It never ceases to amaze me how the US just keeps elevating these truly awful, narcissistic, soulless ghouls like Trump, DeSantis, Elon Musk and now this f'ing tool who literally plagiarized Barack Obama last night but then calls for young people to not be allowed to vote. You can't look at these guys without immediately seeing what truly terrible people they are yet the media has pumped them up as these macho caricatures with fresh ideas. Utterly disgusting. Imagine going from Ike, JFK, MLK to this garbage pile. Michael Flynn and Putin have really done a number on a large portion of our population with this long-game psy-op. We have holocaust-deniers, 9/11 deniers, vax deniers all running for President this year. It's stunning to me that we've reached this point
Your position that what we're enduring is a consequence of a Flynn/Putin long-game psy-op is, in my opinion, correct—but also incomplete. But I am at a loss to know how to approach this in a way that does not trigger the denialism sustained by a population with whom I have far more in common than not; a denialism they are in denial about. I am referring to those who say they rely on science based evidence to establish reality based fact but are in denial that—and therefore do not see that— they do so inconsistently. Moreover, are unaware that their denialism has a source every bit as real as the psy-op you mention; but is far older, far less evident, and consequently far greater threat to democracy than the one you've named. Eisenhower named it in his farewell address but we've only barely begun to understand exactly what it is, much less what it is capable of, and its full scope.
"From psy-op to MindWar" explains how they brought the war home after Vietnam. Propagandizing America with "MindWar" was suddenly justified after the American people interfered with their war games. And this is why they destroyed the middle class. Then suddenly two parents were working and we lost our public advocates. Then America's children were raised by televisions. And what better way to brainwash us than through a screen.
So you go from JFK to Trump when the people are not educated and are too busy making ends meet to engage in public advocacy at all.
And that was the psy-op. They divided us and made us dumb. And now they got us and they got us good.
The only answer to any of it is to form relationships with real people in real life. Have conversations that unite us above all else. Because that feeling of anxiety we all have around each other now is intentional. We are allowing people to brainwash us into believing that the hardship of our lives is because of a sport where it will always be solved if only the right team could win. But there's enough evidence now to know this is a lie. So we have to save ourselves. And then we have stop giving men concentrated power. It's a reckoning of the nature of man. The question is, can we rise above it, or is this the answer to the Fermi paradox. And it would appear that our time to answer that question is now.
As an Indian American, Vivek is a fucking disappointment but his rhetoric is not unexpected. He's Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley on steroids. Many Asian and Indian Americans are fucking greedy and lack empathy and are happy to empower and perpetuate the white patriarchy. I see it in my own family and (former) friend circles. I'm so fucking ashamed and disappointed.
To be fair, to the vast majority of Asian and Indian Americans who are not "fucking greedy and lack empathy and are happy to empower and perpetuate the white patriarchy," every ethnicity has similar percentages of narcissists, sociopaths & psychopaths. Large populations are a big part of why we see it often in certain communities, although the caste system definitely supercharges Indian narcissism on a foundational level. However, I can't speak to it's effects on Indian-Americans but would love to hear your perspective.
I'm just hoping for your perspective. It is not a subject of focus, yet. My 92 year old stepfather wants me to psychologically profile Modi, but I am focused on America's glass house at the moment.
Some great books that examines this are "Minor Feelings" by Cathy Park Hong, "Dismantling Global White Privilege" by Chandran Nair and parts of Shashi Tharoor's "Inglorious Empire" alludes to this as well.
But ultimately it's from generations of brainwashing from imperialism, colonialism, white supremacy, the caste system and regressive misogynistic patriarchy that ails the Desi diaspora, particularly India.
These ignorant MAGA fools who can’t control their base emotions won’t be stopped until they’ve ushered in a Russo-Hungarian style fascist oligarchy, which they will then likewise decry. Only then it will be too late. What they welcomed with ballots will only be dislodged with bullets.
When Vivek was talking about dismantling regulations for fossil fuels all I could think of was keep that shit up and there will be nowhere for you and your family to hide from the climate change.
Thanks for the astute analysis. It's hard to imagine they really believe what they're saying! Republicans are proved wrong at every turn in whatever policies they push forward with, as you say, the end goal not being a policy but to amass money and power.
About this word "evolution", because evolution implies an increase in effectiveness (or infectiousness, if we're talking about Covid variants.) Because what I see here is Donald Trump, a man most people detest, with a set of ideas, Trumpism, that most people also detest. So now he's being replaced by someone else who most people will also detest, with the same set of detested-by-most-people ideas, plus a couple more that will be even MORE hated by a majority of people.
Of course, if it wasn't for the fucking Electoral College, we could stop right there. "Candidate who lost by 3 million votes and then by 7 million votes to be replaced by other candidate also on track to lose by from 3-7 million votes" wouldn't be of interest to anyone. So sure, this being America, anything is possible, but the Republicans would be much more of a threat if their "evolution" was in the direction of someone slightly less fucking awful.
I loved American Rule and I’m reading the Midnight Kingdom now, which of course provides fantastic, terrifying context for this. Thanks for your analysis and scholarship.
It is a common misconception that, "It is meant to excite a base that has been prepared by Trump to be both psychopathic in action and vicious in demeanor."
The GOP was highly "psychopathic in action and vicious in demeanor" long before trump showed up (Dick Cheney et al). They were just being covert to hide their true nature for election purposes. trump's grandiose narcissism just made it more obvious to outside observers & the base ate it up as they were groomed to by the GOP, RW media & other political grifters slightly more under control than trump. https://samray.substack.com/p/trumpism-is-narcissism
This is almost verbatim the message of my research. What I've written my books about. I'm speaking about a modern flare-up pushed by Trump. Not a new phenomenon.
You have written extensively about pathological narcissists & psychopathy as it relates to politics & society? I would love to see some commentary & articles about that because apparently I missed it. Don't have time to search through your books though.
Normally the MSM avoids the psych. One early exception was Lawrence in early trump days, who would once in a while talk to a psychologist or psychiatrist. I wrote years ago about how he was the first I had ever seen cover anything Cluster B with NPD. Otherwise real & informative poli-psych on MSM is rare beyond the occasional Bandy Lee or Mary Trump et al interview. At least they are killing it here on Substack but they come from psych. We need more political people to understand and call it out from political vectors to help the general public better understand. Our media has definitely failed us in this regard.
i.e. I'm not a close follower but I'm a fan of what you do, so I'm rooting for you to use psych more. GOP use of manipulative psychology got us into this mess & so is required to get us out of it. I wouldn't need to do what I do if the MSM was not so timid in explaining the psychology to the public.
One point of clarity. It is probably just semantics but trump is not a "modern flare up." Psychologically speaking, he is the inevitable conclusion. Keep up the good work & put forth more narcissist psychology please. Happy to help if you ever have a question.
Psychological disorders cannot be free passes to go on unseen doing evil and destroying democracy, and it is currently suicidal for everyone who loves freedom to remain ignorant or stay silent. The time of that luxury has past if we want to save American democracy. Sorry, went a little long working out a few things for a new article about how "the news" is psychologically broken ; )
Our culture is psychologically broken, so to speak. I just downloaded Gabor Mate's new book, "the myth of normal "
This gets into this psych on a societal level. I just started the thing but I get the feeling that it's virtually impossible that the correct course will come. Of course,As Churchill stated, (paraphrasing) Americans will always choose the right path after they've chosen all the wrong!
I think I would question the premise that our culture is psychologically broken. It is the global conservative movement that is psychologically broken. Most of the rest of the culture would be find if cons weren't acting identical to pathological narcissists and repeatedly re-traumatizing civil society in hopes of breaking us too. Like spoiled children, it is impossible for them to change course until they are held accountable and we put up firm barriers to stop them. This can be done and to say it is virtually impossible is feeding into their narrative of doom and darkness. That's not a shot a you. They work very hard to make everyone feel that way.
Hey there. Didn't take it as a shot at all. Adults can have a normal discussion which thankfully this forum has attracted! So valid points. The problem is there's still a lot of class warfare even if you take the Democrat side which I totally identify with. I guess this goes more to what Bernie was looking for versus establishment Democrats. Although even establishment Democrat is apples and oranges to the GOP. They're not total psychopaths.
I'm totally with you on not falling into the apathy trap. It is certainly manufactured for a purpose. I am definitely not one of those why vote because it doesn't matter anyway! The propaganda and social media scene is making the proposition very difficult as they are engineering a lot of these problems. See Cambridge analytica ! Thanks for the discussion
Indeed it is a very tangled web. I'm well versed in Cambridge Analytica and most other psychological manipulations. It's kind of my thing ; ) I can see through a Dem perspective by reality is my lens. Do be sure to distinguish between when people are acting psychopathically and are psychopaths. It is a powerful word and dilutes its power if we throw it around as an epithet. Indeed there are multiple sociopaths and psychopaths in GOP positions of power, where I have only spotted a few on the Dem side. Narcissists sure, but ASPD types like the GOP, not even close. Cheers.
It never ceases to amaze me how the US just keeps elevating these truly awful, narcissistic, soulless ghouls like Trump, DeSantis, Elon Musk and now this f'ing tool who literally plagiarized Barack Obama last night but then calls for young people to not be allowed to vote. You can't look at these guys without immediately seeing what truly terrible people they are yet the media has pumped them up as these macho caricatures with fresh ideas. Utterly disgusting. Imagine going from Ike, JFK, MLK to this garbage pile. Michael Flynn and Putin have really done a number on a large portion of our population with this long-game psy-op. We have holocaust-deniers, 9/11 deniers, vax deniers all running for President this year. It's stunning to me that we've reached this point
Your position that what we're enduring is a consequence of a Flynn/Putin long-game psy-op is, in my opinion, correct—but also incomplete. But I am at a loss to know how to approach this in a way that does not trigger the denialism sustained by a population with whom I have far more in common than not; a denialism they are in denial about. I am referring to those who say they rely on science based evidence to establish reality based fact but are in denial that—and therefore do not see that— they do so inconsistently. Moreover, are unaware that their denialism has a source every bit as real as the psy-op you mention; but is far older, far less evident, and consequently far greater threat to democracy than the one you've named. Eisenhower named it in his farewell address but we've only barely begun to understand exactly what it is, much less what it is capable of, and its full scope.
"From psy-op to MindWar" explains how they brought the war home after Vietnam. Propagandizing America with "MindWar" was suddenly justified after the American people interfered with their war games. And this is why they destroyed the middle class. Then suddenly two parents were working and we lost our public advocates. Then America's children were raised by televisions. And what better way to brainwash us than through a screen.
So you go from JFK to Trump when the people are not educated and are too busy making ends meet to engage in public advocacy at all.
And that was the psy-op. They divided us and made us dumb. And now they got us and they got us good.
The only answer to any of it is to form relationships with real people in real life. Have conversations that unite us above all else. Because that feeling of anxiety we all have around each other now is intentional. We are allowing people to brainwash us into believing that the hardship of our lives is because of a sport where it will always be solved if only the right team could win. But there's enough evidence now to know this is a lie. So we have to save ourselves. And then we have stop giving men concentrated power. It's a reckoning of the nature of man. The question is, can we rise above it, or is this the answer to the Fermi paradox. And it would appear that our time to answer that question is now.
If you are referring. to neuro weapons being used to manipulate the base, then I totally agree
As an Indian American, Vivek is a fucking disappointment but his rhetoric is not unexpected. He's Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley on steroids. Many Asian and Indian Americans are fucking greedy and lack empathy and are happy to empower and perpetuate the white patriarchy. I see it in my own family and (former) friend circles. I'm so fucking ashamed and disappointed.
To be fair, to the vast majority of Asian and Indian Americans who are not "fucking greedy and lack empathy and are happy to empower and perpetuate the white patriarchy," every ethnicity has similar percentages of narcissists, sociopaths & psychopaths. Large populations are a big part of why we see it often in certain communities, although the caste system definitely supercharges Indian narcissism on a foundational level. However, I can't speak to it's effects on Indian-Americans but would love to hear your perspective.
Shared a few books that examine this in the other comment.
I'm just hoping for your perspective. It is not a subject of focus, yet. My 92 year old stepfather wants me to psychologically profile Modi, but I am focused on America's glass house at the moment.
I've noticed that why is that?
Some great books that examines this are "Minor Feelings" by Cathy Park Hong, "Dismantling Global White Privilege" by Chandran Nair and parts of Shashi Tharoor's "Inglorious Empire" alludes to this as well.
But ultimately it's from generations of brainwashing from imperialism, colonialism, white supremacy, the caste system and regressive misogynistic patriarchy that ails the Desi diaspora, particularly India.
Thanks for the insight
“Future” of the GOP? They arrived long ago!
These ignorant MAGA fools who can’t control their base emotions won’t be stopped until they’ve ushered in a Russo-Hungarian style fascist oligarchy, which they will then likewise decry. Only then it will be too late. What they welcomed with ballots will only be dislodged with bullets.
When Vivek was talking about dismantling regulations for fossil fuels all I could think of was keep that shit up and there will be nowhere for you and your family to hide from the climate change.
Thanks for the astute analysis. It's hard to imagine they really believe what they're saying! Republicans are proved wrong at every turn in whatever policies they push forward with, as you say, the end goal not being a policy but to amass money and power.
Fascist all of them
About this word "evolution", because evolution implies an increase in effectiveness (or infectiousness, if we're talking about Covid variants.) Because what I see here is Donald Trump, a man most people detest, with a set of ideas, Trumpism, that most people also detest. So now he's being replaced by someone else who most people will also detest, with the same set of detested-by-most-people ideas, plus a couple more that will be even MORE hated by a majority of people.
Of course, if it wasn't for the fucking Electoral College, we could stop right there. "Candidate who lost by 3 million votes and then by 7 million votes to be replaced by other candidate also on track to lose by from 3-7 million votes" wouldn't be of interest to anyone. So sure, this being America, anything is possible, but the Republicans would be much more of a threat if their "evolution" was in the direction of someone slightly less fucking awful.
I loved American Rule and I’m reading the Midnight Kingdom now, which of course provides fantastic, terrifying context for this. Thanks for your analysis and scholarship.
Great, another asshole I need to worry about. They never run short.
It is a common misconception that, "It is meant to excite a base that has been prepared by Trump to be both psychopathic in action and vicious in demeanor."
The GOP was highly "psychopathic in action and vicious in demeanor" long before trump showed up (Dick Cheney et al). They were just being covert to hide their true nature for election purposes. trump's grandiose narcissism just made it more obvious to outside observers & the base ate it up as they were groomed to by the GOP, RW media & other political grifters slightly more under control than trump. https://samray.substack.com/p/trumpism-is-narcissism
This is almost verbatim the message of my research. What I've written my books about. I'm speaking about a modern flare-up pushed by Trump. Not a new phenomenon.
You have written extensively about pathological narcissists & psychopathy as it relates to politics & society? I would love to see some commentary & articles about that because apparently I missed it. Don't have time to search through your books though.
Normally the MSM avoids the psych. One early exception was Lawrence in early trump days, who would once in a while talk to a psychologist or psychiatrist. I wrote years ago about how he was the first I had ever seen cover anything Cluster B with NPD. Otherwise real & informative poli-psych on MSM is rare beyond the occasional Bandy Lee or Mary Trump et al interview. At least they are killing it here on Substack but they come from psych. We need more political people to understand and call it out from political vectors to help the general public better understand. Our media has definitely failed us in this regard.
i.e. I'm not a close follower but I'm a fan of what you do, so I'm rooting for you to use psych more. GOP use of manipulative psychology got us into this mess & so is required to get us out of it. I wouldn't need to do what I do if the MSM was not so timid in explaining the psychology to the public.
One point of clarity. It is probably just semantics but trump is not a "modern flare up." Psychologically speaking, he is the inevitable conclusion. Keep up the good work & put forth more narcissist psychology please. Happy to help if you ever have a question.
Psychological disorders cannot be free passes to go on unseen doing evil and destroying democracy, and it is currently suicidal for everyone who loves freedom to remain ignorant or stay silent. The time of that luxury has past if we want to save American democracy. Sorry, went a little long working out a few things for a new article about how "the news" is psychologically broken ; )
What a great discussion to read. Thank you both.
Thanks Pam. If you liked that, you should like a vast array of political psychology at CNI.
Our culture is psychologically broken, so to speak. I just downloaded Gabor Mate's new book, "the myth of normal "
This gets into this psych on a societal level. I just started the thing but I get the feeling that it's virtually impossible that the correct course will come. Of course,As Churchill stated, (paraphrasing) Americans will always choose the right path after they've chosen all the wrong!
I think I would question the premise that our culture is psychologically broken. It is the global conservative movement that is psychologically broken. Most of the rest of the culture would be find if cons weren't acting identical to pathological narcissists and repeatedly re-traumatizing civil society in hopes of breaking us too. Like spoiled children, it is impossible for them to change course until they are held accountable and we put up firm barriers to stop them. This can be done and to say it is virtually impossible is feeding into their narrative of doom and darkness. That's not a shot a you. They work very hard to make everyone feel that way.
Hey there. Didn't take it as a shot at all. Adults can have a normal discussion which thankfully this forum has attracted! So valid points. The problem is there's still a lot of class warfare even if you take the Democrat side which I totally identify with. I guess this goes more to what Bernie was looking for versus establishment Democrats. Although even establishment Democrat is apples and oranges to the GOP. They're not total psychopaths.
I'm totally with you on not falling into the apathy trap. It is certainly manufactured for a purpose. I am definitely not one of those why vote because it doesn't matter anyway! The propaganda and social media scene is making the proposition very difficult as they are engineering a lot of these problems. See Cambridge analytica ! Thanks for the discussion
Indeed it is a very tangled web. I'm well versed in Cambridge Analytica and most other psychological manipulations. It's kind of my thing ; ) I can see through a Dem perspective by reality is my lens. Do be sure to distinguish between when people are acting psychopathically and are psychopaths. It is a powerful word and dilutes its power if we throw it around as an epithet. Indeed there are multiple sociopaths and psychopaths in GOP positions of power, where I have only spotted a few on the Dem side. Narcissists sure, but ASPD types like the GOP, not even close. Cheers.
Absolutely on target. Very scary.
Yes, the United States SHOULD be more like India and Guatemala.
So important! Thank you, as always.