While aggregating threads/articles for a book project, I came across a 9/30/19 thread responding to Trump retweeting "pastor" @robertjeffress stating there would be "civil war like fracture" if Trump was held accountable for high crimes & misdemeanors. 1/vox.com/policy-and-pol…
The thread pointed out that Trump had made cryptic insinuations about "civil war" six months earlier in a March interview with Breitbart....2/
"I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of Bikers for Trump. I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough...until they go to a certain point, & then it would be very bad, very bad". 3/ thehill.com/homenews/admin…
For years, Trump was undoubtedly told by Bannon/Stephen Miller/etc, that the "tough people"...the military, law enforcement, & the majority of gun owners had Trump's back.
All they needed was a catalyst to cause them to "go to a certain point...& it would be very, very bad". 3/
That catalyst was the "Big Lie".
The lie was the incitement that caused the insurrection.
Every other comment made on January 6th by Trump, Rudy ("Trial by Combat"), etc., was made in support of the initial incitement:
Repeatedly lying about the 2020 election being stolen. 4/
If duty-bound, and duty-driven people (military/law enforcement) are told that the election was stolen enough times........eventually even rational/decent people will start to question reality.....with some eventually acting upon those lies. 5/
If a superior officer lies to a good (wo)man enough times, it will eventually result in the misapplication of their values, and the mis-performance of their duties.
Basically, this can result in good people doing the wrong thing for what they believe are the "right" reasons. 6/
This can often be a basis, or part of the process, for radicalization.
The Right is well aware of this, and actively exploits the situation.....as analyzed in this thread about General Milley's congressional testimony, and Trump's subsequent speech. 7/
Just rewrote this morning's thread (about Trump tipping his hand to the insurrection in a 2019 speech) as an article here (no paywall):patreon.com/posts/53339045
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Article about device addiction by @brianklaas, which references @JonHaidt's book "the Anxious Generation" analyzing the effect smart phones have on kids.
I work with kids who struggle with electronic device dependency/addiction.
I attached relevant threads about Qanon, the neuropsychology of conspiracy theory susceptibility, and how dopamine/addiction and celebrity gossip/entertainment factors in, etc.
It's difficult to remember all of the things that should repulse otherwise decent people who continue to support a severely disordered man who they would otherwise condemn in any other context.
In 2018, I observed the parallels in political tribalism/conflict, and addiction.
I asked an advisor if i could focus on this in a grad school thesis, but was told I didn’t have the time, and the program didn’t have the resources.
2/
In 2021, I alluded to a possible addiction/dopamine link with politics in a @projectlincoln podcast......