"His mission is to eradicate 'woke Jesus'" (Part 2)

https://www.salon.com/2025/02/18/his-mission-is-to-eradicate-woke-jesus-how-money-lies-and-religion-are-abused-to-gut-democracy/

"His mission is to eradicate 'woke Jesus'": How money, lies and religion are abused to gut democracy
Journalist Katherine Stewart's "Money, Lies, and God" takes readers into Trump's movement to end America

By Amanda Marcotte
Senior Writer
Published February 18, 2025 6:00AM (EST)

(Continued from Part 1)

The Christian nationalist movement is as organized around the profit motive as politics. They are sincere authoritarians, but the leaders also come across like con men shaking down their followers for cash. How do you see this relationship between both sincere ideology and this attitude that their followers are wallets to be picked?

The Reawaken America tour is a traveling, pro-Trump conspiracy-fest. They set up in mega-churches around the country. Each one draws thousands of participants. It's organized by Mike Flynn, who's a close ally of Trump, and Clay Clark. Usually one of the Trump kids shows up to speak. And that they always have these very political preachers. It's rooted in the independent charismatic movement. They're hawking all these goods and telling people to buy precious metals. The attendees aren't poor, but they're certainly not wealthy. They're working or middle class, but the kind of people the information economy left behind.

But it's not just about fleecing them, but exploiting them for political gain. They do that by promoting fear. They tell them evil woke demons are going to come after you in your house. They're going to change your kids' gender against their will in their public schools. They're gonna control every cent you own. The fear makes people susceptible to manipulation. How do you get half of American voters to support a guy who is a convicted criminal, who exploited all of these people that he's gone into business with? Well, you do it by convincing them that he is being persecuted, that the election of 2020 was stolen, that God's hand is on his shoulder, and if anyone else is elected, then that goes against God's will.

Many of these supporters don't recognize that American democracy might be destroyed. Some don't care. They think it's more important to put a strong man in power to demolish the supposedly dangerous radical left. But whether they don't care or don't know, it's because they've been colossally misinformed. That's how they rationalize their choices at the ballot box. And I would have to say this is not just about Trump. Authoritarianism loves a misinformed public. The anti-democratic movement has funded this massive propaganda campaign that has led us to where we are today.

https://www.salon.com/2025/02/18/his-mission-is-to-eradicate-woke-jesus-how-money-lies-and-religion-are-abused-to-gut-democracy/

Amanda Marcotte is a senior politics writer at Salon and the author of "Troll Nation: How The Right Became Trump-Worshipping Monsters Set On Rat-F***ing Liberals, America, and Truth Itself." Follow her on Bluesky @AmandaMarcotte and sign up for her biweekly politics newsletter, Standing Room Only.

@Suzianne

People living in fear cannot make rational decisions; their amygdalas are in control. Tis the way of the flesh ...

@moonbus said
@Suzianne

People living in fear cannot make rational decisions; their amygdalas are in control. Tis the way of the flesh ...

@Suzianne said
Sad, but true.


I don't get afraid too much any more. What happens is I get mad.

This sh-- Trump has been pulling is making me afraid again, and I don't like it one bit.

I didn't put in the hard work to beat my PTSD just so some little dipsh-- f---er can make me lose sleep again. (I told you I get mad.)

@moonbus said
One thing is for sure. Now that he’s throwing Ukraine under a bus, no other country will make a treaty or agreement with him. Only enforceable quid pro quo from now on.

They did a study which showed the pundits not giving equal time for things like the housing crisis.
But would the above author think one's houses are infested, not merely haunted; who is actually discriminated against? If their house was demonically possessed it wouldn't be so simple because that may dissolve them of responsibility.

@Suzianne
>> They tell them evil woke demons are going to come after you in your house

Sure feels crazy.
As an aside, which do you think is less morally justified: lying to yourself or lying to others?