Deconstructing MAGA

"Dorothy, wake up!"

Photo by Shane on Unsplash

Eric

One time during my college years, the school brought a hypnotist show to campus. The auditorium was packed with students, and the hypnotist on stage told the entire audience of a few thousand people to clasp our hands together and raise them high above our heads while he talked a little about hypnosis.

After a few minutes with our hands above our heads, he asked everyone in the auditorium to pull their hands apart. Imagine our surprise when about a third of the auditorium could not get their hands separated! The hypnotist then walked through the audience and tapped out about a dozen students to join him on stage.

After the students had taken a seat on stage, the hypnotist worked through each one, effortlessly getting them to do various things that—I am certain—they would never have done on their own. Whether it was to bark, beg, or generally debase themselves for raucous laughter from the audience, these folks did it all on command.

One of these students was my buddy, Eric. Eric was and still is smart as a whip, clever, articulate, one of those people you always knew was destined for greatness. Of all of the students, what happened to Eric was truly extraordinary.

The performer explained to the audience that Eric was Elvis Presley. He knew all the words to all the songs. He knew all the dance moves. He was presently on stage at the greatest concert of his life. While he acknowledged that the real Elvis had departed this mortal coil several years previously, he believed that Elvis still lived inside Eric.

While this was being explained to the audience, Eric sat on stage, awake and seemingly lucid, laughing at the ridiculous notion that this guy - speaking to the audience - would make him The King.

The hypnotist then turned to Eric and said, “When I snap my fingers,” and without finishing the thought… SNAP.

Immediately, Eric jumped up from the chair and began an amazing version of Hound Dog. Eric was a great singer, and he brought his A-game that day. But the moves! I mean, he had the snarl, the hip moves, the toe stand… the whole package.

He didn’t miss a word. Now, I don’t know if Eric knew Elvis songs before this moment - I’m sure he had heard all of them like we all had - but when the hypnotist said “new song” and snapped his fingers, Eric went into song after song, shake after shake, move after move without missing a note, a word, or a hip swivel.

After a couple of minutes of this, the hypnotist said “sleep” and snapped his fingers. Eric stopped immediately - still standing - while his head dropped, eyes closed, and he stood there, asleep. The hypnotist told him he could wake and return to his chair, but he would once again be asleep upon sitting. Eric woke up, looked at the audience with this bewildered look on his face, walked back to his chair, and the moment that his butt hit the seat he slumped over and leaned on the person next to him, completely out.

A few minutes later, after talking more about hypnosis and the marvel of the human brain, the hypnotist turned to the panel of sleeping students and thanked them for being a part of the show. He also explained to them that they would remember everything. He then woke them up.

When they awoke, most of the students were amazed at what they had done. Eric, however, was embarrassed. He bolted off the stage and out of the auditorium, and I don’t recall seeing him again until several days later. Even now, 40 years later, when I brought up the hypnotist, he replied quite simply: “Don’t.”

Okay, moving on!

Religion

For most of my life, I identified as a Christian. Born and raised the “the church”, I became serious about Christianity during college and dabbled with various forms of evangelical ministry in the decades following, finally deconstructing in 2020.

During various times in ministry, I was confronted with big existential questions like, “How can you believe that Noah had all of the animals in existence on a big wooden boat?” to which I would respond, “I know it doesn’t make sense, but I still believe.” Or the “Is the Bible the true word of God?” to which I would reply, “Absolutely; I believe the Bible is 100% accurate and infallible”. When that answer triggered the exposure of a litany of obvious conflicts throughout the scripture, I’d fall back on the “It doesn’t have to make sense; God’s ways are greater than my own.”

Starting around 2006, however, I noticed that what “the church” was preaching was not following a God figure, but rather that “believers” should submit to the will of the church leadership. We see this all the time with megachurches. They have somehow found a way to ply millions of dollars from their flock that they don’t pay taxes on and use for whatever the hell they wish, everyone else be damned. (Yes, Joel Olsteen, you fucking crook, I’m looking straight at you.)

During this period, I was dismissed from an evangelical “fellowship” for having an opinion contrary to church leadership. To add a bit of context, the worship leader was using that church as a launch pad for a music career and formulated “worship” around songs that put him in the best light. I, a worship zealot at the time, suggested that if it’s truly “worship,” it should always and only be about the God we were supposed to be worshipping. Church leadership disagreed. Seems they had a financial stake in this kid getting famous or something.

Not only was I shown the door, but the leadership also spread rumors of an imaginary infidelity to try to destroy my entire family and another family in the church. It didn’t work, but it definitely showed the lows a “church” will go through to destroy someone who doesn’t bend the knee to their will.

All of a sudden, I had no place to belong. Having been in church all my life, I felt like I was truly alone. All my friends were from the church, and now, with this scarlet letter upon my reputation, I was entirely shunned. At times, I considered taking my own life, but I held on, open to the possibility of redemption. People would tell me that I should be in church, as the Bible says that you should not forsake the gathering of believers. I would later learn that this is an essential part of the hypnotic trance of religion.

Religion creates a problem and then drills that problem into your head until you no longer question it. Take “sin” as one example. Christianity teaches that sin is bad and everyone is guilty of sin; ergo, everyone is bad and in need of “saving.” Oh, but wait! They have the answer - not “an” answer, but “the” answer. All you have to do is follow an imaginary sky daddy and submit yourself entirely to him (and his voice on earth, that is, church leadership), and you can be saved from his terrible wrath of eternal fire and torment.

This is also the same God they say punishes people with eternal fire because he loves them. Make it make sense.

Once people accept that they’re doomed, they willingly bend the knee, relinquishing knowledge, reasoning, and free will to solve the problem. Yet few ever reconsider whether the problem is real or if it was fabricated to achieve specific ends. As long as they gather regularly to be reprogrammed, nobody thinks for themselves, and it would be foolish for them to even consider they’re under a hypnotic trance.

Besides, most Christian churches view hypnosis as a trick of the devil, and the devil is bad, so Christians shouldn’t learn about hypnosis. I wonder if the real issue is that leadership simply doesn’t want people to be awakened to find they’ve been manipulated all along.

I also have to wonder if this is the problem the religious right has with the word “woke”?

TCF (The Convicted Felon) Donald J Trump

In 2015, when The FraudFather came down the escalator to announce he was going to run for the Big Chair in America, most of the established political world laughed. But Trump, a lifelong Democrat up to that point, somehow put a couple of brain cells together to figure out that Christians largely vote Republican, and having been conditioned their entire life to believe whatever someone says again and again, decided that if they can believe the lies of religion, they certainly can believe the lies of Trump.

All of a sudden, lies became “alternative facts.” Facts became “fake news”. Up became down, right became wrong, and wrong became the rallying cry of the right. Racism, homophobia, division, and violence became normal again. Hate and vitriol replaced legislating in the party. Banal and maniacal, bottom-feeder representatives like Marjorie Three Toes, Bimbo Boebert, and Matt “16 is too old” Gaetz - an ACTUAL pedophile - became mainstream, and the Republican party has become so weak that it’s relinquished the RNC coffers to the Trump family to rape and pillage.

Remember this nugget from Southern Belle wannabe Lindsey?

Today, however, he’s 100% behind TCF. Okay, everyone knows Linds is a closet cross-dresser and loves some young boys; he’s not exactly hiding it. So, what dirt does Trump have on him for him to flip-flop out of the pan and into the fire? Or could it be that he’s under Trump’s hypnosis?

News flash, you closeted cracker: You and your sycophant party destroyed each other.

Sidebar: I often wonder if miss Linds posted that as an invitation for Trump to come at him with a large sex toy, shove it up his ass and say “you deserve this you naughty, naughty little girl”.

TCF told so many lies that there’s actually a Wikipedia page documenting his fact-checked 30,473 whoppers told as President. Yet, in talking with a MAGA recently, I was told that “Donald Trump is the most honest President America has ever had.” When given copious reputable documentation proving that statement to be factually incorrect, his response was, “That’s all fake news,” echoing the hypnotic suggestion of the right-wing echo chamber of Fox News, Newsmax, OAN, and Truth Social.

The fact is, nothing TCF touts as truth is verifiable. He repeatedly declares verifiable facts as “fake news” and repeats the lie to set the hook. With the hook set, he reels in the mark. The mark has no idea they’ve been caught or even that there’s a hook, even when it’s firmly implanted in their brain.

Breaking the Spell

If this truly is hypnosis, I have to believe there is a trigger that can awaken his victims. However, as long as they are spoon-fed their daily lies to reinforce their cult-like devotion, we must first take command of the message. Do not allow a lie to go unchecked. But also do not rationalize. Those under the spell are operating under a reality where logic and truth are evil, and only the words of Herr Von ShitForBrains are true.

Incidentally, this particular trait is a tell-tell sign of hypnotic suggestion. A person under the influence will believe whatever they’ve been programmed to believe. In this case, their devotion to a single voice is telling.

Instead, look for words that trigger an emotional response. For example, when someone says something like, “This whole trial is a witch hunt, and Trump is innocent,” you could try to rationalize with them about the jury being approved by Trump’s legal counsel. But that would be a waste of time. Facts are evil in their programming. They will, however, respond to more programming. Remember, they were groomed to receive and believe a message, and the only reason they’re following Trump is that his bombast is all they hear day in and day out. At one point, they were willing participants. However, now, their programming makes them crave whatever they hear on repeat, no matter how idiotic, harmful, or hateful it may be.

So let’s program the shit outta them.

One word that can be used for programming is “alone.” MAGAs love that they’re a part of this big, red-hate-wearing (not a misspelling), racist, homophobic tribe. They crave the community and fear being left out. So what would happen if we suggest that following TCF will result in them being left behind, alone, unrepresented?

Another programming word might be “smart.” The fact is, not all Trump followers are stupid. They’re acting stupid under hypnosis, but at their core, there is a rational mind that can be reached in many cases. Those few toothless princes of dumbfuckistan intrinsically know they’re not the sharpest blades in the … the… thing, so the puffery may be effective in opening up a fissure in that granite surrounding their brain.

Most importantly, linguistic programming must be done in a supportive environment. Help the MAGA see that their interests are your interests, and avoid combative language and gestures. You won’t get the same courtesy in response, but it’s imperative you listen carefully. If there is a release word or phrase, the person will guard it like a buried treasure. Listen for specific words that are misapplied or messages that seem to use more words than necessary. That may indicate a wall around their release.

Finally, be regular and be consistent. The hypnotized mind reacts to repetition, which is why catchphrases and stupid, offensive nicknames are such an important part of the Trump programming.

Hopefully, we can find a way to break the spell and turn the whole country blue in November. It’s not impossible. Remember that everyone thought Trump beating Clinton was impossible, and that led to the darkest period in American history. Besides, we have the upper hand: Unlike the MAGAs, we are not controlled by a narcissistic, simple-minded, racist, homophobic, convicted felon.