When Does Loyalty Become Cult Worship?
On August 26, I wrote about the most important event of recent times, COVID-19, which affected global health and economies and caused social disruption. We still have not returned to normalcy, with people waiting for government overreach to happen once again.
Before I get any deeper, from 2015 to 2020, I greatly supported what Donald Trump was doing. I saw him as a disrupter––a pattern interrupter––necessary in the American political establishment. My interest in America is because I own property there and pay taxes to the IRS. A disrupter is someone we also need in Australia, where I reside.
Trump did several good things until 2020. The Abraham Accords in the Middle East, engagement with Russia and North Korea, and tilting the Supreme Court to the right after decades of leftist judges with his picks were all solid policies. Also, America was not entrenched in any overseas conflict other than cleaning up ISIS with the assistance of Russia.
When Covid hit, I initially still felt Trump was the right person for the position. I knew that Covid was not to be feared; it was just another viral respiratory illness that could be managed, so at that stage, I didn’t fault Trump for handling this new pathogen. However, as time went on, that changed. I had similar misgivings about the leadership in Australia. We were all going down the same rabbit hole.
By any measure, the handling of Covid was a disaster, and the damage was accentuated by Operation Warp Speed. At no time then, nor since, has Trump acknowledged that mistakes were made. As recently as a few days ago, he bragged to Blaze TV host Glen Beck in this very short audio clip about his accomplishment.
“We did a great job with Covid.”
He actually didn’t do a great job with Covid. He set in motion his own demise with his election loss. The election should have been easily won, but we got the whole January 6, 2021, fiasco and the fake insurrection, which still plays out today. The CARES Act gave money for ballot harvesting, so many people didn’t vote on the day. It played right into the hands of Trump’s opponents. The ongoing devastation from the CARES Act, the lockdowns, and Operation Warp Speed set the stage for where we are today.
In the video below, what Trump says today shows that he is at odds with his history on COVID-19.
There is nothing wrong with saying, "We" made mistakes. I was led astray. Instead, Trump says they "had to close it down". Now, he won't allow it to happen. Being humble means accepting fallibility and that the vaccines were a failure––which they were. Instead, it seems Trump doesn't know about being humble. His ego can't admit to any mistakes. His diehard followers apparently feel the same.
It is concerning that no matter what Trump says or does, it never falls on him. He was the face of Covid leadership because he was the President. You can criticise the vaccines in the Trump MAGA orbit, but you can't ever tie it back to Trump. This is exemplified in his recent interviews.
His base is so wedded to him that, as one woman stated when interviewed, Trump could literally murder someone, and they would vote for him. Watch.
So, Trump believes that history will vindicate how he handled Covid. He appears to lack awareness of what has happened. Operation Warp Speed has become such a tragedy for many people. He has never had to confront those people and explain himself. Trump won't even accept partial responsibility. He has his fingerprints on the bioweapon that he espouses as the most significant accomplishment and is proud of what he did.
It's okay to support Donald Trump because unless he is imprisoned, taken off the ballot or suffers a severe health problem, he will likely be the Republican nominee for President. I would rather Trump than Biden at this stage. However, is that the best America can do?
I understand loyalty, but that also demands that questions be asked and, if necessary, there be constructive criticism of a policy. Apparently, Trump can do no wrong. When we enter that head space, we enter the realm of cultism or idolatry. That is not much different to the leftists in America. No apologies for any disastrous policies. In my playbook, if you follow blindly, you are following a cult leader.
I am open to varying opinions on this topic.
I’m with you and think Trump owes all of the country a complete explanation of his role in the “pandemic,” whether he made some bad decisions or whether he was snookered in some kind of false coup when the military took over from the public health establishment. He cannot continue glossing over the single worst violation of the Constitution in history.
Trump left the covid crisis to Fauci, CDC and others. He left decisions about antifa and rioting to Governors of the states. I still believe though that he loves and cares for the USA and wants the best for all. If the election is between Biden and Trump, then I will definitely vote for Trump.