Religious ferver? Delusion? What do these people see that I do not?
A look at the fanatical fans of Donald Trump.
Source: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES US election 2016: The almost religious fervour of Donald Trump\’s most fanatical fans
You can’t avert your eyes from these photos of Trump cultists
What do they see indeed! ‘Deplorable’ was too gentle an adjective. The popular notion that education is the key to turning these people around, is naïve. Trumpers would rather die in a ditch than educate themselves and discover their error. Wilful ignorance is a hard one to tackle. When asked what they see in this troll, they credit him with ‘accomplishments’ that are utterly fictitious.
I’m reminded of the drug addict who blesses the ground his pusher walks on, because the pusher, by selling him more drugs, makes him feel better. Despising a ‘leader’ because of his misguided or villainous policies is one thing. Despising a ‘leader’ because he’s not fit to call himself a human being is quite another.
Just as nazis and fascists had to work hard to find some shred of dignity in post WWII history, so devout followers of this filthy troll will have some explaining to do to their grandchildren. Good luck with that.
I’m not American. I’m liberal leaning for sure. We’re in a real mess these days. Our reactions are automatic. All we can think is ‘what are they thinking’. But what are they thinking? Is it possible several of them are thoughtful educated people? Is it possible we’re seeing the fringes in these photos? What’s clear is this: These people have a real issue and are passionate about it.
What they are seeing is towns across the country in deep depressed states with few jobs and big drug problems. They’re seeing the decline of their education and healthcare systems. They’re seeing the hollowing out of their families and communities by drug abuse by despairing people with few prospects.
They are angry. They look around. What would you see in their position? You’d see your smartest kids going off to college in some other town or city because there are no jobs at home in your town. You’d see jobs leaving American for China. And you’d know those jobs didn’t move on their own. They moved because business people moved them. Many of those people live on the coasts and went to the same school your kid is now going to. You’re talked down to. You feel condescension.
You are angry and desperate. You are reaching out for anything and anyone who can help. Then this guy comes along making big promises. He’s going to drain the swamp. He’s a guy you’ve seen on tv before so you feel like you know him. And he seems to really piss off those city people. That’s gotta be good, right?
Others take their anger and channel it into racism and rage. That REALLY makes those city people angry. And it should. Make no mistake. It should make everyone angry. But it’s a mistake to lump all those racists in with those people in those towns who have lost their jobs and kids and hope.
So now what. We rage at each other online. The irony is we don’t ACTUALLY rage at the ‘other side’ we rage at EACH OTHER within our own tidy little online worlds. There is no dialogue. There is no civility. Neither side makes the effort and the internet makes it so easy to take the easier path of posting photos and criticizing people incredulous at their apparent ignorance.
How about make some actual real human connections to people. You may find that these fringes we see are just that, fringes. Most people, red and blue, want the same things you do. And even if they don’t, at least have the decency to have a real conversation and try to see the issues from their perspective.
I think of the child, raised high above the crowd screaming,
what a life this poor child will inherit following Trump.