The Greed-o-cult

Cults attract the vulnerable. In Trump's case, it's people wanting somebody to blame for their being left behind by relatively unregulated capitalism.

Cult leaders can convince their followers to do evil things - the Manson family murders; the Jim Jones murder-suicides; Trump's insurrection attempt, stochastic terrorism, violence on the streets, allowing ICE to kidnap and beat up semi-random (mostly brown skinned, but not with criminal records) people on the streets, setting the National Guard on the people, which could easily lead to another Kent State, and killing millions (USAID cuts) as well as cuts to benefits for the American people.

The difference between Trump and the other examples is that he is a tool of powerful people - for example the very rich, Putin and Saudi Arabia to varying degrees. He was unwittingly groomed for the role by 'The Apprentice'.

The rich let him create chaos because that can offer them great opportunities. Just so long as they get their tax cuts. In nature, the edges - where one ecosystem transitions to another - exhibit high levels of biodiversity or species richness. Similarly, where two or more cultures meet, they are culturally richer, more flexible and more resilient - a fact that white supremacists ignore.

Just as with the dot-com bubble, the current AI bubble is on a cutting edge and there are fortunes to be made (and lost). After major crashes like the Wall Street crash of 1929 (which was followed by the Republican Great Depression of the 1930s) and the 2008 financial crisis, those with cash can buy up stocks and companies cheap and make a fortune on the rebound. In the short term people can make fortunes on the stock market from Trump's announcements of tariff and other policies which affect the stock market (pump and dump). They just need to know in advance (and you can be sure that there are many rich people who have given bribes to be kept informed by the Trump family or by members of his administration). Those who are not at this cutting edge are left out.

Another big difference this time is that it is far easier for the cult to spread its influence - on TV, radio, the internet, and social media. There are also ways to make their message more persuasive and to reach those who are most vulnerable to it. Those with power ensure that this does not change. And AI is beginning to put it on steroids.

Other countries like chaos because that weakens America. And as it has been weakened, as Trump demonstrated in Alaska recently. It helps them that Trump likes oil, and that he is easily bribed with a 'deal' or two - or a plane.

So, the spread of this cult is much bigger even that Hitler's nazi cult, from which it has borrowed heavily.

Authoritarianism has always been popular among would be dictators and would be followers, so it will never entirely go away. It has been spread around the world. Here in the UK, people disenchanted with Tory austerity and failures, and Labour's failure to bring much change, are now looking to Nigel Farage and his 'Reform Party' to save them. But they are no more likely to bring real democratic change than Trump, who parroted many of Bernie Sander's promises, only to break them. The same rich and powerful people are influencing Brits. They are encouraging violence and hatred, particularly against immigrants. Labour is cracking down on protest, for example labeling Palestine Action, which is against the genocide in Gaza, and admittedly has committed acts of vandalism, a terrorist organisation. Even little old ladies and men quietly holding up signs in support of Palestine Action are arrested - a crime against free speech.

So what do we do?

One way to deal with the situation is to insulate yourself from it. Cut yourselves off from MAGA friends and family, radio and tv stations, web sites and the like. Even cut off the internet entirely, and downgrade your phone to a flip phone. This is drastic and can leave you unaware of the dangers that the cult is posing, so only do this if you would otherwise go insane.

Better is to work out which people, sites and programs you can trust, and avoid all others. If enough people did this, it would shrink the cult's reach and therefore power considerably. This provides islands of truth and support, but it continues the problem of siloisation.

But where possible, we need to deprogram people. The cult leadership may do it for us - already some MAGA are realising that they have been betrayed.

But it is best not to leave those disenchanted with MAGA or Labour in limbo, ripe to follow the next cult leader who comes along. We need to persuade as many as possible that our way is better, and to encourage leaders who are working for the people.