The dismantling of MAGA
Cults don’t let go of their members easily. I’ve read about cults and met former members. It is not easy to leave a cult. It’s like a battered spouse leaving an abuser. And make no mistake, cult members are battered. It may not always be physical, but the price that they pay- giving away their very souls- is emotional battery.
And for the Maga cult, it would be hard to leave. People have lost friends — and family — to the cult of Maga. One can’t say Maga is not a cult. Trump’s followers — some of them — would do anything for him. They would defend him. They would –some of them — die for him — and some would kill for him. That is a cult.
Steven Hassan knows about cults. He is a world-renowned expert on them. And he sees troubled times ahead for Maga. Hassan says the cult of Trump has eclipsed Trump. The monster created has become more of a giant than the one who created it. Hassan says Trump is a malignant narcissist and fits the profile of a cult leader. He sees the whole Maga movement as an exercise in mind control.
And book burning and book banning are integral parts of an authoritarian cult, Hassan says. It is part of an “escalating pattern.”
But he sees the movement as much bigger than Trump. And he feels that the prosecution of Trump is vital in restoring democracy. “A message needs to be sent to the cult members,” he explains, “that there are consequences for criminal behavior.”
Hassan is an utterly fascinating man, and you should read this article. Cult experts are a rare breed, and we need to hear from more of them. They know and understand the Maga hate movement and can offer valuable advice and insight.
