructed over the years.

We have a strong tendency to gravitate toward any system or person that we belive offers some sort of security or continuation of the self.

We seem to be always searching for some future guarantee, some pleasure through association with some leader, belief system or some idol - a celebrity.

We rarely feel happy with now, with this moment. Brian's earlier blog on living or being in the middle encapsulates this way of being - instead of running after someone or something that we hope offers a better moment.

[Tendzin]

@Spencer

"Most Democrats, myself included, know that Trump won the election in 2016, with the help of Russian interference, but not the popular vote. Hillary had 3M more votes than Trump."

Spencer, Trump won in 2016 because a few thousand dollars of Russian ads on Facebook were somehow more powerful than the $768 million that Hillary spent for ads?

A presidential election isn't decided by the popular vote, and if the popular vote doesn't match the result of the electoral college, then fraud was at work?

Tell me more about misinformation.

@Dungeness:

Explain to me how a mask is necessary for the health of people who've been fully vaccinated.

If the vaccine works, then how will a mask offer more protection to that person's health? You can cite health experts if you like.

[um]

@ Tenzin

The mask is NOT meant to protect the wearer ... UNLESS .... it is a high grate medical mask.

Wearing masks is to protect ...OTHERS ... by not spreading aerolsoles by persons that are infected without knowing they are ... to prevent spreading of the disease

This is how it is put before us in Europe by experts.

[Dungeness]

@ um : [ The mask is NOT meant to protect the wearer ... UNLESS .... it is a high grate medical mask. Wearing masks is to protect ...OTHERS... ]

Right and with the high viral loads of Delta, break through infections of the
vaccinated are increasingly common.

[Appreciative Reader]

"...Explain to me how a mask is necessary for the health of people who've been fully vaccinated...."

Posted by: Tendzin | September 27, 2021 at 08:09 AM

---------

(a) Vaccines aren't 100% efficient. An x% efficiency translates into an (100-x)% risk. A risk that it makes sense to protect oneself from, by using masks.

(b) While efficacy as defined in terms of prevention of severity of symptoms is pretty high, but efficacy in terms of actual infection is generally signficantly lower, across vaccines.

(c) It isn't only about "us", it's about others too. Others who maybe aren't vaccinated yet, or maybe who are in a very high risk category. By wearing masks we help protect them.

(d) The idea is to move towards herd immunity. Without masks that isn't possible, not unless you can suddenly vaccinate the entire population overnight at one go.

(e) The more you let the virus linger on, the greater the probability of (further) mutations, and the vaccines we already have may not necessarily be as effective against those newer variants. Therefore it makes sense to stamp the thing out as soon as possible, before further strains can appear on the scene.

[Rodney]

(a) Vaccines aren't 100% efficient. An x% efficiency translates into an (100-x)% risk. A risk that it makes sense to protect oneself from, by using masks.

(b) While efficacy as defined in terms of prevention of severity of symptoms is pretty high, but efficacy in terms of actual infection is generally signficantly lower, across vaccines.

Posted by: Appreciative Reader | September 27, 2021 at 10:14 AM

I hope it's the following you trying to convey by your 2 points

Let’s imagine a vaccine with a proven efficacy of 80%. This means that – out of the people in the clinical trial – those who received the vaccine were at a 80% lower risk of developing disease than the group who received the placebo. An efficacy of 80% does not mean that 20% of the vaccinated group will become ill.
-----------------------x-----------------

"...Explain to me how a mask is necessary for the health of people who've been fully vaccinated...."

Posted by: Tendzin | September 27, 2021 at 08:09 AM

So @Tendzin, risk is lowered not eliminated. and hence the mask even though vaccinated.

[um]

@ Ar
This is the 3 time I write an reaction ... hahaha ... probably I have not had good coffee.

anyway.

The religion for me ...read and repeat AR .. for me!!

Is what humans do with it.

Like any other tool be it an hammer or a spiritual path.

It can be used and misused
and
the two are not related, like the painter is not related to the consumer of his work

[Appreciative Reader]

"...I hope it's the following you trying to convey by your 2 points

Let’s imagine a vaccine with a proven efficacy of 80%. This means that – out of the people in the clinical trial – those who received the vaccine were at a 80% lower risk of developing disease than the group who received the placebo. An efficacy of 80% does not mean that 20% of the vaccinated group will become ill..."

Posted by: Rodney | September 27, 2021 at 10:45 AM

-----------

That's right. I mean, this is pretty much basic stuff, and I'm surprised Tendzin seems unaware of this.

Pfizer gives you 90%+ efficacy. That means, compared to those who've NOT been vaccinated, you are 90%+ safer with the Pfizer.

But, and like I said, ~90%(+) isn't 100%. So that still leaves some amount of risk. And it is stupid to ignore that risk, when simply wearing a mask can go a long way in protecting from that risk. As you say, risk is lowered and not eliminated by the vaccine.

-----------

Besides, that 90%+ efficacy has to do with severe infection and hospitalization. To begin with there was no data as far as infection per se. Now we know that vaccines also protect against infection as well, but that latter protection, in terms of efficacy, is lower than ~90% protection against severity of symptoms.

So that, apart from the above, which spoke to my #(a) --- and this now speaks to my #(b) --- in order to prevent *infection* (for the sake of the unvaccinated, as well as for the sake of the high-risk folks, as well as to help bring in herd immunity, as well as to prevent new mutated strains from emerging), it makes sense to mask up despite being vaccinated.

[um]

@ AR

It is in english on truth and relative truth
https://www.livestream.g10vandeeconomie.nl/block/block07-605b1bff-a926-4679-a27f-eeadb5dc8824/

[Appreciative Reader]

Hello, um.

That video on "Cleaning your house in a muddy world" returned an error message. What was it about?

[Tendzin]

@Um & Dungeness

Everyone we see who is wearing a mask as they walk down the street is doing so because they're vaccinated and they don't want to infect the vaccinated? If there's data on that I haven't seen it, but if it's true, it points to the fact (corroborated by the CDC) that the vaccinated can as easily spread the virus as can the vaccinated.
The question though is why the vaccinated are wearing masks to protect their own health. On that topic, the CDC says those who compromised immune systems "may choose" to wear a mask, but again, this points to the nub of the matter: If the vaccines do actually work, then what precisely will a mask do to protect the wearer?

People believe and preach things on theory, but the proof of whether they actually believe is their actions. And this is why, time and again, the leaders who preached masks are invariably caught not wearing them.

@AR:

AR, tell me how you'll know Herd Immunity has arrived for the covid virus. Tell me precisely what you'll see happen that will scientifically confirm that Covid Herd Immunity has arrived for the entire planet...with a vaccine that's obviously not close to being 100% efficient. Sure wasn't that effective in Israel.

Wearing a mask "can go a long way" to protecting oneself from risk? Right before covid hit, Dr. Fauci said masks don't do much of anything. So I think "go a long way" is just another article of faith from the covid fetish crowd. No real science.

I wonder if all of you wear your masks every minute you leave the house, and every minute you're home after going to the store lest you fatally infect your housemates. If that's you, then bully for living out your faith.

[um]

@ Tendzin

There are several types of masks, for different purposes to be use by different people;
Only the high grade medical masks, mostly used in Hospitals, operation theaters etc, protect both the weared and the persons with whom he or she is in close contact.

for the general public, the masks are meant to prevent the spreading of the virus by means of expiration.
file:///C:/Users/ADMIN/Downloads/210730-GebrMondkapjes-EN.pdf

So we are demanded to use them mostly in means of transport, like trains and buses.

[Tendzin]

@UM

I've yet to see anyone wearing an N95 mask anywhere. But I do see people wearing useless grade B masks walking down the street, or even while alone driving their car. Worst of all is seeing so many children wearing masks. Absolutely absurd and borderline child abuse. But what can you say, we live in a society where unexamined assumptions are assumed to be the conclusions of good science.

[um]

@ Tendzin

I belive the link did not work I posted before.

Use this one:
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/coronavirus-covid-19/mondkapjes

The second link opens to the page for instructions in other languages and the very first one is in English.

There can you see how it is done in the Netherlands.

And ... yes ... even now it is no longer advised , there are still people that use them in places where it is not needed.

[Uchit]

Gurinder singh dhillon has given the divine order for all the sangat to get vaccinated for the following selfish reasons:
1. He needs his brainwashed sevadar to perform there brainless seva for the archers or properties and land RSSB own ~ great free labour for a false promise.
2. He needs his hand picked chosen sevadar to run his over 16 companies
3. He needs his hand picked lawyer sevadar to protect him from jail.