×

Which side has Trump Derangment Syndrome?

To the editor:

cult ¯ noun

1. a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.

“the cult of St. Olaf”

2. a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.

“a network of Satan-worshiping cults”

3. a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing.

“a cult of personality surrounding the leaders”

Oxford online

I would highlight the phrases: “toward a particular figure,” and “for a particular person”

Jim Jones is a perfect example of a man that used the tools of communism and Marxism, studied Adolf Hitler and Father Divine, infiltrated the church, claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus and others, involved himself in government, lied, deceived and manipulated people into believing that he was the arbiter of truth. These people then followed him to their deaths. A true cult.

Today we have a man that is using the power of the office of the President of the United States of America and the propaganda war machine of Fox, Twitter, Facebook, and the right wing media bubble to create a “devotion directed toward(s)” him, a “veneration” of him. He regularly holds rallies where his devotees, fans, base … blindly believe what he says. This “excessive admiration” for a “particular” flawed man, is the textbook definition of a cult.

Donald J. Trump has convinced a subset of our population that the “mainstream media” (formerly known as the NEWS) is fake. His surrogates — Hannity, Ingraham, Carlson, Fox & Friends, Rush Limbaugh and others — are not the news, they are opinion and are under no obligation to tell you the truth. They regularly reinforce the fictional narrative that the president wants you to believe.

Donald J. Trump has infiltrated the church as evidenced by his evangelical base of support. This amoral, adulterous and faithless human has secured his grip on this group by the appointment of judges in hopes of overturning Roe v. Wade. But the deeper question is what else will these young, unqualified and inexperienced judges support? Where do their loyalties lie, with the Constitution or with the cult?

As to Diane Logan and her quest to “protect ‘our’ values” I have to ask, what makes you think your values are my values? That is why our Constitution exists. So that we can agree to disagree, come to compromise, pray as we wish, love as we wish. Live up to the values of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. There are, of course, our shared values of the rule of law — trials with witnesses, oaths to be upheld, be impartial when we swear to be and above all to tell the truth.

The bottom line is that words matter. Lobbing terms such as communist, socialist, cult or liar should be done with an understanding of what the words mean. They should not be used as terms of conflict or insult. They should be used accurately.

I fear that the overuse of misused words, words used as labels and weapons not as our collectively understood terms of our common, critically important, tools of communication will lead to their being replaced by the repetitive, reflexive rhetoric of a powerful, well-financed megaphone of disinformation which would allow for our republic to go the way of our Dear Donald’s BFF Putin’s former Soviet Union.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live under oligarchs lead by an autocrat, where those who stand for truth and fact are removed and silenced and those that will lie are rewarded, a country that tunes in to the “Lady in Pink” each night to be told what it is that we must believe, a community that insists you are either a patriot or a traitor, with us or against us, loyalist or the enemy, a land where there is no compromise. I do not believe that is who we are.

So if it is that my repeatedly reminding my neighbors and friends that the current occupant of the White House is a narcissistic, pathological liar that has a $200,000/year pay-for-play private club he now calls home, places me at the receiving end of misplaced labels, I am happy to point out that it is the deranged that follow those whom they know to be dishonorable when it comes to truth, oaths or the greater good. I suggest Curtis Schell look in a mirror for where the TDS truly resides.

Eric Becht

Mifflintown

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $3.92/week.

Subscribe Today