Thread by @DocRichard

The riots on Capitol Hill in January 2021 will occupy social psychologists for decades.

Here is my preliminary formulation as a psychiatrist:

1. There exists a widespread delusion that a political elite exists whose aim is to remove people’s rights and freedoms

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2. In this delusion the elite operate by creating elaborate myths about general threats to well-being such as man-made climate change and Covid-19

3/ These myths are propagated using the scientific community (!) who are drawn into a quasi-religious system of false thinking
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4. Step 3 of this delusion represents projection

5. The delusions are propagated and amplified through right wing voices in the MSM (e.g. Daily Mail and Telegraph), alt-right channels such as Breitbart, and talk radio shock-jocks

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6. The delusion germinates in the minds of susceptible people made suggestible by inequalities in society and economy, poverty and unemployment being important factors

7. The delusion was acted out on January 6th in Washington in response to the suggestion of Donald J Trump

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8. Having acted out, the delusion will lose power and fade away from the surface, although the belief will persist in some minds.

9. The nature of the delusion is one built on denial rather than classic psychosis in the minds of most

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10. There will be sporadic acts of violence arising from the delusion in some minds, who are located towards the psychotic end of the spectrum

11. Social healing must come from addressing inequalities, unemployment, and malnutrition

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12. The key to this healing lies in the Green New Deal which will create plenty of work and jobs in energy conservation, renewable energy and storage, environmental protection and restoration meeting human needs for good housing, education, healthcare and social care

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