Understanding Trumpeter's and How to Deal with Them

This information is not intended to educate Trump followers.  I don’t think they’d be interested in this information.  It is written for those who struggle to understand Trumpsters’ way of thinking and making decisions.  This is support for those who tend to live in the real world but also feel stressed out dealing with those who seem to prefer living in world of falsehoods and disrespect that costs so much money, so much in relationships, and so many lives.

 

Not since McCarthyism in the1950s has the United States faced the broadness of mass hysteria we see in the MAGA movement today.  The fact that it is so rare leaves many at a loss without experience in how to deal with those who cannot seem to live in the real world.  It’s dumbfounding and perplexing.

Research shows that less than a 1/3 of republicans are MAGA supporters.  This is important to realize, as I have seen many commentators lump all republicans in with Trumpism, which would be unfair to many republicans who themselves want to recover the conservative views of the republican party that seem lost to the extremists.

 

The MAGA crowd seems unable to see the world as it is and is remarkably disconnected from their hearts and a moral compass.  It helps to understand that the MAGA Movement is a cult, which explains the mind-set that cannot seem to grasp what the rest of the world sees as obvious.  If you want to know why Trump followers are in a cult (and don’t know they’re in a cult).  Note below for common characteristics of a cult: 

 

 

          

 

  

MAGA followers are dominated by fear and thus are attracted to the fear that dominates their leader. (Like attracts like and helps people feel comfortable). Some of these fears are:  fear of the truth, fear that the truth is dangerous, fear of history, fear of facts, fear of the unknown (particularly the unknown of how people different from themselves might hurt them), and fear of the known.  They are afraid of science, of reasoning, of thinking.  They are afraid of being out of control, of disaster that could occur if they don’t get their way.  The are afraid of change, of diversity, of being wrong.  They are afraid the world will go to hell if they can’t control it.  They are afraid of disappointing God for not 'saving those who disagree', and fear being held responsible for failing to reach them.  They live in an illusion that differences between people are bad, rather than being able to see that diversity enriches life.  They want what’s familiar and are frightened of what they don’t understand.  They are afraid of understanding itself, as it would require seeing things in a new way, which they have predetermined has less value that what they already “know”.

 

MAGAites major in minors because they need things to be simple to be comfortable.  Here are some common examples:

1)        They are afraid of voter fraud, when it is extremely rare.   In studies like that of the Heritage Foundation, double-checking nearly 40 million votes in general elections since 1982, only 1 in every 30 - 40 million votes has was cast by a non-citizen.  In other words, a person is more likely to be struck by lightning than to sneak through and vote illegally.  The preoccupation with this is strange to many of us who value fairness, and makes no sense to people who care about facts.

2)        Fewer than 1% of people are trans, yet this tiny percentage becomes their focus to stand against instead of being upset that 40% of Americans struggle with poverty or 35% of America’s children are hungry and need food.  They are afraid to learn about sexuality and afraid of facing the pain of others created by their negligence.

3)        They are more frightened of immigrants that are 64% less likely to commit a crime than their American citizen neighbor or the more than 1900 convicted criminals that have been released to the streets by their guru.  Hearing the truth would make them question their prejudices and shatter a bubble of a world they have created to shield themselves from reality.

Majoring in minors keeps their life simple and helps them deal with their imagined fears.  They may not be as capable as you to handle a complex world.

The fear of change and the fear of being wrong are so strong that MAGAs avoid learning what most educated people on the planet know.  Some things they avoid learning are 

1) the well-documented reality of climate change, supported by hundreds of studies world-wide covering decades of research.  It’s easier to assume climate change is made up than to actually learn about it.

2) taking care of people’s health is good for the economy (18% of non-working people are prevented by illness from working, people who would increase tax revenue substantially, easing the nation’s financial problems if we would care enough to provide medical care so they could work and pay taxes).  Realizing the pain of others calls people forth to do something, and changing to help people takes effort.

3) Gay people are pre-occupied with loving and serving others, and that hating them just exemplifies gays know a kinder, more respectful way to live than their MAGA straight buddies.

4) that history educates us as to how to avoid creating human pain in the future, but that denying (eliminating books, defunding education, etc.) creates more misery.

5) that research shows that even though someone carrying a gun believes they are safer than someone who doesn’t. In reality, they are 3 times more likely to killed by one than those who do not own guns.  Education requires thinking, and thinking is difficult when you’re in fear.

Avoiding learning is an easy way to maintain discrimination without the effort to learn what’s real.

 

      How to deal with those who are consumed by fear and non-sense.

We would do well to be advised that our relief comes not from changing or convincing MAGAs to join reality, but to accept most do not have the power, the awareness, the courage, or the ability to see things differently.

Effectively dealing with crazy thinking does not focus on changing the crazy thinking, but in seeing our peace comes from not joining the circus.

The temptation is to blame or judge or, at the very least, get angry at those who choose denial as a way of life.  This touches our fear that if others don’t change, life will get worse for the rest of us. Nonetheless, none of this helps, and attempting to do so is what creates our own angst. 

Each of us much realize we are in charge of our own feelings, which are not caused by other people’s behavior, but by how we think about their behavior.  When we resist, complain, pressure others to change, i.e., we are trying to change what is outside of us, when the answer lies in changing what’s inside us.  

Accepting the following is helpful:

1)        People believe what they need to believe to ease their anxiety.  When the thinking is crazy, it is usually stimulated by some unmet emotional needs that may not be in the thinker’s consciousness.  Fears are always at the core, and if the fears are not faced, no amount of logic or reasoning will change their position.  In other words, you can’t fix them.  You can’t make them care about people.  It’s pushing upstream to think they value reality like you do, or caring to learn is valuable to them. 

2)        Each one of us has a unique spiritual path designed to help us learn what we need to learn.  Just because your path is working for you doesn’t mean others should follow the same path.  Since they are assigned different lessons than you, their paths must be different than yours.  Accepting this is crucial to experiencing peace.  To have peace, we do not criticize people’s paths, but bless them on their way.

3)        Just because we bless people upon their way doesn’t mean we give up acting on basic human values, protecting those around us from being hurt, and loving the vulnerable.  People don’t have to be like you for you to do your job.  Every time you share love into the world, you make a positive difference.  This is what those coming after you are seeking.  At any given moment, fewer than 3% of people are actively seeking to change themselves.  It’s crucial you do not base your “feel good” on other people changing, but trust staying on your path is more important than changing others’.

 

Love those in the dark.  Love the people they hurt.  And keep loving, because ‘perfect love casts out all fear’.  Love, not manipulation, is what will bring us back to the world where everyone wins. 

Short Term Pain is Inevitable; Long Term Healing Certain

Those who are familiar with Quantum Physics will understand this phenomenon:

On Dr. David Hawkins's 1,000 point scale of consciousness (see Power vs. Force), someone must vibrate above 200 to have a positive impact on humanity.

What this shows us is with a vibration of 191, while Mr. Trump may sometimes stumble onto a positive choice, he is guaranteed to do more harm than good in the world.

This vibrational level is characterized by arrogance and denial, and is responsible throughout history for armies regularly slaughtering each other via religious wars, political terrorism and zealotry, always at a heavy cost to society (p.83). Egos at this level are very vulnerable to attack, and until such individuals reach a level of willingness to learn, to stop blaming and accept responsibility for ones own actions, feelings and beliefs, they will project their shortcomings onto others and "remain in a powerless mode of victimhood." (p. 238),

One must reach a level of 200 in one's development to be healable and avoid doing more damage to humanity than good.  

Here's the good news:

"If one can truly escape the egocentric draw of sub-200 attractor fields, consiciously closing a friendly earnest, kind, and forgiving approach to life, and eventually making charity toward others one's primary focus, higher levels can certainly be attained. In practice, great will is required." (p 103) This is very difficult to do in one lifetime. "Love of our fellow man can ensue only when we stop condemning, fearing, and hating each other." (p.220)

Fortunately, many in society are already there, and their energy counteracts those that function as lower levels. One individual vibrating at 700 (Ghandi) can overcome the vibration of 70 million vibrating below 200.

Since the entire human population collectively vibrates at 207, this is enough to make the victory of love in the world inevitable.

Stay in your kindness, forgiveness, and love, and you will help the world get there. The road may be bumpy, but love always wins in the end. :-)

My Message of Hope in Trying Times

Humanity has chosen some harsh lessons to learn these days.  Perhaps we are ready to accelerate our awarenesses and growth through choices we're making as a human race.

                                                           

Some of us will be learning that hurting people does not bring us what we truly want.

 

Some of us will be learning that hurting back those who hurt us will not bring us what we want.

 

Some of us will learn that anger does not bring us joy.

 

Some of us will learn that democracy is not free, and keeping it requires involvement and engagement with what’s going on.

 

Some will be learning that stepping into our power and to stop playing victim is worth the effort and necessary.

 

Some will learn that many suffer and many die when we do not actively care for one another.

 

Some need to learn there is enough for everyone, and that living in fear and scarcity is not necessary.

 

Some of us will be given many opportunities to practice forgiveness.

 

Some of us will learn that those we see as wrong or cruel, are really in pain and wounded, and their fear and anger keep them from thinking clearly and staying connected with their true loving nature.

 

Some of us will realize we are invulnerable to attacks from aching and misguided people.

Some of us will learn we can’t save everybody from pain, but we can save some, even ourselves.  (I recommend we all watch the movie, “One Life” with Anthony Hopkins.   It is a mirror of what we are experiencing now.)

 

Some of us will learn that if we are to be saved, we must step up and do it ourselves.

Many outside the United States will learn that not all AmerIcans are the same.  Some manipulate, use people, create chaos, and have little sensitivity to their privilege or the needs of others.  Others are filled with compassion, grieve the loss of freedom, are embarrassed by the behavior of others, and deeply desire a return to caring and love in their country and around the world.  (in fact, most Americans did not vote for our current president, but he won by a 1½% margin over the next closest candidate).

Some of us will learn that we can't change other people, but we can change ourselves.

I’m sure there are countless other lessons to be learned that are not named above.

 

Can you identify one or more lessons you will need to learn to get through these trying times? It’s worth the effort to become conscious and aware of the opportunities to become better people when prompted by the challenges.   😊

 

Fear and Despair are normal human feelings.  But we do not have to stay there.  The sun will always come up in the morning, no matter how dark the night.  What light will you bring to it?

Don’t just think about it.  Bring it.   😊

 

Thank you!

 

David Larson

 

 

Why Kamala Should Win the Election, and Why She Might Not

I judge no one, and I realize everyone is doing the best they can with the information they have.   Perhaps that is why I find it exhilarating to entertain different points of view.  Here’s what I’ve been thinking lately…a conversation anyone?  😊

 

I match the Fox News confession when I acknowledge the following is purely entertainment and not news, although in my case, I did not have to pay $787 million for gaslighting the public and not admitting to it upfront.

 

Why Kamala Should Win the Election, and Why She Might Not

Given the close race, veterans and families of veterans would likely be enough to give Kamala the victory alone.  (Why would they vote for someone who sees them as ‘suckers and losers’?)

 

Given so many are struggling financially, the poor and the middle class should alone assure Kamala’s victory since his opponent last time gave 83% of his tax breaks to the wealthy, and intends to again intensify increased financial burden on the middle class (those making less than $150,000) while giving more tax breaks to those making more than $150,000/yr.  And that's just talking about direct tax, not the additional estimated 20% in product inflation costs that would be generated by Trump's intended tariffs. 

Trump’s tax and economic proposals would, in 2026, cut taxes for the richest 5% of Americans and increase them for everyone else, according to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).

On the other hand, as ITEP announced Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris’s proposals would do just the opposite.

If her tax proposals are in effect in 2026, the richest 1% would pay an average of 4.1% of their income more in taxes while those in all other income groups would ­receive tax cuts. That includes an average tax cut of 2.7% for middle class families and an average tax cut of 7% for the poorest Americans.

 - AFSCME

  

Given the court has acknowledged her opponent’s raping of E. Jean Carol and finding him liable for sexual abuse, and that he has bragged on tape about sexually assaulting women - this alone should stimulate enough women’s votes to hand Kamala the victory.  Kamala does not support rape or sexual assault, and in fact, has prosecuted those who abuse others.

Since her opponent has a history of racism (they have “bad genes”), the black and Latino vote alone should hand Kamala the victory, providing their votes are not disallowed (as they have in the past in Florida and Georgia). Meanwhile, Kamala’s mixed race herself and ethical positions support racial equality for those who think that’s a good thing.

 

Those who lost family members and friends to COVID it seems would alone put Kamala over the top given her opponent stuck his head in the sand about the disease and sacrificed more than 1 million American lives in his poor judgement and ignorance.  Those with long-term effects due to COVID would also vote for Kamala since her opponent plans to take away insurance coverage for pre-conditions previously secured under Obamacare.  

Are you better off now than 4 years ago?   

In October of 2020, 24,930 died of COVID

“It’s going to disappear. It is disappearing.

- Donald Trump, October 10, 2020

Indeed, COVID did not go away until the Biden-Harris administration invested billions of dollars to save and support American families (part of what contributed to the temporary rise in inflation that has turned around and been falling over the last 2 1/2 years.)

Those in their 60’s or older should alone put Kamala over the top as her opponent and his party threaten to cut or eliminate Social Security and Medicare benefits to retirees (Project 2025).

The reversal of Roe vs. Wade should be enough to give Kamala the victory all by itself.   Stripping women’s rights to their own body (something not done to men), should ignite women votes that would tip the balance.  I understand the passion of many who would like to see zygotes and embryos as human beings, yet lose the logic when these cells later become alive females whose lives are no longer their own, with their freedom being sacrificed as early as puberty by the same people who claim to care about them. 

Those tired of gun violence alone should put Kamala over the top because she and her running mate have listened to the 64% of Americans who want increased and enforced regulations for gun safety, while her opponent and his party ignore them.

 

Jews could account for as many as 6 million votes for Kamala, as many of them pride themselves about never forgetting the Holocaust, and realize a Trump-Putin partnership could set us up for unstoppable racial profiling going way beyond what is already happening.  His admiration of and publicly stating he's wanting to be like Hitler should get their attention.

 

Those who understand the reality of Climate Change should alone put Kamala over the top, as her opponent’s “drill baby drill” intentions would accelerate the planet’s death into the fast lane.  (Remember, the US has been shown to be twice as responsible as the second greatest offending country of green-house gas emissions – China - for pushing us toward extinction.). 

"The rate earth is warming at an all-time high in 2023 with 92% of last year's surprising record-shattering heat cause by humans, top scientists calculated."

                                                   -  US News and World Report 

Kamala takes Climate Change seriously, along with 194 other countries around the world, and is committed to working toward a carbon-neutral America, which would continue to generate about 2 1/2 million new jobs per year in the United States. 

Border issue?  Well, that's an obvious one...Kamala and her administration worked with Congress to get to a decade-sweeping comprehensive bi-partisan solution that would have resolved this problem.  Trump killed it.  Americans who want to solve this problem would reinstate Kamala in the administration to re-establish this bill, not support someone who willfully and intentionally keeps the problem going.

Even though there are many ways for Kamala to come out on top, none of these may suffice for several possible important reasons.

 

Here’s the rub:

(1) Democrats have always been at a disadvantage in promoting strategies for fairness and equality and supporting the struggling, because they usually need several million more votes to beat republicans.  (Trump lost by 3 million votes in 2016, but won the presidency, and lost by 7 million votes in 2020, yet is still able to stir up controversy that he won among those who don’t know how to find out if something is true).   In short, the electoral college gives the minority the advantage over the majority.  It is likely Kamala will need 8 - 10 million more votes than her opponent to win, given her electoral disadvantage.  

(2) Major efforts are being made to restrict voting that threatens Kamala’s votes (like the 450,000 voters that were recently eliminated in Oklahoma or the hundreds of voting sites closed in Texas to make it difficult for people to vote).  Preventing select groups from voting is another factor that tilts the election away from the majority.

(3) Despite the preponderance of evidence to the contrary, almost 1/3 of Americans still believe the election was stolen in 2020, and do not seem to have the critical thinking skills to separate truth from fiction.  This makes logic a less powerful influencer on the voting public, making reality of little value over fantasy on the minds of those for whom truth is irrelevant.

4) Trump is a master at manipulation.  (This is not a judgment of him as being a bad person.  It is recognition of a well-honed talent.)  His base consists of the undereducated and economically challenged, who are especially vulnerable to misinformation, or the wealthy, for whom the benefits are obvious and guaranteed.  And he knows the power of fear. Fear can disconnect people from their ability to think (a stimulated amygdala short-circuits the frontal cortex), and it seems only the emotionally aware survive his frequent fantasy stories and disrespectful slanderings.  You’re not exactly thinking of evaluating economic plans when you think you may be about to be crushed by a King Kong.  Unless people have been trained how to evaluate truth, or even care about truth, the consequences can be translated into self-defeating behavior at the ballot box.

I have voted to keep the democracy alive that my dad fought in two wars to protect.  At the same time, I am setting my intentions on how to respond to the millions that will suffer if our freedom is not protected on November 5^th.  One way or another, my mission will not change:  I will continue to love the hurting.  I do not have any enemies.  I am on the side of everyone.   😊.  And it is everyone I will continue to love, regardless of their intellectual ability, their moral/emotional maturity, or their vote.  And I will look for everyone else who is capable of it to hold me in love as well.  😉

My Once-A-Year-Political Assessment

  

Those interested in a psychologist’s point of view watching our current political situation may be interested in the following. I am an independent, neither republican nor democrat, but refer to myself as a supporter of the “lover” party. Whichever politicians are doing what is most loving to the most human beings is who I support, regardless of party affiliation.

Anyone with average intelligence or higher, or of average emotional intelligence or higher will be interested in the following. I welcome factual and respectful discussion, as other points of view are valid as well. 😊

People who care about freedom for all will want to vote blue because blues have a history of seeking freedom for the majority, not for the few.  Closing voting sites, prohibiting what people read, and forcing people to be parents before they are ready or choose to, are restrictions to freedom that have been demonstrated and promoted by conservatives who want to control people, not give them freedom.  If someone wants freedom for themselves, but gains it by taking it away from others, they are thinking red.

                       

 

Most people who care about women will vote blue because they have a chance to regain some of the autonomy women lost under the last administration’s influence.  Those who don’t think women should be enslaved into motherhood against their will, those who wish to be allowed have children without interference, as well as those who do not want to be abused and those who want to be respected by men and society will want to reclaim their power from which they’ve been recently stripped.  

 

Those who are concerned about the economy and inflation would be wise to vote blue this fall because of the large-scale Recovery Act instituted by the current administration, which is repairing roads and bridges, bringing the internet to rural areas, and giving back millions of people jobs taken away from them by Trump.  Anyone who cashed those stimulus checks issued by our government to save some families and ease the pain of millions of others after the pandemic will probably be strong blues because of the generous actions that helped them.  Small businesses, families, and those who realize the measures taken by the current administration to bring down inflation are now working (after the investment spike in spending necessary to recover from Trump’s recession) will rationally vote blue.  Inflation has been coming down since fall of ’22.

 

 

Those who are wealthy (making more than $150,000 a year) can vote red with the expectation of tax breaks from Mr. Trump, as described in Project 2025, similar to what he did last time as president.  Those making under $150,000 may want to vote blue, as their taxes are projected to go up if Trump wins.  Remember, Trump's last policy of tax breaks sent 83% of the money to the richest people, leaving common Americans left to pay for those benefits to the super-wealthy.

 

Those who value access to medical care, especially seniors, would be wise to vote blue because of the tremendous gains made in the last few years helping Americans handle their medical expenses (like reducing insulin costs by hundreds of dollars a month for those affected) and the promise reds in their presidential candidate and Congressional republicans have made to reduce or eliminate Medicare and Social Security.

 

 

Veteran and veteran families may want to vote blue because of the frequent cuts to veteran benefits by reds, and the degrading and attacking comments  (referring to them as "losers"and "suckers") on those who have faithfully served in our military by former president Trump, who cannot find a way to respect those who gave and preserved his freedom.

 

                                

                                

 

Families of the more than 1 million Americans who died of COVID, along with others who have permanent damage from partial recovery from COVID will wisely vote blue because they realize Trump had a 4 month warning of the coming disaster, denied it (“it will magically disappear”) and put many others in grave danger (“injecting bleach will take care of it”). Those that survived now have pre-existing conditions which will eliminate them from care as Trump seeks to destroy the Affordable Care Act as promised. It took the Biden-Harris administration more than 6 months to get on top of that COVID disaster once Trump was out.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Those who are concerned about our immigrants and our borders will smartly vote blue, because those who cooperated in a bipartisan effort to create the most aggressive bill in history that would seriously address the border issue, was toileted by Mr. Trump and his conservative red followers, who clearly demonstrated they did not want to solve the border problem.  Blues want to solve this issue with caring and sensitivity to human beings.  Reds seem to just want to keep people out, believing there are more bad ones than good ones coming in, and ignoring the reality that crimes committed by immigrants are significantly less common proportionally than those committed by resident Americans.

 

Those familiar with history of fiscal responsibility will remember that blues traditionally fix the devastating economy damage left by reds (Clinton saving us from the Bush 101% national debt increase and changing the national deficit to a positive surplus), Obama rescuing us from the Bush Jr. Great Recession, and Biden saving from the devastation of the Trump economy, who had increased the national debt by $6.7 trillion. Biden’s debt increase is ½ of Trump’s, even with the American Rescue Plan and Recovery Act that put us back on our feet.  Not sure why some miss the obvious fact that Trump’s financial acumen is stunningly poor, with 6 bankruptcies relieving him of 100’s of millions of dollars of debt due to his poor management.  

 

 

                                

 

 

Christians who follow a Jesus of compassion, respect, and love, would likely vote blue, while Christians who are more hate oriented, punishing, and fearful of those who believe differently from themselves may be more comfortable voting red, where prejudice and fearing those different from themselves is encouraged.

 

Those who want peace are prone to vote blue because peace lovers do not want to be forced to live under the control of those who abuse women, increase the power of the rich over the middle class, and authorize and encourage law-breaking at the expense of the innocent.  They will not choose a president or a Congress that cozies up to dictators like Putin, Kim, and Xi.  Peace lovers know the value of honoring all human beings and do not seek to put them under a dictatorship promised by Trump on ‘day one’.  

 

Those who are on the conservative side of the abortion issue will likely vote red, thinking that zygotes, embryos, and fetuses are human beings, rather than following what God declared in Genesis 2:7, that life begins at breath, not conception.  Those who are anti-abortion on the more liberal side will vote blue, knowing that historically blue administrations reduce abortions, (usually because of supporting birth control), while abortions increase under conservative policies, as has happened with the red Supreme Court recently.

 

It’s clear that several patterns emerge in analyzing our current affairs in politics:

Trump’s base remains the rural and less educated, who do not have the research skills or critical thinking skills (or the interest) to separate truth from fiction.  Trump has been able to tap into the repressed anger of those whose emotional intelligence is hampered to effectively deal with their feelings (particularly fear and anger).  He can play the emotionally damaged and non-thinkers to his advantage, showing us that what he proclaimed in his book, The Art of the Deal,  that if you tell a lie enough times with confidence, you can get many people to believe you.  Those who are susceptible to believe lies and have poor emotional boundaries are the most vulnerable to his influence.