Is The GOP a Cult Now?

[jnug]

the problem is that the inertia of normal will only carry us so far, and it has already slowed way down. if Republicans remain in power, the cult will become the new normal even more than it has already. corporations will play along more than they already have, as they adapt to the status quo to thrive. i really worry about a potential Tweety second term and what that would mean.

It would mean what I implied it would mean earlier, a further move into autocracy and even a possible move into pseudo-monarchy. Would Donald attempt to steamroll his way into a third term or would he put up a facade by "anointing" either princess Ivanka or prince Don Jr to the "throne?

 

[Perotista]

And I think you are in a 'centrist cult', a fanatic about false equivalency, along with Republicans. There is no comparison between the parties on it.

Well, from one cultist to the another, you're entitled to your opinion. The difference is you don't have to pass a litmus test to join my cult. Just be open minded. With yours, there's a whole string of litmus tests that must be passed.

Pro second amendment, out you go, you failed the litmus test.
Pro life, again, out you go, you don't have the mind to join our central authority
You believe in individual responsibility, out you go, its the environment, it's everyone else's fault, for making the decisions you make or taking the actions you take. But it's not the individuals.
Government run health care, if you're against it, out you go.
free college, against, out you go, you can't be a democrat
Reigning in the national debt, get out of this party
If you think the Iran deal was a mistake, get out of the party
Don't believe global warming is man made, that it it mother nature going through her natural cycles of warming and cooling, off to Mars you go. You can't even think about becoming a Democrat.
And so on.

All it takes is disagreeing with just one, you can be for everything else, but disagree with one, out you go. Group think, mind control, the collective.

 

[Helix]

It would mean what I implied it would mean earlier, a further move into autocracy and even a possible move into pseudo-monarchy. Would Donald attempt to steamroll his way into a third term or would he put up a facade by "anointing" either princess Ivanka or prince Don Jr to the "throne?

Probably he would hold on as long as possible and then try to pass the torch when his time runs out.

 

[apdst]

I was having an exchange with another poster and this subject came up. I was curious and looked up the signs you’re in a cult:

View attachment 67294186

1 - Duh? Trump voters insist that a) TRump has the right to do whateveer he wants and b) all attempts at accounability are met with resistance - even when declaring he’s 100% innocent. I’ve had folks on here that Trump *needed* to obstruct Mueller *because* he was innocent, in example.

2 - HAHAHAHAH “Hoax!” “Fake news!” “Deep State!” Good luck trying to get a Republican to sincerely and in good faith answer a single question about Trump orthodoxy.

3 - This one is filed with #2.

4 - We need look no further than their take on immigration. It started with “illegal” immigration, then it became all immigration. Evil conspiracies and prosecutions? Consider: the president of the united states each day declares *he* is the victim, and his base agrees with him. The most powerful man in the world who has let us know he has more money than anyone else, crying. And they eat it up.

5 - “NeverTrumpers!”

6 - Like...there’s about a billion books out right now detailing this one.

7 - We call this one “videos of Trump talking”

8 - One common trait among gun obsessed conversvative males: low self-esteem. We know Trump was raised by an abusive father who let him know what a loser he was, thus his obsession with the word and labeling others with it.

9 - I mean...ask a Trump person what they don’t like and you’ll get “He should stop tweeting.” Ask a Democrat, virtually *any* Democrat what we don’t like about Joe Biden, do you think you’ll get just ONE answer? Ask any sports team fan - do you think you’d get the kind of blind obedience Trump enjoys? There are Yankee fans who **** on their team more than Trump people.

10 - He has told his base do not trust any sources other than him, they repeat his words without any cynicism. THis one could ba book all by itself.

So. yeah, I think all plug in the “cult” tag generally, but in this case when you look into it...woof. They’re a friggin’ cult. Full stop.

Nice avatar. You borrowed that from an avowed communist. I doubt it's a coincidence.

 

[jnug]

Well, from one cultist to the another, you're entitled to your opinion. The difference is you don't have to pass a litmus test to join my cult. Just be open minded. With yours, there's a whole string of litmus tests that must be passed.

Pro second amendment, out you go, you failed the litmus test.
Pro life, again, out you go, you don't have the mind to join our central authority
You believe in individual responsibility, out you go, its the environment, it's everyone else's fault, for making the decisions you make or taking the actions you take. But it's not the individuals.
Government run health care, if you're against it, out you go.
free college, against, out you go, you can't be a democrat
Reigning in the national debt, get out of this party
If you think the Iran deal was a mistake, get out of the party
Don't believe global warming is man made, that it it mother nature going through her natural cycles of warming and cooling, off to Mars you go. You can't even think about becoming a Democrat.
And so on.

All it takes is disagreeing with just one, you can be for everything else, but disagree with one, out you go. Group think, mind control, the collective.

You are debunking your own hypothesis as you make it. That is a broad range of issues that you have itemized and meeting all of those criteria makes the DEM party a pretty big tent. In addition, the four in bold are just flat out in error or lies, take your pick. In orange, not an issue either party can claim any longer.

- The individual responsibility item is a stretch to absurdity.
- Government run healthcare, I can't believe you even tried this one on for size. It is plainly obvious that some in the DEM party want a public OPTION and some want a fully federalized program
- free college, hardly a litmus test for the party....please, another not even close
- reigning in the national debt????? You are't going to try to make the argument that either party is clean on this issue ARE YOU!!!!!!

 

[Aunt Antifa]

Nice avatar. You borrowed that from an avowed communist. I doubt it's a coincidence.

What if it’s not? -_-


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[apdst]

What if it’s not? -_-


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I'm sure it isn't. Could it be interpreted as a threat against the president?

 

[Cardinal]

The party platform is loyalty to Trump. I mean...do we really need to expend too much energy figuring this out?

 

[Aunt Antifa]

I'm sure it isn't. Could it be interpreted as a threat against the president?

Is he a fascist fearful of soup?


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[Craig234]

Well, from one cultist to the another, you're entitled to your opinion. The difference is you don't have to pass a litmus test to join my cult. Just be open minded. With yours, there's a whole string of litmus tests that must be passed.

Showing you don't know what cults are. First, a party actually standing for values and policies doesn't make a cult. It makes it a party. Second, you are wrong about your list of 'litmus tests'. There are Democrats who disagree with basically any of your so-called litmus tests, and some of them are so wrong as to be simply false smears.

 

[Perotista]

You are debunking your own hypothesis as you make it. That is a broad range of issues that you have itemized and meeting all of those criteria makes the DEM party a pretty big tent. In addition, the four in bold are just flat out in error or lies, take your pick. In orange, not an issue either party can claim any longer.

- The individual responsibility item is a stretch to absurdity.
- Government run healthcare, I can't believe you even tried this one on for size. It is plainly obvious that some in the DEM party want a public OPTION and some want a fully federalized program
- free college, hardly a litmus test for the party....please, another not even close
- reigning in the national debt????? You are't going to try to make the argument that either party is clean on this issue ARE YOU!!!!!!

No, the national debt, both parties have walked hand in hand to raise it unsustainable levels. Craig is a Democrat, so I just listed issues he cares about. But you're absolutely correct on the national debt, this is my main concern, my number one issue, both parties suck on this. All the rest take a back seat to the national debt. Until one or the other comes to terms with it, I'll never back either party. Although I'll give you this. The Republicans are great on the rhetoric of reducing the debt, then keep on raising it just like the Democrats do. At least the Democrats are more honest about it. They never say a word about reducing the debt or bring spending under control. They let you know there will be more spending and more borrowing and more raising of the debt. The democrats are at least honest about this.

I'm pro 2nd amendment, no one and I mean no one has any right to know what guns I have or don't have. But I firmly believe in a woman's right to choose. Only the woman should be the only one to decide that. That alone makes me a total outcast.

Healthcare, from what I seen and heard, most democrats want a fully federal run healthcare system with no commercial or private enterprises. That is all over the news. I can't see how you can deny it?

the democrats are pushing free college, all during the primaries that was one thing they all talked about and endorsed. It seems they want total government control. The Republicans in my view want no government control of anything. Okay, exaggerations there. All I'm asking for is a middle way. Back to the game of give and take, compromise, get rid of this my way or the highway attitude of both parties. Let's get back to leadership, for example in the senate like Lott and Daschle, Mitchell and Dole, even Byrd and Baker. where the leaders of both parties respected each other and worked with each other. compromised. None of them would have ever thought of, let alone been the first to use the nuclear option as the Democrats did under Reid. Pelosi, Schumer, McConnell are just as bad, all put the good of party above the good of the nation. Loyalty to party, not country.

I'm sick of it. Trump is a result of the above, not the cause. He has to go. Biden I like. It's the political parties that disgust me. The lock step mentality of both. Oh, by the way, I do believe global warming is happening, but it's mother nature that is causing it. Normal cycles. That another strike against me, isn't it.

 

[Perotista]

Showing you don't know what cults are. First, a party actually standing for values and policies doesn't make a cult. It makes it a party. Second, you are wrong about your list of 'litmus tests'. There are Democrats who disagree with basically any of your so-called litmus tests, and some of them are so wrong as to be simply false smears.

You own it, live with it.

 

[Craig234]

You own it, live with it.

Non-reply, so getting better.

 

[Craig234]

Craig is a Democrat, so I just listed issues he cares about.

Stop lying about me.

 

[jnug]

I'm pro 2nd amendment, no one and I mean no one has any right to know what guns I have or don't have. But I firmly believe in a woman's right to choose. Only the woman should be the only one to decide that. That alone makes me a total outcast.

Healthcare, from what I seen and heard, most democrats want a fully federal run healthcare system with no commercial or private enterprises. That is all over the news. I can't see how you can deny it?

the democrats are pushing free college, all during the primaries that was one thing they all talked about and endorsed. It seems they want total government control. The Republicans in my view want no government control of anything. Okay, exaggerations there. All I'm asking for is a middle way. Back to the game of give and take, compromise, get rid of this my way or the highway attitude of both parties. Let's get back to leadership, for example in the senate like Lott and Daschle, Mitchell and Dole, even Byrd and Baker. where the leaders of both parties respected each other and worked with each other. compromised. None of them would have ever thought of, let alone been the first to use the nuclear option as the Democrats did under Reid. Pelosi, Schumer, McConnell are just as bad, all put the good of party above the good of the nation. Loyalty to party, not country.

I'm sick of it. Trump is a result of the above, not the cause. He has to go. Biden I like. It's the political parties that disgust me. The lock step mentality of both. Oh, by the way, I do believe global warming is happening, but it's mother nature that is causing it. Normal cycles. That another strike against me, isn't it.

The problem with your hypothesis is that you are calling them all litmus tests for the party and they are just not.

Free college is not unsupportable. Even complete college debt forgiveness is unsupportable. You don't think there are DEMS that paid back their entire college debt that are just going to sit back and say OK, you guys get full debt forgiveness or seriously suggest that EVERY young American should be college bound? I do think the combination of college cost and college debt has become an absurdity. I do think that the Federal government will end up footing the bill for the interest expenses on current debt but no further than that. You cannot just ask the banks to remove that debt from their balance sheets either. The federal government is simply going to have to cut them a check. I just don't think they will cut a full boat check especially since what we really cannot afford to put off any longer is a real Infrastructure Program. That will cost the Federal Gov $1T in matching funds to another $1T from State and Local. Trump's Infrastructure bid was another laughable absurdity that nobody took seriously and nobody should have taken it seriously.

Yes, the Left of the DEM Party is pushing for a full federal healthcare insurance program. But at this point a good many more people are going to have to loose their jobs for the full federal program to have enough muscle to make it. Many Americans want the full federal program as well even now. I personally don't think it makes much sense nor is even worth the political fight. Employees are quite transient these days unlike my day. That transience will force people into the ACA and once there they may just stay. I just don't think it is a political battle the DEM's with Biden in the Oval will make. Simply not worth it. The DEMs can't have it both ways. They can't argue for a rejection of chaos and then move briskly to their own form of chaos. Even with a staged conversion, a move to a full federal healthcare program would be sheer chaos considering how much government there will actually be left when Donnie is done with it.

I am not sure A2 is the problem on guns. The issue is public safety not A2. Between the rank corruption at NRA, the fact that we now have more guns in this country than people and the utterly folly on the streets, the notion of the Responsible gun owner has been blown to smithereens. It left by virtue of the insane rampant support of the gun industry, lax gun laws and the utter and complete inability to stop virtually anybody without a criminal record from buying any gun he wants other than those on the Federal Restricted List.

When your party is supporting freer access to guns for the Mentally Impaired, you have got a gun problem! Remember, that was literally the first Bill out of the GOP Senate and House and the first Bill passed by Trump 4 years ago. I consider myself a responsible gun owner. However every single one of those goons carrying a gun into conflict zones on city streets on the thinnest of logic regardless of what side they are on are IDIOTS. Any one of them that squeezes off a round either into the air or anywhere else is a DANGEROUS IDIOT.

 

[Ikari]

I think that Trump Republicanism is looking more and more like an actual cult these days, at the very least.

 

[apdst]

Is he a fascist fearful of soup?


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You're avatar is a threat to kill fascists. You all think Conservatives are fascist. So...

 

[apdst]

I think that Trump Republicanism is looking more and more like an actual cult these days, at the very least.

The Trump haters are the cultists.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

I was having an exchange with another poster and this subject came up. I was curious and looked up the signs you’re in a cult:

View attachment 67294186

1 - Duh? Trump voters insist that a) TRump has the right to do whateveer he wants and b) all attempts at accounability are met with resistance - even when declaring he’s 100% innocent. I’ve had folks on here that Trump *needed* to obstruct Mueller *because* he was innocent, in example.

2 - HAHAHAHAH “Hoax!” “Fake news!” “Deep State!” Good luck trying to get a Republican to sincerely and in good faith answer a single question about Trump orthodoxy.

3 - This one is filed with #2.

4 - We need look no further than their take on immigration. It started with “illegal” immigration, then it became all immigration. Evil conspiracies and prosecutions? Consider: the president of the united states each day declares *he* is the victim, and his base agrees with him. The most powerful man in the world who has let us know he has more money than anyone else, crying. And they eat it up.

5 - “NeverTrumpers!”

6 - Like...there’s about a billion books out right now detailing this one.

7 - We call this one “videos of Trump talking”

8 - One common trait among gun obsessed conversvative males: low self-esteem. We know Trump was raised by an abusive father who let him know what a loser he was, thus his obsession with the word and labeling others with it.

9 - I mean...ask a Trump person what they don’t like and you’ll get “He should stop tweeting.” Ask a Democrat, virtually *any* Democrat what we don’t like about Joe Biden, do you think you’ll get just ONE answer? Ask any sports team fan - do you think you’d get the kind of blind obedience Trump enjoys? There are Yankee fans who **** on their team more than Trump people.

10 - He has told his base do not trust any sources other than him, they repeat his words without any cynicism. THis one could ba book all by itself.

So. yeah, I think all plug in the “cult” tag generally, but in this case when you look into it...woof. They’re a friggin’ cult. Full stop.

Cult since Gingrich.
Trump is just the culmination of twenty-six years of divisive rhetoric painting half to two thirds of the country as non-human unamerican enemies.
The inspiration was the Powell Memo, the greatest living exponent at the time was Gingrich, and the money behind it was Koch.
The election of a black man to the White House triggered a psychotic break with reality.

 

[Ikari]

The Trump haters are the cultists.

No, they're just rational.

 

[apdst]

No, they're just rational.

There's nothing rational about the Trump haters. You all still think he's a Russian spy...lol

 

[Ikari]

There's nothing rational about the Trump haters. You all still think he's a Russian spy...lol

He's not smart enough to be a Russian Spy.

There's nothing rational about being a Trump Cultist.

 

[apdst]

He's not smart enough to be a Russian Spy.

There's nothing rational about being a Trump Cultist.

See? :lamo. You would bitch if he cured cancer...lol

You probably fall into the anti-vaxxer catagory, now...lol!

Kamala Harris : COVID-19 vaccine is not to be trusted during Trump administration

 

[pocket aces]

I wouldn't go as far to say the Republican party is a cult. I believe that many Republicans see supporting Trump as neccesary to keep their jobs. If not for that they would get as far away from him as possible. His supporters though? There is definitely a cult like feel to some of them. They have personal need to let people know that they support him. Supporting him has become a part of their personality. It existed among the left with Obama for sure, but it has been turned way up with Trump.

 

[Perotista]

The problem with your hypothesis is that you are calling them all litmus tests for the party and they are just not.

Free college is not unsupportable. Even complete college debt forgiveness is unsupportable. You don't think there are DEMS that paid back their entire college debt that are just going to sit back and say OK, you guys get full debt forgiveness or seriously suggest that EVERY young American should be college bound? I do think the combination of college cost and college debt has become an absurdity. I do think that the Federal government will end up footing the bill for the interest expenses on current debt but no further than that. You cannot just ask the banks to remove that debt from their balance sheets either. The federal government is simply going to have to cut them a check. I just don't think they will cut a full boat check especially since what we really cannot afford to put off any longer is a real Infrastructure Program.
,,,

When your party is supporting freer access to guns for the Mentally Impaired, you have got a gun problem! Remember, that was literally the first Bill out of the GOP Senate and House and the first Bill passed by Trump 4 years ago. I consider myself a responsible gun owner. However every single one of those goons carrying a gun into conflict zones on city streets on the thinnest of logic regardless of what side they are on are IDIOTS. Any one of them that squeezes off a round either into the air or anywhere else is a DANGEROUS IDIOT.

I grew up in the 1950's, which makes me an old fart. We didn't have a problem with today's mass shootings, perhaps I should call them killings. There were no gun control laws at all with the exception one had to have a federal permit to own a machine gun. Actually we had exactly one for that entire decade. Six in the 1960's. So what happened? My grandpa kept his double barreled shotgun and a rifle over the fireplace with the ammo on the mantle. My dad keep his guns in the kitchen closet. No locks, easily acceptable, no kids grabbing them to run into a school and begin killing.

You could go to my schools parking lot where the teachers parked their cars and pickups. You would see rifles in the gun racks with the vehicle unlocked. Yet no one ever took one and began shooting. Of course those were the days when one could go into town and leave your car unlocked and no one was going to steal it either.

Perhaps our society has become so sick, but why and how did that change? Anyway, I hope you're right about Biden. He's got my vote. Now I have no political party, both major parties disgust me to no end. So I'm a swing voter who goes back and forth, even voting third party now and again as I did in both 2012 and 2016.

I'll support any issue, legislation I think is good, oppose any I think is bad for the country. It makes no difference which party proposes it. I think on at least 90% of the issues, problems facing this country could be solved if the two parties would work at solving them. Basically through compromise and playing the game of give and take. You'll always have a few issues where no compromise is possible, but I think they're rare and few. That is if the two major parties are actually interested in solving them. A lot of our long lasting problems remain as problems due to the fact that one or both parties see them as being more valuable as a campaign issue than being solved. Once solved that takes that issue off the campaign trail and the parties are no longer able to use it to fire up their base.

I supported Trump on some issues, opposed him on others, the same as I did with Obama and every other president in my lifetime. I never let a political party dictate my stance, support or opposition on anything. I'm totally sick and tired of one party opposing everything the other proposals only because it was proposed by the other party. No thought to the merits of the proposal is ever given, just who proposed it.

We'll see what happens, I like Joe because he has had a long history of working across the aisle as a senator. Most folks forget it was Biden and McConnell who worked out the solution to the government shutdown over the debt ceiling. You have some good and up and coming people to run as candidates, then you have some that are asinine. Same for the GOP. Just concentrate on the good ones. I especially like Tammy Duckworth, I liked Amy Klobuchar, Gabbard and Buttigieg. All I would have supported for the presidency. You can have your Warrens, Sanders, AOC, Omar and the rest. I want nothing to do with them. Perhaps it's this last crop that I associate the Democratic Party with.

I also like Kasich, Rubio, Jindal from the Republican side along with a few others.