I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. – Book of Revelation, 2:9
You could revise the above quote to read, “I know the delusion of them that say they are Christians, (or Republicans) and are not, but are the cult of Trump.” And if you did so, you would have perfectly bridged across the past two millennia and all the chaos and extremism of that time to see the same qualities flourishing in this one.
The nadir of madness which American society hit on January 6 was not something that was out of the blue, nor generated overnight. The seeds for something like that — and someone like Trump — have been germinating for some time. The idea of the gnostic worldview that reality is not what it appears to be and is but a facade for the truth — which is entrusted by the Almighty to a small spiritual elite — goes back to the beginning of the Christian era. The idea that God will anoint a leader whose followers will overturn the socio-political structure and herald in a new age where “all things will be changed” is a recurring theme. But when you cast Donald Trump and QAnon into those roles, you get a result which reads like both bad science fiction and parody. The Conversation:
QAnon followers — predominately Donald Trump supporters and conservative Christians — appear to believe that the real cause of this past year’s crisis was an underground religious war being waged by U.S. soldiers against legions of Illuminati demons.
They believe that these beings torture and abuse children in order to procure a highly addictive drug called adrenochrome used by liberal and Hollywood elites. Building on the Pizzagate conspiracy theory of 2016, this belief has now morphed into a more expansive “end of the world” narrative. […]
The QAnon story casts Trump as a kind of radical Christian ruler, deputized by God to wage war against the liberal infidels destroying a once great and holy nation. Followers believe that the former president’s tweets were not chaotic ramblings, but in fact the words of a Christian oracle, the meaning of which only true believers can decipher through online message boards.
QAnon is a curious mixture of sex scandal, anti-government protest, science fiction, biblical religion and military ethos. These ingredients make for a uniquely American religion and manifest the “cult” of Trump in its most extreme form. All of this seems incredible, even amusing, except for that fact that QAnon is tearing apart families and poisoning American politics. […]
QAnon is not so much a “church” (in a sociological sense) but a loosely connected network of online commentators. Even though it was birthed in a matrix of evangelical fundamentalism and Republican extremism, QAnonners are under no recognizable institutional framework.
They themselves might assert that their so-called “White Hats” represent an organized military force carrying out complex operations in an underground war. It is important to recognize that QAnon is more than just a “conspiracy theory” or fringe political movement: it has all the hallmarks of a new religious movement, one that manifests deeply rooted tendencies in sectarian Christianities from the past.
QAnon is a whacked out sect, Scientology gone militant, and it would be purely comical, but for the fact that it is pernicious because the Republican party has elected officials in its ranks who openly endorse the sect and advance its deranged precepts. That is the real problem and the reason QAnon is dangerous.
The buck stops in Washington and the GOP will not police its own. Mitch McConnell made reference to Marjorie Taylor Greene’s “loony lies and conspiracy theories” being a “cancer” upon the Republican party but you didn’t see him get a scalpel, did you? Or tell Kevin McCarthy to get one? No, you didn’t and you wont. And that’s why QAnon could do great destruction to the body politic if left to metastasize unchecked.
What you’ll see in 2022 is one of two things: either people will vote out the Qrazies, and there are groups forming which are dedicated to that goal, or it will get worse.
A third possibility: we will still be in much the same situation by the end of 2022 with the battle going incrementally either way (though I’d lay odds on our side getting the traction). No one engages in this kind of low fantasy unless they are losing and losing badly.
“…..losing and losing badly” is what the Repukes know they are facing. They have no policies or ideas benefitting anyone except their wealthy donors and themselves. They are doomed and the few smart ones know it. In trying to stay viable and relevant they’ve grabbed the tiger by the tail, convinced it won’t bite THEM. They have very little time left because the world, and sanity, is leaving them behind. Will they ever learn? No……
Adapt or die…the only iron rule of life. You’re not doing one, you’re doing the other. As you just pointed out, Pierre, the GQP is strictly doing the other. Worse, from their POV, is how they are doing enough ugly things on their way out to ensure that NOBODY will miss them when they’re gone.
Bare, my vision is things have just about gone totally neutral in the GOP in its largest form … the Repubs in our state local government, Iowa, have been walking new voting restrictions into law, because it’s the only way to get enough votes … I think GA is in the same boat, but what strikes me, is this can only be a precursor, as the next voting on a large scale of importance will be out in 2022 …
What do we see at the federal level ? A semi-calm because Biden and the Dems are fixing things as fast as they can, unfortunately, the kids coming in at the border are a symptom of Trump’s do or die attitude suddenly released and no one out there has had humanity as a given treatment in Trump’s group … so there was NEVER anything but cement floors and aluminum space blankets.
Time will heal that problem if Biden can get that going in spite of the GOP trash still in office … the biggest reduction in good-ole-boys is overdue and it IS coming … the general population is showing definite signs of disgust since the big mess at the Capitol building …
I hope Bareshark is right, but am concerned about extremism and racism.
What, you thought that began or ended with the Reagan Coalition, KT? Or that the dregs of that coalition are getting that much in the way of willing recruits who are worth anything? C’mon…
The racism, extremism and violence that springs from both WILL continue, to be clear. It’s just that it no longer has unofficial sanction at the federal level thanks to January 6th. If you’re jumping at every little threat, that’s being as paranoid as the QAnon crowd rather than “vigilant”. The true variety of the latter requires discernment that neither of the typical American responses–obliviousness or panic–incorporates into their responses.
I passed “concerned” way back there some decades ago.
Well, I still haven’t heard from my Q following sister. So many of these people burned their familial bridges to the ground. What’s left after that?
The dogs bark, the caravan moves on. The Q crowd has chosen to be the dogs. If we want a better world, we gotta move on. And I HATE saying that vis-a-vis your sister, Cmae. I’m betting you’re likely still holding out SOME hope that she’ll get away from that crowd. But in the end, all you can do is point. The person themselves have got to do the walking.
Maybe what you’re getting from her now? Nothing?
I’m currently reading “Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire,” by Kurt Andersen. It’s a fascinating and readable history of this country’s penchant for fantasy over reality. This story fits right in with that book’s arguments.
Name me a time in this country’s history where that hasn’t been true at one point or another. My reaction to such a book is “You don’t say…?”, maxing out my sneer factor when I say it. I would hope this book has something on its mind in the way of a workable solution. Too often, such tomes never get past diagnosing the problem, as if it’s not EVERYONE’S responsibility, author included, to help figure that part out.
Something Andrew Vachss once said: knowledge isn’t necessarily power. Knowing how to get Detroit isn’t the same as having the bus fare.
Sounds interesting. I might have to check that out. When was it written?
Perhaps we should start a competing “conspiracy”. Too many Americans consider Trump to be a god and God has said “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”. So he sent the COVID pandemic to the whole world to punish us. Only when Qanon and other ungodly groups are disbanded will God bless America again.
That just might make some Evangelicals wonder what the “truth” is.
Maybe there are other things we could use to counter the Qanon conspiracies.
I actually buy your theory more than I do the QAnon junk…to a point. Robert E Howard, through the mouth of his most famous creation Conan, put it best: “Men are fools as always. If the gods struck down every man that sinned, there wouldn’t be enough left to count the living!”
Q-Nuts Q-NUTS
Batshit crazy Q-NUTS
Q-Nuts Q-NUTS
So Delusional!
Q-Nuts Q-NUTS
Batshit crazy Q-NUTS
Q-Nuts Q-NUTS
Lock them ALL up NOW!