Most people are familiar with “The Force,” a form of metaphysical energy available to Jedi warriors and others in the Star Wars series. (Or, in the case of Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs, The Schwartz.) There is another all-pervasive energy that has imposed itself upon the culture and politics of the USA. This is The FARCE —
Fox Alternative Reality Cult Energy
Unlike The Force which has both a light side and a dark side, The FARCE has only a dark side. It is purely propaganda, refined and honed over the past three decades in right wing think tanks and spread across the nation, first by talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh, then later by FOX News Channel. Here are some of the false tidbits believed by those who have been so unfortunate as to have become ensnared by this dangerous, mind-controlling cult:
- President Obama was born in Kenya
- President Obama is a Muslim
- Global Climate Change is a hoax
- Tax cuts for the wealthy create wealth and jobs for everyone else
- The US Civil War had nothing to do with slavery
- Conservatives are God-like in their purity and goodness
- Liberals are Godless, evil Devil-spawn
- President Obama has destroyed America
- President Obama is a Socialist
- George Soros controls the Democratic party
- Democrats are going to take away everybody’s guns
- Democrats hate the military / Republicans love the military
- There is a “War” on Christmas
- There is a “War” on Christians and Christianity
- The “liberal / gay agenda” is to deny Christians their religious freedom
- Abortion leads to (fill in wacko conspiracy theory here)
- Evolution is a myth, as is the Big Bang
- Jesus is coming soon, and only the Republicans will be saved
- If it ever snows anywhere, that is PROOF that global warming is a hoax
- In any conflict between science and The Holy Bible, it is the Bible which is correct
- Christianity is the only true religion, all others worship false idols
- Judaism is false, but we need to be nice to the Jews because end times require it … for now
- First generation immigrants are mostly criminals
- Black people are thugs and reverse racists who hate white people
- Black people are also lazy and disproportionately collect government services
- President Obama hates white people
- President Obama is the anti-Christ (let’s Bill Clinton off the hook on that one)
- Planned Parenthood only does abortions and sells baby parts for profit
- Big government is bad for ordinary Americans
- Death panels are a real thing
- Sarah Palin is competent and intelligent
- Donald Trump is wealthy and intelligent
- Poor people are poor because God disapproves of them and their life choices
- Rich people are rich because God loves them
- Bill and Hillary Clinton are responsible for dozens of political murders
- Drug use is a moral failing (unless you are Rush Limbaugh)
- Racism is a thing of the past, but reverse racism is very real
- BLM activists are racists and hate police for no good reason
- Ronald Reagan should qualify for sainthood
- Iraq had WMD
- Blowing up villages and wedding parties in Afghanistan was justice for 9-11
- George W. Bush had a clue
- Marijuana has no medical use, and medical marijuana is just a ruse for dopers to get high
- President Obama used the IRS to attach ideological foes
- Benghazi was a legitimate scandal
- Solyndra was a legitimate scandal
- Fast and Furious was a legitimate scandal
- All taxes are illegitimate, fees for use of services are A-OK
- Privatization saves money and increases efficiency
- Social Security is a government giveaway to the undeserving
- Medicare is a government giveaway to the undeserving
- Food Stamps are a government giveaway to the undeserving and a HUGE drain on our budget
- The Estate Tax is unfair
- The media has a liberal bias
- No media sources should be trusted other than right wing propaganda outlets
- Rape is only legitimate rape if there are weapons and a stranger involved
- Babies resulting from rape are a gift from God
- Women shouldn’t vote because emotions and hormones, shouldn’t hold office either
- Men are the natural, Biblical leaders of the household, women should obey their husbands
- Poor people not paying taxes are leeches, rich people not paying taxes are smart
- Having the “right” God, political party, etc. makes them special and everyone else suspect
This is obviously a partial list. I’m sure folks could add plenty more to the list of crazy things Republicans believe. The problem with this is that they believe this stuff as though it were religious dogma. There is no reasoning involved. It is received wisdom from their revered authorities, and no namby-pamby liberal smarty-pants is going to tell them any different.
The number of ways in which they resemble a cult are significant, but there are some unique twists to the FARCE. Whereas many cults are centered around an individual, the cult of the GOP is centered around an idea. That is the idea that wealth and its preservation are the highest moral precepts. Now, they don’t go around talking about this much because it gets in the way of recruiting and retaining lower income members. Instead they have a robust panoply of social issues and working class resentments on which to play.
Having the leadership distributed comes in handy for them in a few ways. Let’s say that you find Rush Limbaugh’s stridency annoying. There’s always Hannity, Levin, Steyn, O’Reilly, Ingraham, Coulter, etc. Pick yer poison. This also ensures that if one of the leading voices becomes overwhelmed by an “Oh my God, what have I done!” moment, there will be others to continue leading the flock astray. This was recently played out by Charlie Sykes, long-time Wisconsin right wing talk radio host. He crossed the proverbial GOP Rubicon when he came out as a Never Trump-er. He has since been denounced by the rest of the cult and declared persona-non-grata.
This “distributed leadership” is undergoing change, as the position of cult leader is being taken over by PEOTUS Trump. Some in the GOP have resisted this change, but the rank-and-file are all in for the Gropin’ Fuhrer.
So let’s look at the characteristics of a dangerous mind-controlling cult and see where there are parallels with the modern conservative movement. Here is a handy compilation from Rick Ross, a specialist in cult recognition and intervention. I have highlighted in bold those characteristics which seem particularly pertinent to the present situation, and to Trump.
Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader.
- Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
- No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
- No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.
- Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
- There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
- Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
- There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
- Followers feel they can never be "good enough".
- The group/leader is always right.
- The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.
Ten warning signs regarding people involved in/with a potentially unsafe group/leader.
- Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.
- Individual identity, the group, the leader and/or God as distinct and separate categories of existence become increasingly blurred. Instead, in the follower's mind these identities become substantially and increasingly fused--as that person's involvement with the group/leader continues and deepens.
- Whenever the group/leader is criticized or questioned it is characterized as "persecution".
- Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group/leader in personal behavior.
- Dependency upon the group/leader for problem solving, solutions, and definitions without meaningful reflective thought. A seeming inability to think independently or analyze situations without group/leader involvement.
- Hyperactivity centered on the group/leader agenda, which seems to supercede any personal goals or individual interests.
- A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor.
- Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group/leader.
- Anything the group/leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful.
- Former followers are at best-considered negative or worse evil and under bad influences. They can not be trusted and personal contact is avoided.
So, just in case you were wondering why otherwise intelligent people have devolved into nonsense spewing FOX-clones, this is what has happened to them, they’ve become ensnared by The FARCE. And sadly, presenting them with facts is useless, presenting them with reasoned arguments is useless. You do not have the authority with them to be able to change their views, or even dent them. Nothing short of a life-changing experience, or cult deprogramming will have an impact on their belief system at this point. They truly believe in a false reality, and any input that is inconsistent with that false reality will be rejected out of hand. And now that Trump and the GOP cult have rendered the news media impotent and made the idea of objective reality quaint, I’m afraid we’re in for some very challenging times.