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'Flying monkeys': Experts reveal how Donald Trump and other cult leaders infect their followers
January 22, 2021
When we published The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump in 2017, we emphasized that, despite its title, Donald Trump was not our main focus. His presidency was more a statement about the nation and its state of public mental health, of which he was a barometer at the time of election and then the chief accelerant and exacerbator of its defects once in office.
Over the course of the last four years, we have witnessed how his "base" remained consistently at more or less 40% of the population despite continuous scandals and policy failures, including vastly increasing the death toll from COVID-19 through malfeasance and misfeasance and even a deadly assault on the Capitol. We had warned that this unwavering adherence was not a product of healthy, rational and well-informed decision-making, but followed more the pattern of pathological, abusive relationships.
<blockquote>Trump followers' unwavering adherence was not a product of healthy, rational and well-informed decision-making, but followed more the pattern of pathological, abusive relationships.<br/></blockquote><p>This does not mean that each follower of the Trump will exhibit abnormal psychology; on the contrary, they will resemble more victims of abuse and members of a cult, predisposed not just because of personal trauma history but because of a state of poor collective mental health. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08L6RGGYK?pf_rd_r=4KBPWR60CKQ6SK2M455K&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Societal mental health</a> is not the same as the sum of the mental health of individual members, and the themes and conflicts of groups are not the same as personal struggles, even though they interact.</p><p>Some problems are better conceived of as <a href="https://worldmhc.org/racism-as-a-cultural-disorder/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cultural disorders</a>, as the World Mental Health Coalition recently labeled racism and white supremacy. Violence, in general, fits more the category of a <a href="https://www.usnews.com/opinion/policy-dose/articles/2018-03-06/prevent-violence-at-the-societal-level" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">societal disorder</a> than an individual one—indeed, violence does not depend as much on individual characteristics, such as individual mental illness, as it does on social ones, such as levels of inequality in a society.</p><h3>U.S. Primed for Abuse</h3><p>It is important to note how the United States as a whole in the last few decades has been primed for nationwide vulnerability to <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-shared-psychosis-of-donald-trump-and-his-loyalists/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">narcissistic abuse</a>, no matter the individual variations in resistance. After four years of the Trump presidency, many of us who opposed him feel traumatized and victimized by his emotional abuse. What may be surprising to some is that his followers are also victims of his abuse.</p><p>Donald Trump has attempted to manipulate reality for all of us, but the millions of people who support him are deeply under his spell. He even manipulated them to invade the Capitol, both for his own strategic gain to pressure Congressional Republicans to oppose Electoral College tallies and to serve his emotional need to continue the lie that he won the election. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/storytelling/capitol-riot-mob-arrests/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Some insurrectionists</a> may spend years in prison all so their leader could temporarily perpetuate a self-delusion to feel better about himself.</p><h3>'Love Bombing'</h3><p>Extreme narcissists often begin relationships with what is called "<a href="https://www.dcreport.org/2020/12/17/donald-trumps-supporters-he-does-whatever-he-wants/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">love bombing</a>," a false expression of affection that frequently involves over-praising and over-promising.</p><p>Trump actually said in private that he dislikes his followers, even noting about the insurrection that it looked "<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/trump-mob-capitol-riots-poor-low-class-b1785099.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">low class</a>." He likely holds contempt, furthermore, that they have failed—never mind that, according to an FBI agent, the nation barely escaped a massacre of its lawmakers by a <a href="https://eand.co/the-more-we-learn-about-the-coup-the-worse-it-gets-866fb923d4f3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">minor miracle</a>.</p><p>Yet at rallies, he praises supporters effusively and in a video after the insurrection <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/01/07/trump-we-love-you-capitol-mob/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told them</a>: "We love you. You're very special." This love bombing forms a trauma bond in the victim of enmeshed patterns of dependency or emotional addiction. Trump followers crave his attention and approval, and he gives it to them, mainly because they then feed him the attention he craves. For the victim, it can lead to loss of sense of self, confusion and a relentless clinging to the abuser.</p><p>The extreme narcissist, however, views all relationships through the lens of: "What's in it for me?" This transactional pattern is revealed in Trump's <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/technology/proud-boys-trump.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20210121&instance_id=26148&nl=todaysheadlines&regi_id=68696839&segment_id=49880&user_id=c591404d4cd6e275cb639e21d3f7933b" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">abrupt abandonment</a> of those he perceives to be disloyal to him or even fails to "win" on his behalf. If the former president is convicted in the Senate and <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/impeachment-could-ban-trump-2024-run.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">barred from running</a> for office in 2024, his followers may be surprised at how immediately his need for their attention and financial support disappears. Those who understand abusive personalities will not be surprised at all.</p><h3>'Flying Monkeys'</h3><p>Cult leaders use "deluded dupes" for their own purposes, mostly to generate <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-the-self/201507/is-what-really-makes-narcissists-tick" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">narcissistic supply</a> or attention. Also, a priority is harvesting assets for personal use, as we see from the <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-the-self/201507/is-what-really-makes-narcissists-tick" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hundreds of millions of dollars</a> Trump raised after he lost the election and monetized his presidency as never before.</p><p>Another way abusers victimize is by recruiting others to unwittingly do their dirty work. A popular psychological label for them is "<a href="https://www.psychcentral.com/pro/exhausted-woman/2019/07/narcissists-and-their-flying-monkeys" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flying monkeys</a>," who are the "henchmen" and "henchwomen" surrounding abusers to support their warped view of reality and self-centered behavior. Manipulation, intimidation, or opportunism and corruption may have caused their collusion with the extreme narcissist, but they serve to legitimize and maintain the abusive status quo.</p><p>Those in the population who are narcissistically wounded and insecure like to feel "in the know," or part of a secret "in group," which makes them feel powerful with a sense of belonging. As a result, they are attracted to conspiracy theories and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/some-qanon-followers-struggle-inauguration-day-n1255002?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_ma&fbclid=IwAR2Y2QPpvIoXF0yb-7SZZ6PWL-2mrwpHtbsry7XN0QDobUSU1W56q53DLBY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cult-like organizations</a>, a pattern that those at the Jan. 6 insurrection embodied, through membership in groups such as QAnon and Proud Boys.</p><p>When a society is made <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08L6RGGYK?pf_rd_r=4KBPWR60CKQ6SK2M455K&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">psychologically vulnerable</a> through relative deprivation, then large segments of the population come to be drawn to narcissistic abuse or even "<a href="https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/psychiatric-disorders/schizophrenia-and-related-disorders/shared-psychosis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shared psychosis</a>." Sometimes called "<a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/03/23/the-sane-society-erich-fromm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>folie à millions</em></a>" or "madness among millions," shared psychosis refers to the infectiousness of severe symptoms when a highly symptomatic individual is given an influential position.</p><h3>Delusions Worse than Lies</h3><p>When "mistruths" are not just strategic lies but delusions, for example, they spread much <a href="https://www.dcreport.org/2020/07/21/how-president-trumps-psychosis-infects-his-followers-and-why-theyre-getting-better-when-he-isnt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more rapidly</a>. We can see this in how dramatically polls changed: only a small minority of Republicans thought in early November that Joe Biden did not win, but in a <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-joe-biden-won-election-legitimately-poll-1562343" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recent poll</a> three out of four do not believe Biden won the election legitimately.</p><p>Removal of the highly symptomatic person from influence and exposure, such as from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/11/trump-banned-social-media/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social media platforms</a>, have already dissipated much of Donald Trump's influence and ability to incite violence.</p><p>Further <a href="http://www.harperwest.co/a-psychological-explainer-on-why-we-must-hold-trump-accountable/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">accountability</a>, <a href="https://www.dcreport.org/2020/12/07/prosecution-why-biden-needs-to-throw-the-book-at-trump/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">prosecution</a>, and <a href="https://www.dcreport.org/2019/12/24/president-trumps-mental-health-time-for-an-intervention/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">limit setting</a> will help discredit and "deprogram" his stronghold on his hitherto steadfast followers. We have learned how powerful the spread and reach of mental pathology can be—to the point of almost losing our democracy!—but we must also recognize that these are well-known dynamics <a href="https://www.salon.com/2021/01/18/my-grandfather-was-a-nazi-our-familys-story-of-complicity-shows-where-the-road-to-extremism-leads/?fbclid=IwAR1QojazcBRtJ-9w74y6QQvEz-OH0ILeyryjzRjW4o_r-sKiD9Pb1vcs_zI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">throughout history</a> that are preventable. Next time, we can do better through greater mental health awareness and by holding our leaders to a <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-president-should-assume-office-without-a-fitness-for-duty-exam-107778" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mental health standard</a>.</p><p><em>Harper West, M.A., L.L.P. (</em><a href="http://harperwest.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>harperwest.co</em></a><em>) is a licensed psychotherapist, award-winning author and developer of self-acceptance psychology. Both she and Dr. Lee (</em><a href="http://bandylee.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>bandylee.com</em></a><em>) have </em><em>participated in town hall series that are available </em><a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyut-9AYJvSOzqCDfvMZh6bQedfSf_lpP" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyut-9AYJvSNRbgRr8fPHIM1s5v-XOKtL" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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'A good way to unite the country would be to convict and prosecute Donald Trump': watchdog group
January 22, 2021
With public and media attention shifting to President Joe Biden, who was sworn in Wednesday and immediately got to work with a series of executive actions, progressives are reiterating demands for holding his predecessor accountable.
Former President Donald Trump, who threw himself a goodbye ceremony at Joint Base Andrews rather than sticking around for Biden's inauguration, was impeached by House Democrats and 10 Republicans an unprecedented second time last week for inciting a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol with lies about the presidential election.
<p>In addition to facing a trial in the Senate, which as of Wednesday is narrowly controlled by Democrats, Trump could face consequences for allegedly committing <a href="https://www.acslaw.org/projects/the-presidential-investigation-education-project/possible-federal-and-state-crimes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">various </a>state and federal <a href="https://www.needtoimpeach.com/impeachable-offenses/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">crimes</a>, from obstruction of justice and tax fraud to election interference to campaign finance violations.</p><p>Trump's incitement of the Capitol attack—which delayed certification of Biden's electoral victory—provoked a flood of calls for holding him accountable rather than letting him get away with <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/20/even-nixon-didnt-pardon-his-cronies-way-out-trump-grants-clemency-bannon-final-day" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pardoning</a> "his cronies on the way out" then slinking off to Mar-a-Lago, his resort and <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/trumps-move-to-mar-a-lago-estate-challenged-by-palm-beach-neighbor/2346150/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">contested full-time residence</a> in Florida.</p><p>Biden, in his speech Wednesday, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/20/democracys-day-joe-biden-sworn-46th-president-united-states" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">emphasized</a> the importance of uniting the country, saying that "together we will write an American story of hope, not fear. Of unity not division, of light not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness."</p> <p>"Donald J. Trump is officially a private citizen. He is now vulnerable to criminal prosecution," the advocacy organization Public Citizen <a href="https://twitter.com/Public_Citizen/status/1351938843700707329" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">declared</a> in a Wednesday afternoon tweet.</p><p>"A good way to unite the country would be to convict and prosecute Donald Trump and hold accountable every member of Congress who incited a white supremacist insurrection," the group <a href="https://twitter.com/Public_Citizen/status/1351979361965023234" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">added</a>.</p><p>Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is also calling for accountability by helping constituents email their senators to pressure them to not only convict Trump but "further protect the country from him by disqualifying him from holding office again."</p> <p>Before Trump left office but after the storming of Congress, CREW published a report which found that he finished his four-year term "as the most corrupt president in American history with more than 3,7000 conflicts of interest since assuming the presidency."</p><p>"The twice-impeached president relentlessly promoted and encouraged visits to his properties throughout his time in office, using patronage as a marker of loyalty to him and a key strategy for those wishing to curry favor with him and influence administration policy," CREW said.</p><p>As CREW executive director Noah Bookbinder put it: "For the past four years, the Trump administration has again and again made decisions motivated by the personal, financial, political, and legal interests of the president, rather than the interests of the American people."</p><p>"Starting with his decision not to divest from his business interests while in office, there is no doubt that President Trump at every turn sought to find ways to use the presidency to enrich himself, his family, and his businesses," Bookbinder added. "His efforts from the moment he took office to tailor the presidency to benefit his own personal interests set the stage for the lawlessness, corruption, and assaults on democracy that characterized his four years in power."</p><p>Recent polling shows 57% of U.S. voters think Trump shouldn't be allowed to seek elected office ever again, as <em>Common Dreams</em> <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/19/57-us-voters-want-trump-barred-seeking-office-ever-again-poll" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reported</a> Tuesday. Speaking on the Senate floor a day before he become majority leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/news/press-releases/schumer-floor-remarks-on-the-urgent-needs-on-which-the-senate-needs-to-act-conduct-the-second-impeachment-trial-of-donald-trump-confirm-president-elect-bidens-critical-cabinet-nominees-and-pass-needed-covid-relief-for-the-american-people" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">concurred</a>.</p><p>Referencing Trump's incitement of insurrection, Schumer said that "we need to set a precedent that the severest offense ever committed by a president will be met by the severest remedy provided by the Constitution—impeachment and conviction by this chamber, as well as disbarment from future office."</p><p>Meanwhile, in New York, state Attorney General Letitia James' office is <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/24/new-york-attorney-general-sues-trump-organization-accusing-presidents-company" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">investigating</a> how Trump and his company valued assets on financial statements used to get loans and tax benefits, while Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office recently <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/15/trump-criminal-investigation-manhattan-da-probes-seven-springs-estate.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">expanded</a> its ongoing criminal probe of Trump's company.</p>
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'A big deal': Democrats reintroduce Constitutional amendment to overturn one of the Supreme Court's most damaging rulings
January 22, 2021
In a bid to reverse the outsize influence of corporations and the wealthiest Americans over the nation's electoral process, a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers on Thursday reintroduced a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling.
The reintroduction of the Democracy for All Amendment in the 117th Congress—led by Reps. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), John Katko (D-N.Y.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)—occurred on the 11th anniversary of Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, a 5-4 ruling which affirmed that corporations are legal persons and that they, labor unions, and other outside groups could spend unlimited amounts of money to influence the outcome of U.S. elections.
<p>The amendment, which has been <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/07/30/democrats-propose-constitutional-amendment-wipe-clean-dark-stain-citizens-united" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">introduced</a> in every Congress since the 113th, grants the states and the federal government the ability to limit how money is raised and spent in U.S. elections. It also grants the states and Congress the power to differentiate between natural and corporate persons. </p> <p>A separate but related measure, the We the People Amendment, has also been reintroduced in each successive Congress since the 113th, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/03/08/we-people-amendment-aims-fix-crisis-corporate-rule" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">most recently</a> by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) in February 2019. The amendment would preclude artificial entities such as corporations and limited liability companies from enjoying constitutional rights, which would be reserved for natural persons. </p><p>Deutch asserted in a statement released Thursday that <em>Citizens United</em> has "put an unacceptable price of admission on American democracy."</p><p>He wrote: </p> <blockquote>We cannot allow the wealthiest individuals and corporations to flood our elections with cash through complex webs of Super PACs and dark money groups that put special interests above the will of the American people. Americans overwhelmingly support stronger gun laws to keep our communities safe, action on climate change to preserve our planet, and a fair economy that doesn't leave the most vulnerable behind or deny people basic needs like healthcare and a living wage. <br/>Unfortunately, big money in our politics gets in the way time and time again. Limitless campaign spending makes it harder for Washington to solve problems and opens the door to corruption. To ensure that our elections produce a democracy for all, we must overturn <em>Citizens United</em> and get big money out of our elections.<br/> </blockquote> <p>Robert Weissman, president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, welcomed the amendment, <a href="https://www.citizen.org/news/bipartisan-constitutional-amendment-to-overturn-citizens-united-introduced/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">saying</a> it "unites the American people," who he said "are furious about a rigged political system that responds to the whims of Big Money rather than the needs and desires of regular people."</p><p>"The American people know that <em>Citizens United</em> embodies, perpetuates, and locks in that rigged system," Weissman added. "That's why by overwhelming numbers they favor a constitutional amendment to overturn [it] and related decisions that create an overclass of the wealthy few and consign the rest of us to political serfdom."</p><p>Others are seeking to undo the damage wrought by <em>Citizens United</em> via the legislative route. Senate Democrats led Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/19/senate-democrats-prove-democracy-reform-top-priority-putting-people-act-first" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announced</a> Tuesday that the first bill they will offer will be the <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/For%20the%20People%20Act.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">For the People Act</a> (pdf), which would expand voting rights, limit partisan gerrymandering, strengthen ethics rules, and limit money in politics.</p> <p>The progressive advocacy group Stand Up America on Thursday called for the passage of the For the People Act within President Joe Biden's first 100 days. </p><p>"Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris administration and with a Democratic Congress, we have a tremendous opportunity to undo some of the damage done by the Roberts Court by passing the For The People Act," Stand Up America managing director Christina Harvey said in a statement.</p><p>"Mitigating the damage <em>Citizens United</em> has done to our democracy won't be easy," added Harvey, "but the critical campaign finance reforms in the For the People Act—including creating a small-dollar matching program and requiring super PACs to disclose their donors—are an important first step."</p><p>As expected, outside election spending—which was already increasing before <em>Citizens United</em>—skyrocketed following the ruling. According to the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org, outside spending in the 2020 election cycle by super PACs, political parties, and "dark money" groups, among others, <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">totaled a record $2.9 billion</a>, more than double the amount spent in 2016. That's up from $143.8 million in 2008, the last presidential election year before <em>Citizens United</em>. </p><p><em>Citizens United</em> also flung wide open the floodgates to <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/10/donors-top-2020-10/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">megadonors</a>, who had previously been limited by political action committee caps.<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/10/donors-top-2020-10/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> According to</a> OpenSecrets, Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein gave over $58.3 million to Republicans during the 2020 election cycle, while Thomas and Kathryn Steyer, the top Democratic donors, spent $54.6 million on liberal races. <br/></p>
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