For those of you who think MAGA Trump supporters are in a cult

[Bronzeage]

None of the evidence I shared is new.

It is years old.

Which is why I don't think there's anything more than we've seen. It seems unlikely that Epstein had no insurance policy, but with nothing new I'm left with the conclusion that either he didn't, it's encrypted w/o key, or it was destroyed at the time.

There is every reason to believe that the impending Epstein situation was exactly the reason for the PizzaGate conspiracy, because someone really was trafficking children, and it turns out that person was Trump, and it's been known, of covered up by the media, for a long time.

Huh? Pizzagate was because a loon fell for disinformation. Doesn't say whether there was any real trafficking going on. Distraction from real events, or simply stirring up hated with no bit of truth behind it?

It's pretty obvious The Felon is a pedo. The problem is such people are good at preying on those who aren't in a position to defend themselves. And likely with enough of their own misdeeds that their testimony is taken with question.

Pizzagate shows the importance of doing your own research. If you want to expose a sex trafficking ring that operates in a basement, pick a building that has a basement.

The essential element of being in a cult is the readiness to indulge in active cognitive dissonance. In other words, you have to accept some things as true or real, despite obvious evidence to the contrary, or the simple lack of evidence to support the claims.

This is where Trump excels. He actually believes tariffs are paid by the seller, not the buyer, and his MAGA followers accept this, at least until they have to buy a tariffed item. The cognitive dissonance extends to self interest. When a MAGA follower suffers because of a Trump policy, they accept it with a "no pain, no gain" attitude, fully believing there is a greater reward in the future. Tomato prices will be going up. Migrant labor is getting very expensive and tomatoes imported from Mexico arrive with a 30% tariff. This means tomatoes will soon be the new egg. During the campaign, Trump promised to lower egg prices, even though the egg shortage was the result of a poultry disease. No MAGA follower thought to ask if Trump had any special microbiology training. This is an ideal example of cognitive dissonance. Trump stood before his crowd and promised to do something which neither he or anyone else was capable of doing. The crowd just nodded and accepted it.

A core element of any cult is the belief that present deprivation is the foundation of future benefits. Lacking basic reasoning skills, a condition usually labeled as "stupid", they never analyze the situation. Today, I saw a Trump post where he claimed to have talked to Coca-Cola executives and convinced them to return to the Coke recipe that used cane sugar. This is a little strange, coming from a man who drinks Diet Coke. The cognitive dissonance here is stark. Coke switched to corn based sugar because it was much cheaper, so Trump thinks Coke is either going to raise prices or slice profits. Just kidding. Trump didn't think about any of the consequences and I'm sure the Coke execs were just being polite.

One wonders how long it will take a MAGA supporting corn farmer to figure it out.

 

[ZiprHead]

Spoiler: Autopsy photo

Any truth to this?

 

[ZiprHead]

Whether Trump is on the Epstein list or not, it's obvious Trump knew Epstein was a kiddie diddler and did nothing about it for many years. This should be a Dem talking point.

 

[ZiprHead]

A core element of any cult is the belief that present deprivation is the foundation of future benefits. Lacking basic reasoning skills, a condition usually labeled as "stupid", they never analyze the situation. Today, I saw a Trump post where he claimed to have talked to Coca-Cola executives and convinced them to return to the Coke recipe that used cane sugar. This is a little strange, coming from a man who drinks Diet Coke. The cognitive dissonance here is stark. Coke switched to corn based sugar because it was much cheaper, so Trump thinks Coke is either going to raise prices or slice profits. Just kidding. Trump didn't think about any of the consequences and I'm sure the Coke execs were just being polite.

One wonders how long it will take a MAGA supporting corn farmer to figure it out.

How about beet sugar which can be grown in far more states than sugar cane? The difference of the sugars is almost non existent.

And beet sugar is far more efficient at producing ethanol than corn. Corn just has better lobbyists.

 

[ZiprHead]

 

[Bronzeage]

A core element of any cult is the belief that present deprivation is the foundation of future benefits. Lacking basic reasoning skills, a condition usually labeled as "stupid", they never analyze the situation. Today, I saw a Trump post where he claimed to have talked to Coca-Cola executives and convinced them to return to the Coke recipe that used cane sugar. This is a little strange, coming from a man who drinks Diet Coke. The cognitive dissonance here is stark. Coke switched to corn based sugar because it was much cheaper, so Trump thinks Coke is either going to raise prices or slice profits. Just kidding. Trump didn't think about any of the consequences and I'm sure the Coke execs were just being polite.

One wonders how long it will take a MAGA supporting corn farmer to figure it out.

How about beet sugar which can be grown in far more states than sugar cane? The difference of the sugars is almost non existent.

And beet sugar is far more efficient at producing ethanol than corn. Corn just has better lobbyists.

In the campaigns leading up to the Iowa primary, every candidate is expected to take the "corn pledge". Ethanol made from corn is a product of the 70s energy crisis. Tax breaks and subsidies made corn an economical source of ethanol. Thanks to fracking, the US is now a net exporter of petroleum products, but we have built ethanol diluted gasoline into our infrastructure. Modern cars have electronics which sense the alcohol level in the gas and adjusts the fuel delivery to meet conditions. Imagine what that cost to develop.

As for sugar as a sweetener, it's purely a matter of taste and familiarity. In a biscuit baking contest, the winner is always the biscuit most like your mother made.

 

[zorq]

A core element of any cult is the belief that present deprivation is the foundation of future benefits. Lacking basic reasoning skills, a condition usually labeled as "stupid", they never analyze the situation. Today, I saw a Trump post where he claimed to have talked to Coca-Cola executives and convinced them to return to the Coke recipe that used cane sugar. This is a little strange, coming from a man who drinks Diet Coke. The cognitive dissonance here is stark. Coke switched to corn based sugar because it was much cheaper, so Trump thinks Coke is either going to raise prices or slice profits. Just kidding. Trump didn't think about any of the consequences and I'm sure the Coke execs were just being polite.

One wonders how long it will take a MAGA supporting corn farmer to figure it out.

How about beet sugar which can be grown in far more states than sugar cane? The difference of the sugars is almost non existent.

And beet sugar is far more efficient at producing ethanol than corn. Corn just has better lobbyists.

In the campaigns leading up to the Iowa primary, every candidate is expected to take the "corn pledge". Ethanol made from corn is a product of the 70s energy crisis. Tax breaks and subsidies made corn an economical source of ethanol. Thanks to fracking, the US is now a net exporter of petroleum products, but we have built ethanol diluted gasoline into our infrastructure. Modern cars have electronics which sense the alcohol level in the gas and adjusts the fuel delivery to meet conditions. Imagine what that cost to develop.

As for sugar as a sweetener, it's purely a matter of taste and familiarity. In a biscuit baking contest, the winner is always the biscuit most like your mother made.

This post appeals to the Freakonomics (By Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt) aesthetic that I enjoyed when I was growing up and therefore I like it. (further enforcing your thesis) I'm too tired to actually verify the allegations in this post right now, so I'm just going to accept them because they don't challenge my pre-existing biases. I have the capacity for introspection to notice this failure. This , unfortunately causes me to feel shame because now I feel like I'm following the pattern of a typical MAGA.

Anyway, thanks for making me feel brief joy (and less brief sorrow).

 

[Patooka]

what if releasing the files meant bringing down all the US government or what if it meant nuclear war?

Yeah, there isn't enough rolleyes in the fucking world for the amount of cultish apologencia RVonse is currently spewing.

The MAGA copium is fucking pathetic.

 

[Toni]

what if releasing the files meant bringing down all the US government or what if it meant nuclear war?

Yeah, that doesn’t really make sense to me, either. I think Trump is a major worry re: a nuclear war because he’s so very unreliable and disloyal and self centered and egotistical enough to believe that he will survive nuclear fall out —or blow up the world if he thinks he’s going down, maybe that’s the concern for nuclear war? If Trump is finally made to face his many crimes, he’ll just try to destroy the world in a narcissistic rage?

Makes sense, I guess.

But it highlights the fact that it is unwise to allow power in the hands of someone so unfit as Trump that he’s actually capable of ending the world rather than face consequences for any of his various depravities. People who need to talk about what stable geniuses they are are neither stable nor genius.

 

[Swammerdami]

what if releasing the files meant bringing down all the US government or what if it meant nuclear war?

Yeah, there isn't enough rolleyes in the fucking world for the amount of cultish apologencia RVonse is currently spewing.

The MAGA copium is fucking pathetic.

RVonse believes that the massive destruction of government organized by Elon Musk and DOGE was fine surgery aimed at intelligent deficit reduction.

The plainest evidence that this is NOT the case is the downsizing of IRS Tax Auditors by 31%. Anyone with a smidgen of common-sense who knows what the initials I.R.S. stand for will understand that those layoffs DECREASED government REVENUE much more than they decreased government spending.

I lobbed the softball question at RVonse, hoping this IRS example would awaken him to reality. No response: He remains mum.

Truly a rapture-like cult, to quote a fellow Infidel.

 

[Ford]

RVonse believes that the massive destruction of government organized by Elon Musk and DOGE was fine surgery aimed at intelligent deficit reduction.

The plainest evidence that this is NOT the case is the downsizing of IRS Tax Auditors by 31%. Anyone with a smidgen of common-sense who knows what the initials I.R.S. stand for will understand that those layoffs DECREASED government REVENUE much more than they decreased government spending.

Classic "Starve The Beast" tactic. Anyone who tells you that cutting revenue (via tax cuts) by $4 trillion while only cutting spending by $1 trillion isn't arguing in good faith. They WANT the debt and deficit to go through the roof, so that they can justify wiping out every federal program that might help people. Raising revenue is an anathema to the folks inspired by Grover Norquist.

 

[ZiprHead]

what if releasing the files meant bringing down all the US government or what if it meant nuclear war?

Yeah, there isn't enough rolleyes in the fucking world for the amount of cultish apologencia RVonse is currently spewing.

The MAGA copium is fucking pathetic.

RVonse believes that the massive destruction of government organized by Elon Musk and DOGE was fine surgery aimed at intelligent deficit reduction.

The plainest evidence that this is NOT the case is the downsizing of IRS Tax Auditors by 31%. Anyone with a smidgen of common-sense who knows what the initials I.R.S. stand for will understand that those layoffs DECREASED government REVENUE much more than they decreased government spending.

I lobbed the softball question at RVonse, hoping this IRS example would awaken him to reality. No response: He remains mum.

Truly a rapture-like cult, to quote a fellow Infidel.

 

[Shadowy Man]

what if releasing the files meant bringing down all the US government or what if it meant nuclear war?

Yeah, there isn't enough rolleyes in the fucking world for the amount of cultish apologencia RVonse is currently spewing.

Maybe you can borrow some from TSwizzle, who seems to have an endless supply of rolleye emojis at hand.

 

[Bronzeage]

It sounds like you're describing yourself rather than Trump cultists more generally. Do you support release of the Epstein files? How about if you knew that Elon Musk would be incriminated, and those incriminations would NOT be among the redactions?

I'd like to see polls with CLEAR questions:

"Trump is praying to God for advice on the Epstein files. Do you think Trump will make the best decision?"​

This question would get an overwhelming 'Yes' from the MAGGOT crowd.

I think it is a very curious situation to say the least. My first gut reaction is that Trump should just release the Epstein files as he ran his campaign on. But then I have heard others make a good case that releasing these files might have catastrophic consequences to both the US and the rest of the world. For example, what if releasing the files meant bringing down all the US government or what if it meant nuclear war? That would clearly not be worth it and only Trump (as commander in chief) would know this.

I do feel Trump owes all of us a better excuse for the obvious lying we see today though. Either tell us the files can't be released for national security reasons or that Israel doesn't want them released. Because the public has a right to know that sex crimes will not normally go unpunished just because you are rich or famous.

If you were looking to self diagnose to determine your cult status, it's right here, "only Trump (as commander in chief) would know this."

To be a faithful cult member, one must have faith that the cult leader is privy to special revelations and can be trusted to make decisions which affect everyone's lives.

 

[Swammerdami]

... what if releasing the files meant bringing down all the US government or what if it meant nuclear war? That would clearly not be worth it and only Trump (as commander in chief) would know this.

If you were looking to self diagnose to determine your cult status, it's right here, "only Trump (as commander in chief) would know this."

To be a faithful cult member, one must have faith that the cult leader is privy to special revelations and can be trusted to make decisions which affect everyone's lives.

Thanks, Bronzeage. This should teach me not to skim-read Rvonse's posts.

The clause I've reddened (and which I missed when I skimmed earlier) is one of the most astoundingly nonsensical and naive claims that I have ever seen on any message-board. I don't even know how to begin to catalog its imbecilities.

I suppose if POTUS were an unusually perceptive genius, with special sources of intelligence beyond any of his advisors, then the claim might be sensical. But given that it is Donald Trump who is the POTUS (and "commander-in-chief"), the line sounds like a slapstick punch-line from Monty Python, or perhaps Yes Minister.

@RVonse -- can you explain your claim in a brief coherent paragraph? If not, I'm afraid that I must agree with Bronzeage: Your claim is inexplicable unless you believe that Trump has some special Communion with the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible.

 

[Toni]

This is a serious question fir @RVonse:

What do you like about Trump?

Why do you see him as uniquely qualified to
lead the nation?

Do any of Trump’s convictions ( criminal and civil) or bankruptcies give you pause?

What do you think of the many reports of Trump falling asleep in important meetings and events?

What do you think of concerns over Trump’s cognitive abilities?

What do you think about Trump’s confessions/bragging about his behavior towards girls and women?

I’m genuinely curious. I would like to understand.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

This is a serious question fir @RVonse:

What do you like about Trump?

I'll field this. RVonse is very much anti-establishment. He views Trump as being anti-establishment because Trump kind of plays that card... despite him benefiting from all that the establishment has to offer.

He is like country conservatives liking Trump because he's a rancher instead of one of those Ivy League boys that vacationed in Maine.

 

[RVonse]

... what if releasing the files meant bringing down all the US government or what if it meant nuclear war? That would clearly not be worth it and only Trump (as commander in chief) would know this.

If you were looking to self diagnose to determine your cult status, it's right here, "only Trump (as commander in chief) would know this."

To be a faithful cult member, one must have faith that the cult leader is privy to special revelations and can be trusted to make decisions which affect everyone's lives.

Thanks, Bronzeage. This should teach me not to skim-read Rvonse's posts.

The clause I've reddened (and which I missed when I skimmed earlier) is one of the most astoundingly nonsensical and naive claims that I have ever seen on any message-board. I don't even know how to begin to catalog its imbecilities.

I suppose if POTUS were an unusually perceptive genius, with special sources of intelligence beyond any of his advisors, then the claim might be sensical. But given that it is Donald Trump who is the POTUS (and "commander-in-chief"), the line sounds like a slapstick punch-line from Monty Python, or perhaps Yes Minister.

@RVonse -- can you explain your claim in a brief coherent paragraph? If not, I'm afraid that I must agree with Bronzeage: Your claim is inexplicable unless you believe that Trump has some special Communion with the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible.

I carelessly assumed everyone including you knew that the US is a representative democracy.

That our structure of governance gives the POTUS knowledge of worldwide affairs normal citizens do not have access. My statement having the exact same meaning regardless who the current POTUS was. We give the POTUS more information we can not know so that he can make decisions quickly in the course of normal affairs. Sometimes that makes it seem like what they do is not in our interest when it really is.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Is this RVonse's first attempt to justify the Government keeping information hidden?

 

[James Brown]

Is that why Republicans were so restrained and measured when they impeached Clinton for a blow-job? When they wanted to know what really happened at the Benghazi embassy? When they reviewed one politician's usage of an e-mail server? When they explored the actual birthplace of a president?

Did Republicans refrain from examining these issues in great detail because they were worried about the global ramifications?