Newsletter - Facts Matter When Unraveling the MAGA Mindset
Newsletter - Facts Matter When Unraveling the MAGA Mindset
& Changing the Law to Support Mental Health
This past Friday, I had the pleasure of interviewing my mentor, the legendary psychiatrist and author, Dr. Robert Jay Lifton. Lifton’s 1961 book, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of Brainwashing in China, was instrumental in my deprogramming from the Moonies in 1976. While discussing how Trump and his supporters have clouded the political landscape with lies and conspiracy theories, Dr. Lifton summed up our feelings best with the apt phrase: “Facts matter.”
Trump’s disregard for the truth is also the central theme for this week’s Influence Continuum podcast; my guest, Emmy award-winning filmmaker Dan Partland, has delivered another tour de force with his latest documentary #UNTRUTH: The Psychology of Trumpism, which is out now.
As we approach the election, it becomes increasingly vital to unravel our loved ones from Trump’s web of conspiracy theories and lies. I appeared in two essential interviews to spread the word about how to help your friends and family out of the Trump cult: I spoke with Rick Wilson of The Lincoln Project and Thomas Hartmann on The Thom Hartmann Program. Both interviews are linked below.
As promised in a previous newsletter, we have put together a blog post about two essential presentations at the International Academy for Law and Mental Health (IALMH.org) this past July in Barcelona. I hope you will find them informative; let me know what you think.
Dr. Robert J. Lifton and I discussed the importance of facts & truth and the “de-guruizing” process true believers can and do go through that helps them exit authoritarian cults. Dr. Lifton highlighted the parallels between cult leaders like Shoko Asahara and Donald Trump, emphasizing the need for truth and resilience. We spoke about the role of ideological totalism in cults and the impact of Trumpism on American politics.
This week on the Influence Continuum, I had the pleasure of sitting down with two-time Emmy winner Dan Partland, an extraordinary documentarian. He asked me to speak on the MAGA cult in his new film, #UNTRUTH: The Psychology of Trumpism, which will be streaming on Prime today.
Read the blog post, or listen to the podcast, below:
The Thom Hartmann Program is the leading progressive political talk radio show for political news and comments about Government politics, be it Liberal or Conservative. I spoke with Host Thom Hartmann about how to help people out of the Trump cult before they bring our democracy to the ground.
I talked with host Rick Wilson about the dynamics of cult behavior, with a focus on Donald Trump’s powerful hold over his supporters. We discussed the intersection of religion, politics, and media, emphasizing the need to understand these influences in order to help Trump supporters break free and think critically.
Last month, in July 2024, I had the pleasure of attending the 38th Annual Congress of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health (IALMH) in Barcelona, Spain. The IALMH is dedicated to exploring issues at the intersection of law and mental health, shedding light on how legal systems can either protect or harm individuals, especially those who struggle with mental health issues which make them more susceptible to undue influence and manipulation.
As always, please let us know what you think about these pieces or what you’d like to see us discuss in the future. Thanks so much!
Fantastic! I look forward to taking this all in. I just posted my latest entry on the topic -
MOSF 19.13: A Psychological Analysis of the Trump/Vance strategy to GOTNV: “Get Out The Nazi Vote” – with Fear-mongering Xenophobia, Racism, and Disinformation
https://eastwindezine.com/mosf-19-13-a-psychological-analysis-of-the-trump-vance-strategy-to-gotnv-get-out-the-nazi-vote/
I wonder how many are still vaccine supporters? Also I wonder how many realise that there is no Democracy left? The way you find out is if you go against the propagandised mainstream media- which is totally controlled by the Democrats, just as the media is controlled by the Chinese. Only then will you begin to realise who is partisan.
The vax injuries are stacking up out of all proportion worldwide and it’s even leaking out into some news outlets (there is a peer reviewed study by Japan showing the harms that are coming to the fore), but mostly the mainstream are captured by their masters. Of course if you are compliant and just do everything you’re told you will be blissfully unaware of all the brave people who have stood up and spoken out and lost their employment or even their lives as a result. Far too easy and lazy to just call it disinformation or conspiracy theory. The ones calling it misinformation are the ones controlling the narrative so only doing your own research will wake you up to the reality of what is happening