Of course. Lead by Jeffy.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/a...he_democratic_party_the_real_cult_141853.html
Robert Jay Lifton, a psychiatrist who taught at Harvard Medical School, wrote a paper titled “Cult Formation” in the early 1980s where he spelled out three characteristics common to all destructive cults. As interpreted by deprogrammer and cult expert Rick Ross, Lifton’s work provides the base line for determining whether or not Trump’s supporters are members of a cult.
First up is the concept of a charismatic leader, but when it comes to politics the notion of charisma is not considered destructive but rather essential. No one has argued that John F. Kennedy was the leader of a cult, nor Franklin Roosevelt, nor Barack Obama, yet they were all possessed of undeniable charisma.
It is true that among Republican presidents for the last 100 years, the only one besides Ronald Reagan who can make a strong claim to being charismatic is Donald Trump, which may be why Democrats are so afraid of him, but if you are a Republican, don’t panic. You don’t have to start singing Hare Krishna yet.
That’s because Lifton included two other essential elements in his description of destructive cults, and for my money, they both apply to Democrats much more so than to Republicans. Those elements are “a process of coercive persuasion or thought reform [commonly called ‘brainwashing’]” and “economic, sexual, and other exploitation of group members by the leader and the ruling coterie.”
Can you think of any instance where President Trump has coerced his supporters into following some element of his platform? Rather, if you are being honest, it is the Trump troops who have had to coerce their leader into adopting the conservative positions he holds today. On everything from abortion to immigration to judges to gun control, it is the base that has demanded Trump earn their support by doing what they want (not what he or Ivanka or Jared might want).
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/a...he_democratic_party_the_real_cult_141853.html
Robert Jay Lifton, a psychiatrist who taught at Harvard Medical School, wrote a paper titled “Cult Formation” in the early 1980s where he spelled out three characteristics common to all destructive cults. As interpreted by deprogrammer and cult expert Rick Ross, Lifton’s work provides the base line for determining whether or not Trump’s supporters are members of a cult.
First up is the concept of a charismatic leader, but when it comes to politics the notion of charisma is not considered destructive but rather essential. No one has argued that John F. Kennedy was the leader of a cult, nor Franklin Roosevelt, nor Barack Obama, yet they were all possessed of undeniable charisma.
It is true that among Republican presidents for the last 100 years, the only one besides Ronald Reagan who can make a strong claim to being charismatic is Donald Trump, which may be why Democrats are so afraid of him, but if you are a Republican, don’t panic. You don’t have to start singing Hare Krishna yet.
That’s because Lifton included two other essential elements in his description of destructive cults, and for my money, they both apply to Democrats much more so than to Republicans. Those elements are “a process of coercive persuasion or thought reform [commonly called ‘brainwashing’]” and “economic, sexual, and other exploitation of group members by the leader and the ruling coterie.”
Can you think of any instance where President Trump has coerced his supporters into following some element of his platform? Rather, if you are being honest, it is the Trump troops who have had to coerce their leader into adopting the conservative positions he holds today. On everything from abortion to immigration to judges to gun control, it is the base that has demanded Trump earn their support by doing what they want (not what he or Ivanka or Jared might want).
