Fanaticism 101

FANATICISM 101

“The stupid is strong in this one.”

 

At first, Trump called the corona virus a hoax perpetrated by Democrats. https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/02/29/trump-calls-coronavirus-hysteria-the-democrats-new-hoax/23937129/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9zZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEg2SQCpOY44hyECHzb41N_eq7lOe6ktaRp44_ktqgvpFjqFQXPdDa6jco3tTGuiGleSrFoYOp2DYc2QUassCQ1Xkl9R83xI6bzTcsOexC0nimHIs4UXJh702AGZvdFE8s6dHi-dVa2anfbdu9MMNC2b5FqsrSx0BRS8HDrToB-W

 

Next, he called it a minor threat, nothing to worry about.  https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/donald-trump-coronavirus-work-reaction-095155632.html

 

Now, his fanatical base is saying it was “planted” in blue states by Democrats to discredit Trump, and Trump Jr is saying DEMS are hoping it kills ten million people to make his dad look bad.

 

And his fanatical base cheered at a rally when Trump mentioned it’s ONLY showing up in the blue states; their implied hope is it’ll kill lots of anti-Trumpers. https://crooksandliars.com/2020/03/maga-fans-invent-conspiracy-theory-covid. 

 

 

So, to recap:

Corona virus is a hoax.

OK, it’s not a hoax; it was planned and planted.

(And don’t forget Obama! He’s responsible!)

Let’s hope it backfires and kills a lot of Democrats.

 

This is a textbook case of fanaticism, folks. 

 

Now, let’s contrast the above with another type of fanaticism: the fanaticism of Bernie Sanders supporters…

 

At Bernie Sanders rallies, the strongest animosity shown is toward oligarchs, plutocrats and corporations that have a stranglehold on our so-called “representatives” (the people’s employees!), followed by animosity for bigotry, sexism, racism, mysogyny, xenophobia, nationalism, homophobia and  any other form of “other”-ing” of other human beings.

 

When Trump is mentioned at all at a Bernie Sanders rally, only facts are shared: the man is certifiably”a pathological liar” and the poster child for the “other”-ing of human beings who aren’t clones of his rich, white cronies. Why his supporters believe he’s for them (unless they’re rich, white, male and, ideally, tyrannical) is so far beyond my ken that it’s impossible for me to overstate how incredulous I am that they don’t see him for who he truly is: a masterful con man without an ounce of integrity. Unless something benefits him directly, he isn’t interested. He’s a malignant narcissist.

 

This is a mighty stark contrast!

 

The Bernie Brigade has righteous anger and wholesome inclusion on its side.

 

Trump followers have unrighteous bigotry, fear of others, and ignorance on theirs.

 

Berners at Bernie rallies are talking about “love, respect and support thy neighbor”in whatever form they’re in.

 

Trump supporters are talking about how scary and awful anyone is who doesn’t embrace their tawdry, exclusionary perspectives.

 

 

Trump is playing to his supporters’ brainwashed sense of being unsafe, outcast and useless.

 

Bernie is playing to his supporters’ innate sense of feeling secure in their all-inclusive perspectives about other people and in their belief that they and others should be valued and included.

 

Needless to say, I’m on the side of the Bernie fanatics.  I don’t fear others because they aren’t just like me. I value and include people until and unless they prove to me they ‘re not down with the same values I hold dear, and even then I don’t exclude them: I just don’t trust them as much as I otherwise would. I hope some of my perspective and optimism will rub off on them.

 

I don’t believe for a nanosecond that Jesus (or any other spiritual master) would be “other”-ing people, denigrating their religions or places of origin, or putting anyone young and innocent in cages who arrive seeking asylum and sanctuary. How Trump supporters and other Christians (and especially evangelicals) can square their self-professed claim of “follower of Christ” and hold ideas that are diametrically opposed to what he taught is beyond me.

 

So, if there must be fanaticism (and I guess there must in these troubling times since we all consult different information sources), I’ll always be on Bernie’s side. I have “Bernie brothers and sisters” of all colors, faiths and creeds and I like it that way.

 

After all, I’m a Star Trek kid. I’ll always believe in Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations and that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.

 

I loved working at Warner Bros. where people from just about every nation on earth were my coworkers and friends. It was like living on the Starship Enterprise but without the 20th Century bigotry that even that show portrayed in an effort to educate us that bigotry “doesn’t belong on the bridge.”

 

Call me a dreamer. Call me an optimist. Call me whatever you want, but I’m with Don Quixote: “I have never had the courage to believe in nothing.”

 

“When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams — this may be madness. Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!”
― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote