My experiment in eliciting honest answers from
the Trump Cult has shown us what we’ve known all along.
I fully understood no Trumpist would answer
any questions or fill in my convenient forms to show their evidence that would
“set me straight”. Hell, none of them could let me know when America was great
before 2016!
This confirms they cannot answer
questions...unless their cult tells them the answer. An anonymous Trumpist sent
a link to the radical Right Federalist expressing their OPINION that Biden lied
30 times in his State of the Union Speech.
So, I checked it out. I’m never going to say
Biden, or any politician, always tells the truth or gets his facts straight.
But the propagandists at the Federalist go to absurd extremes, AKA their
opinions and deceit, to falsely spin Biden as a liar.
One “lie” is Biden’s mispronunciation of a
woman named Laken Riley as “Lincoln”. It wasn’t part of his speech, but a
response to the disrespectful heckler Margie Greene. Biden offered his
condolences to her family as any decent person would.
This is their “standard”.
And: Biden ludicrously contended that
America has “never fully lived up to” the idea that “we are all created equal.
Tell that to Geoge Floyd’s family or any of
the MILLIONS of drivers stopped by police for “driving while black”, and
thousands of others beaten while in custody. Tell that to Black Americans who live in
GOP gerrymandered districts that deprive them of a fair vote for
representation. Tell that to Ruby Freeman and niece, bullied by Trump and
Giuliani’s hateful racist LIES about them interfering in the election.
More examples:
1. Sending Money To Ukraine
Biden claimed that Republicans who oppose
sending additional U.S. taxpayer dollars to Ukraine are doing so because they
want America to “walk away from our leadership in the world.” That is false.
Opponents of endlessly funding Ukraine’s war with Russia have regularly stated
that American interests must come before those of other nations.
Only Trump and his MAGAts would think Putin
and his war promotes American interests. Trump envies and reveres Putin. This is their ONLY
reason for many Republicans to reverse their support for Ukraine.
2. Trump’s NATO Remarks
Biden claimed former President Trump told
Vladimir Putin, “Do whatever the hell you want,” regarding Russia’s invasion of
Eastern Europe. But that’s not accurate.
The former president’s remarks came during a
recent South Carolina rally, during which Trump recounted a story from when he
was president and speaking with a NATO member. Trump purportedly told this
state that he would withhold U.S. support if they didn’t pay their minimum
defense spending obligations.
“‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’” Trump
recalled telling the unidentified NATO member. “‘No, I would not protect you.
In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta
pay. You gotta pay your bills.’”
In other words, Trump SAID IT.
3. World Security And Ukraine
Biden claimed “the free world is at risk” if
the U.S. doesn’t ship more American taxpayer dollars to Ukraine. There is
literally no evidence to support this assertion.
Ukraine’s fledging democracy is at the front
line of the free world. Putin is a war criminal and tyrant who has THREATENED to use nuclear weapons.
4. Jan. 6 Demonstrations
The president claimed that the Jan.6, 2021,
demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol and concerns and lawsuits regarding the
integrity of the 2020 election “posed the gravest threat to [American]
democracy since the Civil War.”
How the hell is lying about winning and
attempting to criminally STEAL the election by mob FORCE, in addition to
orchestrating FRAUDULENT electors and bullying the DOJ and state officials to
interfere on his behalf NOT a threat to democracy?
6. Kate Cox
Biden claimed the life of Kate Cox, a Texas
woman who left the Lonestar State to obtain an abortion, was “at risk” during
her pregnancy.
As Susan Bane wrote in these pages, Cox’s
now-deceased unborn baby was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, “a condition associated
with severe developmental delays.” These children “can sometimes thrive into
their early twenties.” Cox was not at risk of dying from the diagnosis,
however.
Bane is a “pro-life” activist who wants a
young human to suffer a short life with terrible financial and emotional
burdens on parents. She LIED about the child’s ability to “thrive into their
early twenties”.
From the Cleveland Clinic:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22172-edwards-syndrome
What can I expect if I have a child with
trisomy 18?
There’s no cure for Edwards syndrome (trisomy
18). Almost all pregnancies end in miscarriage or stillbirth. Of those
pregnancies surviving into the third trimester, nearly 40% of babies diagnosed
with Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18) don’t survive during labor, and nearly
one-third of the surviving babies deliver preterm.
The survival rate varies for babies born with
Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18):
Between 60% and 75% survive to their first
week.
Between 20% and 40% survive to their first
month.
No more than 10% survive past their first
year.
Children born with Edwards syndrome (trisomy
18) will need specialized care to address their unique symptoms immediately
after they are born. The survival rate is low, especially if your child has
delayed organ development or a congenital heart condition. Out of the 10% who
survive past their first birthday, children go on to live fulfilling lives with
significant support from their family and caretakers, as most never learn to
walk or talk.
7. Covid Shots And Cancer
Biden falsely claimed the Covid jabs are “now
being used to help beat cancer.”
From the National Cancer Institute:
https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2022/mrna-vaccines-to-treat-cancer
In fact, scientists at both Pfizer-BioNTech
and Moderna drew on their experience developing mRNA cancer vaccines to create
their coronavirus vaccines. Now, some investigators believe the success of the
mRNA COVID-19 vaccines could help accelerate clinical research on mRNA vaccines
to treat cancer.
And on and on…
There are a number of more objective and far
less partisan sources for fact-checking:
https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/mar/08/biden-2024-state-of-the-union-address/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/08/fact-check-state-of-the-union/
https://www.factcheck.org/2024/03/factchecking-bidens-state-of-the-union/
The point is what they are TOLD and BELIEVE
matter far more than facts. The FACTS are Trump lost and lied in 2020. And when
facts are too complicated or unwelcome, they are not accepted. Myths,
fantasies, conspiracies and lies are what offer them BELIEFS, meaning, comfort,
and security.
Our radical right Trumpist commenters and all
their fellow authoritarian-following personalities will always believe their
authoritarian leaders. Their authoritarian nature allows, and welcomes, their
brain circuits to be re-routed by the constant barrage of lies their leaders
feed them.
All that matters to their Leader and his
sycophantic media and mouthpieces is to inculcate a willingness in their
targeted dupes to BELIEVE only what THEY and their propagandists tell them.
They tell them who to blame and hate, because
they have been threatened by or deeply wronged by those others. And it FEELS
good be identified with a group that is like-minded in paranoid beliefs of
"persecution" and "victimhood".
They are bound in identity and purpose, in a
struggle against those who they BELIEVE are a threat or danger to their Leader,
themselves, and the BELIEFS they embrace as absolute truth. Their BELIEFS do
not require facts or examination.
It FEELS like truth because they emotionally
FEEL it. If a lie from the Leader makes them FEEL angry, they will BELIEVE it.
No facts or reasoning are required. Emotional reactions from their
authoritarian, over-active, and enlarged amygdala are easily triggered, and a
vast industry exists to trigger these FEELINGS to deeply implant BELIEFS their
leaders use as leverage for power.
The BELEIFS reinforced by FEELINGS have taken
hold. Every word from their Leader is gospel, never to be questioned.
Trump becomes their quasi-religious leader in
their sacred cause to eliminate the "evil that threatens them" (the
political opposition and anyone with religious/social/racial/cultural
differences) and their leader, who they actually see as ONE of them. For that
they love and practically worship him. HE alone stands between them and the
darkness and evil that surrounds them.
The authoritarian-following personalities who
have had their brain circuits re-routed by the constant barrage of lies their
leaders feed them will not be able to process what I'm saying.
ONLY Trump and Republicans tell the truth.
They FEEL it. They BELIEVE it.
They will regularly regurgitate their BELIEFS,
but NEVER show verifiable information to support them. So, all they can do is
lie, accuse, demean, deflect and project. "YOU'RE the liars!"
They FEEL they don’t owe us any answers. And
why should they be answerable to “communist Trump-hating vermin”? It would be like the Inquisition being
obliged to answer Galileo , or an SS Officer being obligated to answer a Jew.
12 comments:
The MAGA belief system is supported by ignorance, blind faith in a demented narcissistic undividual, a party that instills hate and division, and a religion whose own founder (Jesus) would fail to recognize as his own today.
May the more intelligent and far wiser Americans, non republican and non MAGAt's, carry the day this coming November and win the trifecta. IE: Democratic President, Democratic Senate, and a Democratic House.
With a forward looking vision America can, and will, remain the beacon of hope and liberty for all freedom loving folks. But first, we need to rid ourselves of the scourge of Trump and his cult of MAGA.
Les,
I feel less than optimistic because even if Trump loses, his cult will remain.
IF he is convicted and incarcerated his cult would adopt a new Fuhrer, perhaps chosen by Trump, or otherwise revered as MAGA royalty.
The struggle against fascism never ends. The country needs to learn this.
I feel positive about the election for a few reasons.
1. Biden in the incumbent.
2. Women are motivated to keep their reproductive freedom.
3. Trump is to blame for the border deal being killed.
4. Trump is a criminal.
5. American University’s distinguished professor of history, Alan Lichtman accurately predicted the US presidential winner since Ronald Reagan in 1984. He said Biden is his pick this year.
His method is here:
https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/the-americas/what-is-allan-lichtman-s-prediction-for-the-2024-us-presidential-election-1.1109868
To our loyal Trump supporters, insurrectionists, Proud Boys, neo-Confederates, neo-Nazis, and other pro-Putin Kremlin agents. (Looking at the House witch hunt by purveyors of Putin's propaganda from Alexander Smirnov.)
Feeling ready to own the libs?
You can tell me where I’m wrong in the post, or ask me questions about it, AFTER you first answer a question.
I welcome you to take a moment to answer at least one of four questions. (Or go for all of them if you really want to school me.)
~~~~
1. Do you agree with Trump that he has complete immunity for any crimes he committed as president? (Meaning Biden would also have such immunity.)
2. Do you agree with Trump's immigration policy of killing the bi-partisan bill that provided more officers and fentanyl detectors at the border?
3. Can you show us the verifiable evidence, that would stand under examination in a court of law, that proves Trump won the election?
Extra credit and kudos to anyone answering the bonus ESSAY question:
4. Before 2016, when was America as great as Trump would make it? (Specific years with explanation why.)
~~~~
I would be happy to consider your thoughtful responses. This means answering yes or no on the first three, with an explanation why.
Consider it the price of admission to this discussion.
Basic courtesy will be appreciated. This means:
No deflections, no personal digs, no links without content quotes or information, no accusations, and NO QUESTIONS until after your answers are published.
Thank you.
Well researched and rebutted, but trying to get through to MAGA cultists is impossible. Their brains don’t work like rational people’s brains.
Trump hosted Viktor Orban of Hungary at MaL this week. Do any of the MAGA cultists who come here and to my blog know anything about him and his anti-democratic , anti-LGBTQ+ rule in Hungary?
I doubt they’d bother to educate themselves on what has happened in Hungary. And yet their hero, the rapist and tax fraudster admires what Orban has done there.
Shaw,
"Their brains don’t work like rational people’s brains." Exactly.
A few links to articles and discussion on the subject:
Liberal vs. Conservative: A Neuroscientific Analysis with Gail Saltz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI-un8rHP14
Article from Scientific American in 2020:
https://scientificamerican.com/article/conservative-and-liberal-brains-might-have-some-real-differences/…
Political Orientations Are Correlated with Brain Structure in Young Adults
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(11)00289-2
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3092984/
Conservatives and liberals DO think differently. Research shows different ways of solving everyday problems linked to political ideology
https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2016/03/political-insight-republicans-democrats-conservatives-liberals-think-differently
Virginia Tech scientists find that biology influences political ideology
http://www.sciguru.org/newsitem/17790/virginia-tech-scientists-find-biology-influences-political-ideology
Dave, the lack of answers to specific questions, both here from the MAGA street partisans and officialdom online and interviews should tell us why.
"Conservative" America either has no answers to serious policy questions, only wants to "own" us libs, or more likely, is still waiting for DJT to weigh in with what they are supposed to say.
Since at least Sarah Palin, extremists and non thinking conservatives have recoiled at tough questions like "What publications do you read" and "Other than FOX News, where do you get your information"?
This should be a relatively short comment string if you really do hold to your goal of answers.
Dave,
Yeah, the price of admission to the discussion is far too steep for them. Honesty, facts, and independent thinking aren't their values.
This topic of "Why No Answers" was inspired by your questions in the previous thread:
Marathon... are you speaking of former President Trump? The man who fired multiple campaign managers, who said he can do it better himself? Remember Lewandowski? Parscale? Manafort? Bannon?
Yep, all those guys, former campaign managers were fired by Trump.
Shall we add all the Chiefs of Staff he fired?
Ask yourself this... if Trump only hires the best people, as he claims, why is constantly firing people?
We don't see that in the Biden Admin. I wonder why?
(Shh. I think we found the secret to keeping them away.) ;-)
Dave... answering questions is tough. Spewing opinion is not so much.
We live in an increasingly non either/or world. Less and less can questions be answered with a simple yes or no.
So rather than do the work of actually thinking through situations, people choose to just spout off, not work through issues and cling to some sort of perceived invulnerability when it comes to discussion.
Non answers are, sadly, just safer.
Yes, Dave.
Not to mention all the WORDS they would need to READ before answering. Why stoop to reading when every word spewed from their malevolent mendacious messiah is gospel?
The “Answers” given by Trump supporters have made my point.
“Dave Dubya is a SICK'O and needs to Vaporized…Remember that brutal mass shooting at a Philadelphia bus stop…BIDENOMICS… Special Counsel’s testimony on Biden…”
Funny how they demand a “marketplace of ideas” but can’t for the life them answer any of my questions. But we’ve known all along their “marketplace” is racism, hate, Trumpism and fascism. Or am I being redundant?
I accept their concessions. They keep proving they cannot think for themselves.
"Answers"?
You mean you got a few? Judging from I see on WYD, these folks can barely communicate in standard English, let alone answer a thoughtful question. It's either that or they've got the biggest sausage fingers ever to grace a keyboard and it just goes off the rails from there.
I think it's the Sharron Angle syndrome. She's the former GOP Senate candidate from Nevada. When she was asked tough questions in her losing race against Harry Reid, she simply refused to answer those questions and criticized the press saying "We wanted them [the press] to ask the questions we want to answer so that they report the news the way we want it to be reported."
And that's how it is. If you can't provide an answer, deflect or criticize those "gotcha" questions. If you're wrong, deny it and talk about something else. And above all, always remember, up is down, until it isn't.
Dave,
Yes, all of their "answers" were deflections that had NOTHING to do with the questions.
Angle reminds me of Trump responding to Leslie Stahl. At Trump Tower shortly after the election, she asked him if he planned to continue bashing the media:
"Why are you doing this — you’re doing it over and over and it’s boring."
He said, “You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all, so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you”.
They are at war with our First Amendment. Trump wants to shut down all news media that doesn't flatter him.
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