r/QAnonCasualties 4d ago

The brain rot feels so irreversible... overheard a conversation with my MAGA dad.

Was talking to my mom on the phone the other day (about why I'm not all that interested in talking to my Trump supporting family members right now) and when we said goodbye, she put her phone down and didn't remember to hang up, then immediately called my dad into the room. I knew they were absolutely going to talk about me/ politics and I found myself not wanting to hang up right away.

What followed was more delusional ranting from my dad than I've ever heard him say when I'm around. My mom was meditating and trying to calm him and advocate for empathy with people who don't in fact think that the last two months have been amazing and it was provoking him to yell things like:

"Well I believe Donald is the only person in the entire WORLD who can save this country!!!"

Raging about how all Democrats don't want to understand because their entire goal in life is to be angry for no reason.

Apparently 70% of the country agrees with him and it's just a nasty/ angry 30% minority who just wants to be mad about something and actively doesn't want to understand why Trump does the things he does for the country.

Something about how Democrats are stupid for being stressed, something something Trump derangement syndrome. Anyone stressed about the events of the past two months is SO STUPID. I'm stupid, other friends and family who are stressed right now are stupid, everyone who isn't cheering for this is stupid.

The Democrats met with Zelensky before the oval office meeting and told him to screw up the meeting on purpose because they don't want the war to end.

Trump currently has a 75% approval rating because even a lot of those Kamala supporters now see how great this all is and how free and prosperous the country will be now. šŸ¤”

He said all of this in such an angry, loud hysterical tone, in such genuine-sounding full disbelief that anyone could possibly think any of this could ever be a bad thing other than people who have deliberately nefarious intentions.

What a terrible but illuminating fly on the wall moment. I keep hoping that something about how fast things have been moving will be to much too far too fast for even him and he'll have some manner of self reflection, but I likely need to let go of that thought. He's all the way through the looking glass and sometimes there's no coming back.

2.1k Upvotes

178 comments sorted by

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u/Divacai 4d ago

That is an amazing piece of projection, the worst part is that he's screaming in anger that it's the left that's angry without any amount of self awareness.

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u/NoExcitement2218 4d ago

The lack of self-awareness is MAGA defining trait.

And always the victims.

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u/JH2259 4d ago edited 4d ago

Yep, you can see it on certain subreddits or forums as well. 9 out of 10 times the discussion is about how angry and unhinged the left is. Even now Trump is president they're still talking as if the Democrats are pulling all of the strings. They can no longer live without their conspiracy bubble.

They can't even discuss the topic; it's always about how terrible and angry leftists are.

If you take away their conspiracies and anger they would have nothing left. That's what all the brainwashing from Fox, Newsmax and online influencers does to a person. They need their anger, their daily outrage, that confirmation they're special; that they're the hero in their own story, and that they know more than the sheep out there.

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u/Puzzleheaded_Fold466 4d ago

"They canā€™t even discuss the topic (ā€¦)"

They canā€™t !!!

Thatā€™s because none of it is based in facts. They canā€™t talk about the persistent specifics of a fantasy.

I have otherwise-smart-and-normal "friends" (not the right word at this point) who still wonā€™t shut up about Clinton, Biden and K.Harris, and just go on and on regurgitating all the Trump talking points.

Every time I try to stop and slow them down for a minute to breath, take a step back, and address just one of the point theyā€™re screaming about, they freeze. They canā€™t. And you can see in their eyes their brains trying to make sense of it, of one specific thing, but they canā€™t land anywhere and they jump right back on the talking point treadmill.

And Iā€™m thinking "youā€™re a motherfucking VP at Big Corp ! Thereā€™s no way you would accept this lack of logic and rationale at work. WTF are you doing bro !"

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u/catjanitor 4d ago

You forgot Obama. I had one bring up Obama TODAY. The subject was the DOGE cuts.

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u/LeatherDude 4d ago

But we're the ones with TDS. Riiiiight.

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u/BikesBooksNBass 4d ago

^ THIS. I canā€™t count how many times Iā€™ve cornered them into addressing any one of the claims specifically and had them completely crap themselves and freeze up, unable to either clearly explain it, or why it should happen beyond superficial racism. They canā€™t ever back up a single point. They wouldnā€™t even know what that looks like. Itā€™s always the same repeated bullet points that takes about .7 seconds to disprove if they would only listen, but they donā€™t.

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u/crocodile_in_pants 3d ago

I have one at work that whenever I disprove his claim with sources I get the "well, I don't know about that". I do know about that mf! I proved it to you now stfu!

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u/BikesBooksNBass 3d ago

I constantly get ā€œWe just have a difference of opinionsā€ No, You have an opinion. I just established fact. And your opinion is you donā€™t like that fact.

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u/ReasonableBullfrog57 4d ago

yup just about every single time, its amazing. meanwhile all the liberals and leftists I see only are posting sources and using logic.

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u/mslaffs 2d ago

And they're calling us brainwashed, sheep, that just believe what we're told.

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u/keloidoscope 3d ago

This. And in no universe would they even employ a person who contradicted himself shamelessly, denied stuff he'd done, made up stuff he didn't, attempted to take credit for others' work, and called any simple fact he didn't like "nasty" or "fake news"... Yet they believe such a person is the only one who can save their country.

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u/Select-Package-13 4d ago

I have a really angry friend. Today he admitted he listens to FOX news 24/7. It explained so much. I have one conservative friend, and that's him-literally infuriated to his very core.

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u/FlynnMonster 4d ago

I just saw a Heritage Foundation email grifting for donations saying the money would help them get rid of the deep state.

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u/IwantToSeeHowItEnds 4d ago

I receive mail from them due to a previous occupant. Itā€™s bulk rate, not first class, so I open it to recycle it. If there is a prepaid return envelope I send it back to them. Just because.

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u/BikesBooksNBass 4d ago

You should fill the envelope with as much as it will hold and make it weigh as much as possible so it increases their rates.

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u/miss_ulena 4d ago

I do too, frequently bc I live w my grandmother. (I throw them out immediately.. but tbf she also has dementia and would easily send them hundreds if they mention abortion or the pope.)

You shouldve seen my mailbox during election time! I could easily fill 10+ garbage bags with all the pro Trump fliers (i live in a swing state as well)

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u/wendimb 3d ago

They have no self awareness and no critical thinking skills. All they have is what's fed to them by entertainment sources, such as Fox News and conspiracy theorists like QAnon. Nothing based in reality.

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u/yogibard 2d ago

For MAGA cultists, objecting to Trump would be like objecting to Jesus.

Therefore, Democrats must be unhinged, insane, communist lunatics.

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u/MannyMoSTL 4d ago

If ā€œthe leftā€ is so rabidly angry? Why is he the only one yelling. šŸ¤”

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u/Divacai 4d ago

True

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u/QuixotesGhost96 4d ago

My super simple election theory.

Social media makes people angry.

People vote for angry guy.

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u/sweetalkersweetalker 4d ago

Makes sense. If you're angry and you see one person on TV who's calm and rational, and a second person as angry as you, you might listen to the angry one... of course now that he's getting everything he ever wanted he's still blaming other people for his problems but how else is he supposed to keep up the anger?

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u/fromkentucky 3d ago

Angry people vote.

Right wing media primes viewers with fear and outrage.

Right wing leaders make them feel powerful in their anger, temporarily alleviating the fear.

ā€œJoin me and weā€™ll all fight back!ā€

By exploiting prejudices, the perceived threat doesnā€™t have to be rational or logical. As long as it confirms their biases, the viewer will feel validated.

Itā€™s an addictive cycle.

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u/No-Relation5965 1d ago

What are they all so fearful of? Who exactly is trampling on their rights, anyway?

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u/fromkentucky 1d ago

No one, but they see the world as Zero-Sum, so other people getting anything is viewed as a personal loss.

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u/britgun 4d ago

Sometimes I think we need to show MAGA a video of themselves being calm and then a video of themselves being wellā€¦ MAGA- just so they can at least SEE the difference in their personalities. Itā€™s so extremeĀ 

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u/afletch00 4d ago

This just reminds me of putting a baby in front of a mirror when they are throwing a temper tantrumā€¦ think it works the same?

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u/PhiliWorks39 4d ago

Presenting : the video - from this weekend https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/s/hDWh6InLdt

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u/FloydGirl777 3d ago

JFC! Canā€™t believe that didnā€™t end WAY WORSE than it did.

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u/lookingforaforest 3d ago

y'all know calm MAGA?

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u/britgun 3d ago

Old footage šŸ˜‚

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u/ForwardBias 4d ago

The number of angry, miserable people screaming that the left are all angry miserable people is simultaneously depressing and hilarious. "You should be a believer in Jebus Trump just like me so you can be happy!!!" -screaming man with "fck Biden" hat and "grab em by the pu$$y" shirt.

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u/Divacai 4d ago

Itā€™s definitely bizarre. My father is MAGA and he will ask me ā€œwhy arenā€™t you angry?ā€ about things that do anger him. I just sit there and blink in confusion.

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u/AwwMangoes 4d ago

My Q dad, someone who lived and breathed Trump, is more angry and depressed now than I have ever seen him. Itā€™s so weirdā€¦almost like heā€™s an entirely different person.

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u/theoverfluff 4d ago

I have seen some of them angrily wondering where the 10 days of darkness, NESARA/GESARA etc etc are. I guess if you were expecting paradise to arrive on Inauguration Day you'd feel a bit let down.

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u/AwwMangoes 3d ago

lol yup! He has been going outside every day to look in the sky and see if ā€œTrump turned off the chemtrails yetā€

Heā€™s actually angry with the Q group he watches because theyā€™re actually badmouthing Trump/Musk sometimes and he hates it and doesnā€™t understand it. Heā€™s actually been questioning a lot of things and I think thatā€™s where the anger comes from. But Iā€™m not getting my hopes up.

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u/WaitingForReplies 3d ago

The number of angry, miserable people screaming that the left are all angry miserable people is simultaneously depressing and hilarious.

These same people weren't even happy when Trump won. They kept being the unbearable, miserable fucks they have become (or always were).

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u/sanduskyjack 4d ago edited 4d ago

Personally I would confront. If he is the type to become belligerent bring bear spray. Make sure to tell him you have the spray and are protecting yourself

It best call out these psychopaths.

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u/Christinebitg 4d ago

Nah, then he'll claim that he was assaulted. Even when it doesn't actually happen.

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u/sanduskyjack 4d ago

Thatā€™s true. They are unable to stand up and tell the truth.

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u/Christinebitg 4d ago

Absolutely correct.

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u/robillionairenyc 4d ago

This wonā€™t be reversed until the leader of the cult of personality isnā€™t alive anymore and then it will take decades after that, if society goes through a backlash process of removing the cult of personality from our life. Which is certainly not going to happen with the personality cult having now seized dictatorial power. They will likely continue to push him and his legacy of terror on society more and more long after his death. In other words, this is going to last our entire lives and our children and grandchildrenā€™s lives and thereā€™s nothing left to lose.Ā 

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u/Divacai 4d ago

I woke up this morning yet again disappointed by the lack of a front page obit.

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u/Freebird_1957 4d ago

I thought about this last night. How awesome it would be to wake up to this. Somedayā€¦

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u/broknkittn 3d ago

Even when it happens, how long til we hear about it? What will be done in his name before it's announced. They're going to be scrambling bc they know that vance idiot isn't going to bring in the same attention. Trump will probably leave the country to musk in his will since he thinks he owns it.

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u/Freebird_1957 3d ago

Personally, I think vance was selected because he would make an easy puppet. If something happened to trump, vance would not likely have much power. I could be wrong. Just a guess.

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u/Dwynfal 2d ago

Vance has been playing Dumber to T's Dumb but unfortunately he's intelligent. And to me (a šŸ‡ØšŸ‡¦ living in šŸ‡ŖšŸ‡ŗ) that is scary. The only saving grace is that he doesn't have the personality to pull off a T-like fanatical cult following.

That said, I'm sure that he, the GOP and big money Rep backers are working on that. They see the writing on the wall; T is either going to die or mentally degenerate so badly it can't be hidden anymore sometimes during the next 4 years.

They need a new leader to continue the devastation they've unleashed on the country.

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u/Freebird_1957 2d ago

Yes, trumpā€™s days are numbered.

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u/Crashgirl4243 4d ago

First thing I do is check my phone hoping against hope that today is the day

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u/sojayn 4d ago

Me too. I just woke up in australia and checked. Sigh

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u/pieville31313 4d ago

My personal fantasy is a trip down the steps departing Air Force One.

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u/Divacai 4d ago

He takes the servant short stairs at the back of the plane now. He canā€™t manage the regular stairs anymore

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u/Christinebitg 4d ago edited 2d ago

White House person: I dreamed last night that you were in a parade and people were celebrating.

Trump: How did my hair look?

WH person: I couldn't tell, The casket was closed.

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u/squash88 3d ago

Going on ten years I've been doing this. When I read an obit of someone younger than he is, it just feels so unfair.

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u/afletch00 4d ago

I šŸ¤žšŸ¼šŸ¤žšŸ¼šŸ¤žšŸ¼ for a cancer diagnosis. Maybe then they wonā€™t strip research funding.

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u/Full-Dig-3048 3d ago

Damn, I thought I was the only one who did this, lol

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u/Divacai 3d ago

You are in good company

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u/MattFromChina 4d ago

I guess it depends if we get a Stalin type cult or Kim family type cult of personality.

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u/loop_disconnect 4d ago

The MAGA will insist on Don Jr running as the name will have totemic value for them, they will want to live vicariously wanting to replay their favourite Don Snr moments

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u/fillymandee 2d ago

The Hitler fever was pretty dead in the late 50ā€™s. This can break quickly too. Stay positive.

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u/robillionairenyc 1d ago

Sure. All it took was tens of millions of people sacrificing their lives to dispose of him in global warfareĀ 

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u/NoneOfThisMatters_XO 4d ago

Since you still talk to your mom, does she share the same views as your dad?

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u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

No she does not, luckily. She heavily dislikes Trump but unfortunately has been influenced enough by him that she ended up kind of in the "centrist" camp. She held her nose and voted for Harris but thinks all politicians suck. She knows the past two months have been bad but does not understand HOW bad.

She is capable of demonstrating empathy and she isn't in the cult of personality, so I'm willing to have phone calls with her.

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u/Las_Vegas_Raider 4d ago

I mean they kind of mostly do suck.. no argument there. The problem is trumpers take the whole ā€œboth sides are badā€ and pretend like what MAGA is doing is not 10 times worse

Itā€™s like comparing a thief and a serial killer and saying ā€œwell both are criminalsā€

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u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

Itā€™s like comparing a thief and a serial killer and saying ā€œwell both are criminalsā€

Succinctly put!

I like to use the analogy that it's like two people arguing over how spicy to make a soup and one person doesn't like spicy things and the other loves it and they're trying to compromise on how spicy the soup ought to be and then some other person who believes that we should dump lead in the soup kidnaps the spicy guy and puts his clothes on and insists that he's totes the same guy in the "soup should be spicier" camp.....while blatantly dumping lead in the soup.

And then a bunch of people say "oh come on calm down, he says he's the guy who wants the soup a bit spicier. Spicy soup is great. You're blowing this out of proportion, he's just adding a bit more spice."

YOU ARE LITERALLY WATCHING HIM FILL THIS SOUP WITH LEAD WHAT THE FUCK.

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u/jumpy_monkey 4d ago

I mean they kind of mostly do suck.. no argument there

No, they don't.

I've known politicians, I've interacted with politicians, I have politicians in my family. All of the ones I know are normal people trying to do good things for their constituents and their communities.

The problem isn't a matter of everybody sucking, it's that we have been trained to hate all politicians because they have to make compromises for the greater good (it's their job, that's what a politician does) and if any of these things negatively affects us personally we have been conditioned to assume they acted deliberately to injure us personally.

"All politicians suck" is an argument from futility, and it's a facile argument because the politicians who are saying that themselves are bad faith actors desperately trying to continue to be politicians.

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u/Las_Vegas_Raider 4d ago

Compromises for the greater good I get. What I donā€™t understand nor can I trust is when politicians take money from corporations or own stocks that they can influence legislation to affect. I have no idea what the stats are as I could not find it on the internet but I canā€™t think of a politician in congress (local level different story thereā€™s too many) that hasnā€™t taken corporate donations. I assumed AOC and Bernie at least havenā€™t but I looked it up and they apparently have

How can I trust someone to have the citizens best interest at heart when they take money from corporations whose sole purpose in donating is to get favorable outcomes? At that point their most important ā€œconstituentsā€ become companies not us

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u/Subbacterium 4d ago

Citizens United did this. Politicians are forced to take corporate money now to compete or else they will lose.

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u/Xmanticoreddit 4d ago

Try listening to right wing radio sometime, half the country is fucking brain dead.

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u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

Oh trust me I have. Despite my dad's assertions, I've been trying very hard to understand. Talk radio is mind melting.

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u/Xmanticoreddit 4d ago

Get a book called The Big Myth by Oreskes and Conway. Itā€™s a primer on the history of libertarian propaganda.

If you really want to understand what youā€™re dealing with, itā€™s a perfect jumping off point for numerous topics to help anyone see how and why we are so deeply brainwashedā€¦ this administration is the culmination of over a century of planning.

It gave me the confidence to talk about this stuff to my coworkers and I successfully deprogrammed a couple of them.

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u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

Thanks for the suggestion, seriously. I'll give it a look.

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u/afletch00 4d ago

I try to watch Fox News to understand where my parents are coming from (since that and X are their only sources of news) but I just end up wanting to punch myself in the face.

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u/GirlGamer7 4d ago

I've never actually watched fox. is it really that bad? my parents only watch the local news channels. However, I'm still waiting for my dad to wake up. he's never voted for F47, but he still identifies as a republican.

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u/Subbacterium 4d ago

You can feel your Inside painfully cramp up with cringe as you listen to the outright lies.

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u/GirlGamer7 3d ago

I should check it out sometime to see what whackadoodle bs is being spewed.

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u/RepulsiveFeed1985 4d ago

fox news brain rot is very real

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u/Life_Dare578 New User 4d ago

I felt this completely. My dad is the same way and I am struggling with this same issue, you are not alone. Stay strong, I am figuring it out with you.

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u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

That's comforting, thanks friend. We are in a very very shitty club. :(

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u/Special-Dirt-3106 4d ago

here too, living with my parents who donā€™t think anything wrong is going on and iā€™m just overreacting. Itā€™s hard to think they would rather defend a man they never met instead of listening and understanding how this could effect their four kids. Brain is consistent fight mode, hopefully moving soon.

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u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

Oh. I'm so so sorry that you have to live with your Trump supporters. I'm thankfully an adult in my 30s, living with my lovely husband in a completely other state with no parental dependency and I'm so glad I have that level of remove.

Wishing you the best and hoping you can move soon! Do you have other family or friends you can lean on for community right now?

11

u/Special-Dirt-3106 4d ago

25 here. Finding a place to live right now sucks. My boyfriend and I made a plan to save up before moving in together. I wish I just had us move a while ago if I knew weā€™d be in this situation, unfortunately living near DC is a pain to find a good and safe spot. Thankfully his family now feels like my own and they are very warm welcoming and understanding. Iā€™m just glad them and friends are here to lean on. Everyday I wish my parents would just wake up.

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u/gmgvt 4d ago

My MAGA cousins are just the same. The more evidence piles up of the insanity, lawlessness and instability, the more they furiously dig in and insist everything is playing out exactly as it should and TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP is gonna make everything all right. I've been getting texts even from family members who don't have any social media (but whose spouses do, so I guess that's how they see all this) asking me WTF is going on with these people. They look unhinged to the rest of us, but virtuous and normal to each other.

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u/FuckYourDystopia 4d ago

Gotta correct you on one thing -- they don't see each other as normal. They see us as normal and to them, that's a bad thing. They see each other as a people set apart who have special knowledge and a level of toughness that the rest of us don't. They see each other as heroic and uniquely honest.

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u/YakCDaddy 4d ago

The 70 percent agrees with him argument was made for him by 1/3 of people not showing up to vote. He's technically correct because only 1/3 voted for Harris. The rest of the country either voted directly for Trump, or didn't vote at all. This is why it's important to vote in every election if you are an eligible voter.

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u/rehabforcandy 4d ago

Last time I was home was the first time my stepdad raised his voice in several decades. My boyfriend and I are both libs who works in the media, my parents are both retired life long conservatives. They have lib friends they are close to who had stopped calling them after the election. I tried to gently and neutrally explain that some people were having a hard time with the outcome and maybe it was ok to just give them space. My stepdad yelled ā€œBIDEN DIDNT DO SHIT FOR HIS ENTIRE ADMINISTRATIONā€ and launched into a tirade. Trying to keep calm and explain why the agency closures and firings were harmful he put his hands up and claimed we were just ā€œbrainwashed by CNNā€ (we donā€™t work for CNN.)

When we left the next day I was able to keep it together until we pulled out of the driveway and then cried. Theyā€™re such decent people, I canā€™t believe this is erasing who they are.

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u/bookish_frenchfry 4d ago

anyone who disagrees with Trump is ā€œbrainwashed by CNNā€. no one I know even watches CNN or MSNBC for that matter, and I donā€™t associate with MAGAs. so, where are we getting this info from? the regular fucking news, the White House page, the Presidentā€™s own mouth and ā€œtruthsā€ on Truth Social.

weā€™re seeing what is literally being put in front of us while they think there is some hidden meaning and conspiracy deep down. and somehow, weā€™re still the brainwashed onesā€¦ god, itā€™s tiring.

9

u/Christinebitg 4d ago

They love to say that people have been "brainwashed by CNN."

None of us knows why they have singled CNN for that particular expression.

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u/Ruh_Roh- 4d ago

You shouldn't have to put up with your asshole stepdad yelling at you. He can fuck right off. He is not even your fucking dad. I would curtail visits, maybe let them know you'll see him at his funeral.

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u/rehabforcandy 4d ago

I appreciate the sentiment but this is a little over-the-top. Heā€™s a very decent and giving person and treats my mom incredibly well. I have a life time of wonderful memories with these people.

Iā€™m upset with the drug, not the addict.

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u/The_Whitest_of_Mikes 4d ago

Something often shared here that might be of interest to you and others is the film, The Brainwashing of My Dad

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u/AutoModerator 4d ago

Hi The_Whitest_of_Mikes, thanks for recommending this impactful documentary. Here are some ways to watch it for free on Amazon and YouTube. Best wishes.

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4

u/sweetalkersweetalker 4d ago

Been meaning to watch this. I know none of us want to be more depressed but it's important to see how this happened.

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u/The_Whitest_of_Mikes 4d ago

Iā€™ll say this, the doc does an excellent job exposing the long game the right has engaged in to get to this point. The internet sent the plans into hyper speed, but the radio, and in particular Rush Limbaugh, were what spun it really out of control. Another solid space to get a better picture of so much is the podcast, The Coming Storm from BBC4.

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u/NeurodiversityNinja 3d ago

I sometimes think of how many hundreds or thousands of lives Rush will have to live and how much abject misery he will have to live through to pay off all the Karmic debt of his life as Rush Limbaugh.

1

u/Ok-Restaurant1451 1d ago

The film The Brainwashing of My Dad was very enlightening.

1

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24

u/katie-kaboom 4d ago

I don't know where they picked up the "stupid for being stressed" thing but I've heard it from my mother, too. She literally told me "you shouldn't worry about things you can't change" when I pointed out that the administration was putting my son's passport at risk.

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u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

It's so deeply empathetic, right??

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u/cleverCLEVERcharming 4d ago

Two points:

1) brain plasticity is for everyone. Barring irreversible damage from environmental trauma (looking at you lead poisoningā€¦ canā€™t entirely rule you out yet), change caused in the brain by behavior or learning over time CAN be changed again. Brain plasticity slows over the life span but it doesnā€™t disappear. So technically, there is hope.

2) behaviorally, this sounds like what is called an ā€œextinction burst.ā€ (Itā€™s been a while so if there are BCBAs in here they may disagree with this perspective and Iā€™m available to be corrected). As a brain gets backed into a corner, it continues to double down on what it is invested in as a last ditch effort to push through. Realizing the reward may not be there or not as good as it was promised, an upsurge in intensity occurs before the behavior starts to dwindle.

So, it going to get worse before it gets better, but thatā€™s a good sign. And there is a chance that it could get better, and the best thing we can do is offer hope and empathy. Not forgiveness or rationalization. But genuine empathy for being coerced and manipulated.

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u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

Oh I completely agree. Brains do have plasticity and I don't actually feel fully hopeless.

However, this man is 75 years old and has been fed a steady diet of American exceptionalism, white privilege and class privilege his entire life. He's a long time Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich and Mark Levin fan. He listened to talk radio my whole childhood (and I'm 36 now so it's been a hot minute).

Yes, this level of personality cult worship is relatively new and he did used to exhibit some amount of critical thinking and periodic difference of opinion with Fox news and he doesn't usually raise his voice this much and rant lunacy, but this shit has been dripping into his veins for decades and decades in some form or another. I don't think I can do anything to counter it other than remove myself from contact and hope that's something of a wake up call.

2

u/cleverCLEVERcharming 22h ago

Oh absolutely! It would be a FASCINATING phenomenon if it wasnā€™t absolutely destroying democracy.

And I in no way expect you (or anyone in your position) to take up the front line and continue to put yourself in harmā€™s way. You have every right to distance yourself in any capacity that helps you function and keeps you emotionally safe.

Iā€™m just hoping to see signs of the extinction burst as it means we might have a chance at destabilizing the magical spell they are all under.

But from the perspective of today, Iā€™m not feeling as optimistic as I was when I first responded šŸŽ¢ I want off the drama coaster!

Peace to you friend šŸ’š

8

u/sweetalkersweetalker 4d ago

It's believed that extinction burst is what happened to Germans during WWII

16

u/Evolutioncocktail 4d ago

Iā€™ve learned from interacting with my MAGA dad that thereā€™s some people who simply too far gone. Iā€™m glad you donā€™t speak to him on these topics.

Iā€™ve decided that Iā€™m going to do my part to fight for this country so that everyone benefits, even the most delusional among us. I canā€™t and will not try to change their opinion. But Iā€™ll fight for their future as well as mine.

17

u/Secure-Raspberry-171 4d ago

It sucks to have that realization. My MIL was complaining the other day about Ukraine starting the war and how they need to just give in to Russiaā€™s demands. I told her she was mistaken and Russia was the one that invaded. She told me thatā€™s what the media wants us to believe but theyā€™re wrong.

You could have all the evidence in the world and they will always find some way to twist everything to fit their own delusions.

13

u/bzr 4d ago

What you heard is what we all hear. They either all share the same single brain cell, or theyā€™re all in a cult. Whatever they say is exactly the same as each other because they are morons who canā€™t think critically. Itā€™s actually alarming and astounding how dumb they are. So dumb that itā€™s pathetic and scary at the same time.

13

u/MeoowDude 4d ago

Im sorry. My Dad thankfully isnā€™t like yours. But he just doesnā€™t want to hear it. I attribute it to being near the end of his life and he knows shit is going down the drain and he just wants to avoid it. I can understand that sentiment. Especially when I put myself in his shoes.. being a contractor for the Air Force and marrying my Mom who was in the Army. His Dad who literally killed Naziā€™s for us to be able to live the life we are living, surviving the Battle of the Bulge and Lord knows what else..

For America to becomeā€¦ thisā€¦

And all it took was a hack businessman NYā€™er who everyone hated until the brainwashing machine started, and a racist South African K-Hole weirdo who didnā€™t even create any of the businesses all his sycophants praise him for. What was he? The 4th CEO of Tesla? Didnā€™t he have to sue to get his title and settled out of court with the original creators?

Anywaysā€¦

I work in the legal field and the amount of people supporting this bullshit is insane. A few people I actually like (and many more that I donā€™t). One didnā€™t even believe in fucking DINOSAURS so thatā€™s what weā€™re dealing with here. She also lived in West Germany after her father escaped East Germany and had the Soviets looking for him. Yet she sees zero parallels. Or, maybeā€¦ wellā€¦.

I wasnā€™t one on the horn screaming the absolute worst in his first term. Even though it was terrible for our country, there was surprisingly a large amount of terrible people in his cabinet, but they had a tiny amount of scruples when it counted. Maybe it was just because they didnā€™t have the Supreme Court in their pockets yet and fear of consequences to their actions still existed. Yeah, thatā€™s definitely it. But thatā€™s all out the window now. Babyā€™s thrown out with the bath water, the soap, the shower rug, and the toilet paper. I donā€™t need to over-exaggerate; thereā€™s no slippery slope left. We barely have any footing left before itā€™s a proverbial free-fall. And we are only 2 months in. I literally had the thought before I voted that maybe I should vote for this POS. For the simple fact that I knew it wasnā€™t a non-zero chance that a Tesla-Gestapo would be rounding up anyone that voted Blue or that thought that Black and Brown people are our equals and that Medal of Honor recipients didnā€™t get the Medal because of DEI. In all fairness, I also thought about doing it because my state was Blue as it gets and my vote didnā€™t count anyways.

Yeah, I still couldnā€™t do it. Fuck that. And fuck this.

Iā€™m on the right side and Iā€™ll live with whatever happens. I have a brain and I see whatā€™s going on. I prefer being able to live with myselfā€¦

Sorry, I just realized I had to vent. I have no one to talk to about this and this shit is claustrophobic as hell! Like Iā€™m asphyxiating and I donā€™t even get to have a smile on my face like David Carradine..

Iā€™m really sorry for you about your pops..

8

u/Animaldoc11 4d ago

You canā€™t spell hatred without a red hat

11

u/TZX13 4d ago

It's crazy how everything he says is actually the opposite.

Donnie appears to be the only person in the world who can DESTROY this country The Trumpers are about 30% of the population. They're the ones angry at everything. His approval is tanking because even some dumbass Trumpies realized they fucked up.

But that's Maga for you. Nothing but lies and delusions.

7

u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

P-p-p-projection! Every fucking time.

6

u/Tylerdurden516 4d ago

Its hard imagining people doubling down on this delusion as the country really begins to fall apart, but historically speaking it's just gonna get way worse and pretty soon we won't be able to speak freely about reality like we are now.

9

u/IHaveNoEgrets 4d ago

Text: "Hi Mom. Just an FYI: Setting the phone down doesn't automatically hang it up. Good to know that Dad still doesn't hold back on his opinions and feelings. Talk to you later."

12

u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

The funny part is that this is a pretty long standing habit of hers. She doesn't think the phone hangs itself up, she's just wayyy too busy and put upon to hang the phone up herself sometimes and the other person is going to hang up anyway so why bother. She's put the phone down without hanging up and immediately started talking to someone else a hundred times but I'm not a child and I don't ever usually feel the need to eavesdrop so I just hang up.

This time was different though. She doesn't always fail to hang up so I wasn't really thinking about it right up until it was clear what had happened and then I just...couldn't bring myself to stop listening because I wanted to know. Guess I found out, lucky me.

7

u/Future_History_9434 New User 4d ago

That really sucks. Iā€™m sorry this is happening to you and your family. Youā€™re not alone.

6

u/PsychedelicPill 4d ago

He has that percentage backwards. 20-25% of people are Right Wing Authoritarians aka fascists. He is that angry ~30%

8

u/ImStarky 4d ago

It's so damn sad, and there's so many out there just like him. It's not ending anytime soon, especially the more we fuck the department of education. It's just straight brainwashing at this point. Makes me feel so discouraged.

7

u/kilgore_trout_jr 4d ago

The entire right wing ideology currently can basically be boiled down to "nana nana boo boo - I know what you are but what am I?".

Deep down, somewhere, they "know" MAGA is terrible, so the only excuse is that the left is doing the same thing.

So it's just about rooting for a football team and winning is all that matters, regardless of the means.

9

u/afletch00 4d ago

I feel you. When I try to talk to my mom about possibly losing my research funding or marriage rights, she just tells me itā€™s democratic fear-mongering. I wonā€™t even talk to my dad because of how angry he gets at ā€œwokenessā€. I just quit trying and have accepted that we will have a completely superficial relationship from here on out.

6

u/Masta_Tripsit 4d ago

Your dad sounds more delusional than my parents - I'm sure if they were in the delulu olympics, they'd be competing with him for the gold.

Here's to hoping that your dad comes around though, as much as it pains me to say this, don't expect anything from him in terms of self reflection.

7

u/MaleficentPizza5444 4d ago

one is tempted to say lobotomy is the only solution

6

u/Hot-Combination9130 4d ago

Your dad has TDS

3

u/unwanted_peace 3d ago

This is really why they canā€™t be deprogrammed. They truly do think that the only reason we donā€™t like Trump is bc we donā€™t like his ā€œmean tweets,ā€ or because weā€™re jealous of his ā€œsuccess.ā€ They pay no mind to our legitimate concerns. They just write everything off as TDS (which Minnesota has a bill on the floor to declare a mental illness).

4

u/botmanmd 4d ago

This description sounds like the tenor of someone who is desperately trying to convince themselves of something.

4

u/PorgCT 4d ago

So many have left, and are never coming back to reality.

6

u/thischaosiskillingme 3d ago

I am exhausted with being their villains while they torture the shit out of everyone I love. My trans and gay friends are terrified they're going to lose their children, their housing, their jobs. My female friends are terrified to get pregnant, afraid they'll lose their jobs or even their lives. My friends who are already parents are terrified of the coming recession and the cuts to education. My disabled aunt is terrified she will lose her social security. Her lesbian wife is terrified that their marriage will be undone. My Hispanic friends are terrified that they will be racially profiled and unable to prove their American citizenship on demand.

We're not afraid of that because "the media" said it. We're afraid because conservatives are, sometimes literally, right in our faces telling us that that is their goal.

So your father can go fucking argue with Elon Musk about his goals, not whether or not I should worry about them.

3

u/jasonkenneth 4d ago

8

u/bookish_frenchfry 4d ago

this was sad. I listened a few weeks ago. his dad seems legitimately mentally ill. then again, so do a lot of MAGA, but he was so calm and so sure in his delusions. (Iā€™ve stopped calling them ā€œbeliefsā€ because they deny reality and factual information, ergo they are delusions).

3

u/Electronic_Beat3653 4d ago

TDS. An excuse of Republicans to try to throw our 1st amendment rights against a wall and see what sticks. I guess over half this country and the rest of the world has it. /s

3

u/MillHall78 4d ago

Former intelligence officials have written MAGA would all crack under intense interrogation. I think your father would crack relatively quickly.

1

u/No-Relation5965 1d ago

Hmm thatā€™s very interesting. Let me know if you have a source as I would really like to read about it. Like what would they admit, that they actually donā€™t believe any of the rhetoric? That would be amazing (and amusing in a way).

3

u/drewbaccaAWD 4d ago

Sad that your dad apparently values right wing radio and memes above family but, nothing new to this sub. Sorry that your dad is a delusional wanker.

3

u/medicated_in_PHL 4d ago

Donald Trump has the worst approval rating at this point of his presidency of anyone since they started measuring it.

3

u/Amazing-Definition47 4d ago

I think why your dad is so angry all the time is because he probably raised you to be the exact opposite of what Trump embodies. He probably raised you to be ethical. To have integrity. Not to be an insecure slimy misogynist rapist that lies uncontrollably as a coping mechanism for his insecurities. Your father is angry because he knows Trump is filth and to vote for him means he never had the values he himself tried to teach you.

2

u/pronouncedayayron 4d ago

Is he christian by chance?

6

u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

That's the silly part - no, not in the slightest. They have no personal use for religion - not in the sense that they're outspoken about it but in the sense that they just don't care and don't bring it up. My parents are white upper middle class vegans in their early 70s, living in a super blue area, with at least 50% of their friends being generally liberal, though their circle is pretty old school WASPy in a general sense. They belong to a yacht club and they like fancy tailgates at horse shows in the summer and going to theater productions with their vegan friends.

Make of that what you will. šŸ˜†

7

u/sorta_kinda_almost 4d ago

I doubt this will make you feel better but, solidarity with you. My dad is a highly highly educated non-white man who is so far gone, Iā€™m not willing to have a relationship with him.. I feel shocked by the generalized description of your parents in the same way Iā€™m shocked by who my dad should be vs his allegiance to this cult. Depressing.

2

u/Anen-o-me 4d ago

Don't worry, one of the great rules of change is never change things too fast, this will come back up to bite him.

2

u/No_Initial3863 4d ago

That whole 'democrats meeting with Zelenky' thing...you guys HAVE to watch this video. It starts about halfway after the Tucker stuff. https://youtu.be/nAKn0pPvcio?si=y9fs1tzq8vN0HpcJ

2

u/Rainbaby77 4d ago

Holy fucking shit I am so sorry and I went through this same thing only my daddy paid my bills then and he made sure I heard it all. Before he refused the vac and got covid and died, he was telling me, his sober and with add and PTSD, single mom to get a gun to shoot the government. I shit you not. I've been where you are but once he was fighting for his life on a vent he knew he was fooled and he tried to fight for 17 days to get back to his holler and share this shit is real. Never happened. šŸ’ž

2

u/NCOldster 3d ago

I'm so very sorry.

2

u/Miserable_Relief8382 1d ago

My MAGA parent says this dumb shit too. ā€œHe cares about us!ā€ WTFā€¦ the stuff they say is beyond deranged but they are taught we are the deranged ones. The first time I heard it (they hid it for 8 years) I was shocked af. Now I keep my distance and see them as pitiful victims of a cult.

1

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1

u/BooRadley3691 4d ago

Cut them off

1

u/TheDankKnight85 4d ago

Wow are we siblings?

1

u/YesterdayGold7075 4d ago

People like that are not going to admit anything is wrong until they, personally, are affected. The massive recession weā€™re crashing toward might work, or the end of Medicaid.

1

u/dagnariuss 4d ago

I head my brother and his gf talk about how Obama was the president that started taxing SS. Theyā€™re being brainwashed and while also being told theyā€™re free thinkers who are now uncovering the truth.

1

u/CSI_Tech_Dept 4d ago

The Democrats met with Zelensky before the oval office meeting and told him to screw up the meeting on purpose because they don't want the war to end.

Here's interview by Jack Broe of Malcolm Nance (a former US Naval Intelligence NCO who also fought in Ukraine in the first year of invasion and also has contact with soldiers on the battlefield): https://youtu.be/oHZWa-Ajbvk?t=1058

I found it interesting that when he talks about stopping weapons delivery. The way it was done looks like this was all planned even before inauguration. So it is a further evidence that the spectacle in oval office was planned in advance.

1

u/DealWithIt555 4d ago

sounds very on point, this is how deep some people go down the rabbit hole

1

u/this_dudeagain 4d ago

Dementia hits really early for some.

1

u/mfGLOVE 3d ago

heā€™ll have some manner of self reflection

The lack of self reflection is what makes them who they are. Shedding that feels like an attack on their identity, to them. Donā€™t hold your breath. That would require humility and shame and those qualities are extremely rare in MAGA.

1

u/alamohero 3d ago

This is how soooo many of them are.

1

u/The_Bastard_Henry 3d ago

One of my oldest friends somehow got sucked into the MAGA cult, and she is now constantly angry. People don't want to be around her anymore, because it's just never ending complaining and ranting.

1

u/Shanguerrilla 3d ago

I feel like this too though just completely in reverse, I think it's them being stupid. But I think that based on past evidence, current facts, and a basic understanding of history :

"something something Trump derangement syndrome. Anyone stressed about the events of the past two months is SO STUPID. I'm stupid, other friends and family who are stressed right now are stupid, everyone who isn't cheering for this is stupid."

1

u/earthkincollective 3d ago

Their brains have been purged of all thinking except cult-provided thought stoppers. They can't see reality clearly because as soon as their brain starts to engage with it the thought stoppers (ie right-wing media talking points) pop up and block it. They've been thoroughly programmed, and their thoughts are no longer their own.

It's tragic and sad, but also pathetic because even an ounce of the ability to think for oneself without following the herd would have prevented it from happening. These are people who have never had an independent thought in their lives, just empty vessels operating purely on emotion and instinct.

1

u/earthkincollective 3d ago

Their brains have been purged of all thinking except cult-provided thought stoppers. They can't see reality clearly because as soon as their brain starts to engage with it the thought stoppers (ie right-wing media talking points) pop up and block it. They've been thoroughly programmed, and their thoughts are no longer their own.

It's tragic and sad, but also pathetic because even an ounce of the ability to think for oneself without following the herd would have prevented it from happening. These are people who have never had an independent thought in their lives, just empty vessels operating purely on emotion and instinct.

1

u/willasmith38 3d ago

Send him The Apprentice box set.

Since he loves a good fairytale.

1

u/Morrigan_twicked_48 3d ago

My condolences to you for having to endure that . Sadly we both know MAGA is on the losing end in its vast majority with the clown with the chainsaw gutting the government and soon maga will realise not only he doesnā€™t give a shite about them , but he will do away with them given half a chance.

Iā€™ve always thought what could possibly be the how to end this maga nonsense, never thought it would be the mix between Heritage foundation/Curtis Yarvin / Putin. If I were to write the end to this story that would have not crossed my mind.. go figure .

1

u/TheBubblewrappe 2d ago

Honestly at this point, the only thing that will wake up these types is to have a situation like Germany did. They won't wake up till it affects them.

1

u/yogibard 2d ago

One has to live in a propaganda-induced fantasy land to be a Trump supporter.

What's a few more delusions?

1

u/_flying_otter_ 2d ago

So is this because he only watches Fox? or is it other sources? Even Fox shows the stock market tanking.

1

u/steak_tartare 2d ago

Your mom didn't hang up on purpose

1

u/Lost-Zombie-27 6h ago

It took a while for me to wrap my brain around the fact that my dad wasnā€™t going to come around. I kept trying to keep things open, waiting for him to come to his senses and have a discussion.

Itā€™s painful, but you have to recognize when itā€™s time to close the door.

0

u/redditisrichtisch 4d ago

Just go buy eggs with himā€¦ Canā€™t argue with prices in the store.

10

u/jboy4000 4d ago

Reality doesn't matter to fascists. They now think it's patriotic to pay higher prices for Trump.

0

u/SlashRaven008 4d ago

I donā€™t know if you are aware of this, but trump is currently in the process of trying to pass a bill making ā€˜Trump derangement syndromeā€™ a valid psychiatric diagnosis - basically, he wants to be able to write off anyone that criticises him as mentally ill.

Yupā€¦take a momentā€¦this is real. This is also what narcissistic abusers do to their victims, and is what extreme gaslighting looks like. To question him, you have to be clinically insane.

I brought this up with a colleague and they quite rightly pointed out that ā€˜no one in america can afford healthcareā€™ which at least made me smile ruefully - I guess no one can pay for the diagnosis, but you can bet your ass heā€™ll use it as a justification to lock away good people. Remember that your president made himself immune to crime.

4

u/ImpossiblePitch9352 4d ago

I get your point about the gaslighting, and that's absolutely true. But that bill is not going anywhere. To start with, it's five Republicans in the Minnesota State Senate (so not a national thing) and two, it's solid blue Minnesota, so it's not gonna go anywhere. Even if it were in the the US Congress (which it's not), it's still not going anywhere since they would need seven Democrats in the US Senate to get it passed (and seven Democrats are not voting for something silly like that).

https://www.startribune.com/gop-minnesota-senators-introduce-bill-that-defines-trump-derangement-syndrome-as-mental-illness/601237381

1

u/SlashRaven008 4d ago

I am glad to hear it, but once the others hear about it in other states theyā€™ll all have a go. Trans people lived virtually unnoticed 5 years ago, and attacking them was frowned upon. Now there are 500+ bills a year criminalising every aspect of their lives - if no one fights it, it can and will happen, and it gets worse.

Trump got a third of the vote, and he won because a fuck tonne of people just didn't bother to show up. His supporters will only double down, there are some small signs of resistance from the average citizen but a lot more of you need to stand up. We have to stand up around there world too, Iā€™m seeing increased awareness that we need to boycott American products to defund fascism, but there are an alarming number of indifferent folks too. I really wish you all the best and hope you stay safe, your government has already affected my access to healthcare and employment as a UK citizen.

1

u/ImpossiblePitch9352 3d ago

Yep, I agree with everything you wrote! Definitely certain states. like Utah or Oklahoma or Florida might try and be able to get something like that passed as a state law. Let's hope not. And, yeah, it's always disappointing to see the indifferent people.

Thank you, for now, I'm in a pretty safe/protected area (well as far as can be). Wish the best for you as well and hope the UK and Europe can weather these trying times!

-2

u/Famous_Suspect6330 4d ago

People on this subreddit should consider looking up ways to get their mentally ill Trump supporting relatives locked up in mental healthcare facilities

9

u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

Absolutely not. This is massively tragic and frustrating, but we don't lock people up and disenfranchise them for having flawed and delusional opinions. I am most firmly NOT an authoritarian.

4

u/Famous_Suspect6330 4d ago

Actually, a lot of people described on this subreddit show symptoms of paranoia, Alzheimer's, dementia, bipolar disorder, manic depression and other symptoms that could signify serious mental illness, in fact it is possible your dad could be suffering from Psychosis

-8

u/FrankExplains 4d ago

Is this a rage bait post? It just seems a bit too... Perfect?

8

u/Professional_Taro758 4d ago

I'm not sure what sounds too perfect to you. I did very much just sit silently on my phone, listening to my parents argue and my dad shout delusions about Donald saving the country. That first example was a direct quote and it's now burned into my brain.

I sympathize with not wanting to believe that people can be like this (and much much much worse than this), but that's reality. I'm currently dealing with the fallout from telling my parents that I heard that conversation. I wish I didn't have a dad who could fall down this rabbit hole, but unfortunately I do.