Trump’s Weapons of Deceit Seized the 2024 Election. The "Loyalty to Ignorance, Extremism, and Subterfuge" Test Measures Your Devotion to Deception. How Will You Score?
The torrent of lies and propaganda unleashed by Trump and his enablers in the 2024 election was so overwhelming—and frankly exhausting—that I didn’t even have room in the main article to address the significant role of foreign intervention. So here it is: Russia, China, and Iran each played active roles in tilting the scales, deploying everything from AI-generated disinformation to cyberattacks on Trump’s opponents. Russia churned out AI-crafted smear campaigns and stoked division through propaganda, while China’s “Spamouflage” network infiltrated social media to inflame cultural and political tensions.
Their efforts were no accident—our adversaries understand that Trump is a destabilizing force, a man whose chaos weakens America from within. And let’s not forget his penchant for kowtowing to dictators, from Putin to Xi, making him a convenient pawn in their strategic games. These foreign powers weren’t just hedging their bets; they were actively investing in the collapse of American stability, knowing Trump would deliver on discord and division. That their interference didn’t even make the main article isn’t a testament to its insignificance but to the fact that Trump’s domestic deluge of lies was even more relentless. When our enemies are rooting for one candidate, you might want to question why.
This is an excellent write up of all the bullshit talking points that have taken over the mainstream media environment. This needs to be deployed to everyone who is "on the fence" or anyone who simply doesn't keep up with politics past Twitter and TikTok. This kind of misinformation is rampant on those platforms. I find that nearly anyone who isn't actively paying attention to the media they are consuming are taken in by rhetoric like this without even realizing it, even some people on the left because it is so pervasive.
Mainstream networks like CNN and MSNBC are also culpable, as they are so soft on Trump and republicans that they often legitimize this absurd propaganda. For ex: All the coverage of the Greenland and Panama Canal stuff in the last week. I felt like pulling my hair out because all these pundits were talking about the possible "strategic" and economic reasons Trump may be saying this, as if threatening to invade our closest allies is a legitimate political stance to have! They should be shouting from the rooftops that this is fascist dictator behavior, and that the people of this country should not be standing by as this man destroys our global credibility as a nation. A line must be drawn somewhere. You are either with Trump, or you are with Liberty and the Constitution, there is no middle ground anymore.
Thank you! You're spot on—the sheer absurdity of these talking points slipping into mainstream discourse as if they’re credible is maddening. And yes, the "both sides" approach from networks like CNN and MSNBC just enables the propaganda machine, lending legitimacy to fascist nonsense. The Greenland and Panama Canal coverage was a masterclass in missing the point—this isn’t strategic policy; it’s authoritarian fantasy. You're absolutely right: there’s no middle ground left. It's democracy or demagogue, period. Appreciate your sharp take on this! 👏
So true, there really is no "middle ground" anymore. My only hope is that when they start implementing these insane cuts and restrictions, people will wake up and start questioning -- and that, maybe, in a few years (if they haven't dismantled voting rights somehow), this can still be turned around and a lesson learned about the fragility of democracy and how it requires people to stay engaged in order to protect it.
Unfortunately, it seems Putin has already been quite successful in destroying the US' global standing and credibility. He got Trump in in 2016, knowing full well that Trump would be his puppet ......... the 8-year-old whiny little boy who's simply not very bright was never going to stand up to a former KGB officer. Tragic how quickly it can all change.
Exactly! The fragility of democracy is on full display, and your hope for a wake-up call is shared—though it's maddening that it might take direct pain from these policies for some to finally pay attention. As for Putin, he played a long game, and tragically, it worked. Trump, the tantrum-prone man-child, was never going to be more than a pawn to someone like Putin. It’s infuriating how much damage can be done in such a short time, but here’s to keeping the fight alive and staying vigilant. 🙌
Only if that information is easy to find and people are willing to challenge their own beliefs to listen to it. That is the problem we currently face. The average person is not media literate to enough to realize what is a good or bad source, and if their media source is manipulating the information or not.
Wow!! Some mighty fine, detailed work here!! Love the test questions. Frankly, though, no maga would last beyond the first 2 or 3 questions. Too many words! Too hard! Boring! Woke, ugh! Great job, I am going to save this. And congrats on the all 50 states 👏 and a couple of red ones in play. Awesome post, thanks.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the test questions. You’re absolutely right—anything beyond a soundbite often feels like kryptonite to them. That’s why simplistic lies, packaged as memes or claims at a 4th-grade reading level, are so disturbingly effective. I truly appreciate your thoughtful engagement!
Not even one MAGA will do the test. The words are too big. The questionnaire is too long. They don't read anything past the headline and the picture.
If you could have done it in Dick and Jane grade 1 text with lots of colorful pictures it might be more successful. But the entire questionnaire is a fantastic essay on Trumpism.
Your "Dick and Jane" observation is sadly accurate—and backed by research! Analyses of Trump’s speech patterns consistently show that he communicates at a grade-school level. A 2018 Factba study revealed his speech ranks at a mid-fourth-grade level—the lowest among the last 15 presidents. Carnegie Mellon’s 2016 analysis found his campaign speeches hovered around the fifth-grade level. This isn’t just coincidence. Trump’s deliberate use of simple vocabulary and short sentences caters to a demographic that thrives on headlines and emotion, not substance. It’s a strategic play, aligning perfectly with the average sixth-grade reading level in the U.S.
Mersault, thank you for this searing, unapologetic piece. From where I stand in Germany, watching the U.S. unravel feels like déjà vu in the worst way. Your words cut through the fog of complacency and denial like a scalpel, exposing the raw truth: this is a reckoning, and no one gets to sit it out.
You’ve captured what so many seem determined to ignore—that the erosion of democracy doesn’t come with a bang, but a slow, grinding acceptance of lies dressed as truth. This isn’t just an American crisis; it’s a global one, and your work makes that terrifyingly clear. Thank you for speaking with the urgency and clarity this moment demands.
Thank you for this powerful reflection. Coming from Germany, your perspective carries an undeniable weight—a reminder of how history echoes and the stakes of complacency. You're absolutely right: the unraveling of democracy rarely arrives with fanfare; it seeps in through the cracks of denial and normalized lies. This is indeed a global reckoning, and your words reinforce just how crucial it is to stay vigilant. I deeply appreciate your thoughtful engagement and clarity—voices like yours are needed now more than ever. 🌍✊
Kay-El, I couldn’t agree more—The Plot Against America is a must-read, especially for anyone failing the test. I read it back when it was first released in 2004 (huge Philip Roth fan here), and what made it so powerful was how plausibly it depicted the rise of an authoritarian figure like Lindbergh. I remember recommending it to people in 2015 during Trump’s rise, thinking it might serve as a warning. Sadly, the last eight years have proven reality can be far more terrifying than Roth’s fiction. And yes, no shortcuts—book reports mandatory! 📚
Thank you! I'm thrilled about the growing subscriber base, though I suppose my international country count might dip once we "absorb" Canada and Greenland. And with Trump's recent musings about reclaiming the Panama Canal and even renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," it seems my global reach is shrinking by the day!
There will be no absorbing Canada. Greenland is less than thrilled about it too. Both Canada and Greenland are solid. We will not just allow a greasy old rag like Trump to mop us up. We Canadians will not go gently into that good night so your global reach is not in jeopardy. I'm sorry if I sound upset. I am very angry and offended by the giant sized gonads of Trump thinking he can just come in and take over whatever he chooses in other countries.
I was stunned to learn that so many of my fellow Americans were such idiots to fall AGAIN for its (orange hiTLer’s) lies and disinformation. I’m too old and immobile in my senior years to pack up and leave. I HATE that we’ve came back to the bulls**t from this party. I was an independent for all of my voting life until Obama when I switch to Democrat. I’m going back to independent.
A very succinct overview indeed - very enlightening and slightly horrifying! I confess I hadn't heard a lot of these insane proclamations before and do wonder what substances were being imbibed when they were fabricated.
Speaking of appalling lies - Mike Johnson - the man who waves around the bible and pretends to be the arbiter of God's while threatening to place "conditions" on sending help to people suffering in California. The unmitigated gall of someone like Johnson really bothers me - if you want to "burn it all down", at least have the backbone to admit to it - Bannon does, and I have him pegged as one of Satan's minions.
When Johnson sold his soul at the MAGA altar, he obviously traded in the St. James version of the bible for the Trumpian one (fake gold gilded pages and all), where Trump is Lord of all.
I still cannot decide whether people are just basically ignorant, lazy and gullible and thus fell for these truly bizarre lies or whether there are truly that many cruel and narcissistic people around that want nothing more than to grab power, impose their will on others and watch their fellow man suffer (without realizing that the time will come when "they" will come for them as well).
And now all the insanity abut Greenland and Panama and Canada - which I think is a lot of smoke and mirrors for everything that Trump and his cabal are doing in the darkness.
Congrats on your "wide range" - it's reassuring to know that there are still many intelligent and compassionate people around!
Thank you for this sharp and insightful commentary! Your take on Mike Johnson trading in the Bible for the Trumpian version—complete with faux gold pages—is spot on. And yes, the ignorance versus cruelty debate rages on, though the terrifying truth is it’s likely a mix of both, fueled by power-hungry opportunists. The Greenland and Panama nonsense does seem like a shiny distraction, but your point about the "darkness" lurking beneath is chillingly accurate. Glad to know we’re in good company in calling it all out! 🧠🔥
Readers alarmed by the bastardized form of Christianity seen on the right may find interest in one of my recent articles (not coincidentally released on Christmas Eve);:
Thank you for this brilliantly written article and for shedding light on the dangers of poisonous misinformation and the erosion of truth in our society. Your words give voice to the frustration, disgust, sadness, and urgency so many of us feel in these turbulent times. I couldn’t agree more with your analysis of the intellectual decay, immorality, pure evil, and blind loyalty that have fueled Trumpism. So many seem immune to facts and logic; it's both exhausting and heartbreaking!
Thank you for your unwavering dedication to exposing the outrageous lies and preposterous garbage perpetuated by this convicted felon and sociopath. I feel sick to my stomach every time this megalomaniac opens his mouth. I will never understand how anyone could want to give power to such a corrupt, vulgar psychopath. Each and every day, we are forced to endure his stupidity and nonsense about how he can bully and destroy the world.
We must fight, with every fiber of our being, against these wannabe dictators, religious fanatics, and despisers of humanity, and their assault on democracy, women's rights, and morality. It’s comforting to know that so many of us stand together in this battle.
Fantastic post! Sadly, no MAGAts will be able to take this test because they don't read. I think one of the most depressing statistics I have seen is that (as of 2022) 33% of third-graders and about 31% of eighth-grader have achieved proficiency levels in reading. Ergo, nearly 70% of these children are illiterate.
"A study featured in the international peer-reviewed Psychological Medicine journal in June 2023 concluded that cultivating a habit of reading for pleasure in children at an early age (2 to 9 years) improves cognitive performance and mental well-being in their later adolescent years."
THEY. CAN'T. READ. Red states are the worst, of course, but if parents can't read, their kids are less likely to be able to read, and the perpetuation of ignorance becomes generational. Thus the aim of the GOP over the past forty years to gut education budgets in every state they control is bearing fruit: The populace can't read, therefore they are lacking in critical thinking skills and can only comprehend what they are spoon-fed.
The Dems failure to recognize the far-right's manipulation/domination of mainstream media and counter it is why we are here.
Ah, Oklahoma—trading one shade of red for another, I see! I admire your optimism, even if the “less nationally embarrassing” bar feels more like limbo at this point. Here’s hoping for brighter days and fewer facepalms in your new home state. Hang in there! 🌟✊
The torrent of lies and propaganda unleashed by Trump and his enablers in the 2024 election was so overwhelming—and frankly exhausting—that I didn’t even have room in the main article to address the significant role of foreign intervention. So here it is: Russia, China, and Iran each played active roles in tilting the scales, deploying everything from AI-generated disinformation to cyberattacks on Trump’s opponents. Russia churned out AI-crafted smear campaigns and stoked division through propaganda, while China’s “Spamouflage” network infiltrated social media to inflame cultural and political tensions.
Their efforts were no accident—our adversaries understand that Trump is a destabilizing force, a man whose chaos weakens America from within. And let’s not forget his penchant for kowtowing to dictators, from Putin to Xi, making him a convenient pawn in their strategic games. These foreign powers weren’t just hedging their bets; they were actively investing in the collapse of American stability, knowing Trump would deliver on discord and division. That their interference didn’t even make the main article isn’t a testament to its insignificance but to the fact that Trump’s domestic deluge of lies was even more relentless. When our enemies are rooting for one candidate, you might want to question why.
This is an excellent write up of all the bullshit talking points that have taken over the mainstream media environment. This needs to be deployed to everyone who is "on the fence" or anyone who simply doesn't keep up with politics past Twitter and TikTok. This kind of misinformation is rampant on those platforms. I find that nearly anyone who isn't actively paying attention to the media they are consuming are taken in by rhetoric like this without even realizing it, even some people on the left because it is so pervasive.
Mainstream networks like CNN and MSNBC are also culpable, as they are so soft on Trump and republicans that they often legitimize this absurd propaganda. For ex: All the coverage of the Greenland and Panama Canal stuff in the last week. I felt like pulling my hair out because all these pundits were talking about the possible "strategic" and economic reasons Trump may be saying this, as if threatening to invade our closest allies is a legitimate political stance to have! They should be shouting from the rooftops that this is fascist dictator behavior, and that the people of this country should not be standing by as this man destroys our global credibility as a nation. A line must be drawn somewhere. You are either with Trump, or you are with Liberty and the Constitution, there is no middle ground anymore.
Thank you! You're spot on—the sheer absurdity of these talking points slipping into mainstream discourse as if they’re credible is maddening. And yes, the "both sides" approach from networks like CNN and MSNBC just enables the propaganda machine, lending legitimacy to fascist nonsense. The Greenland and Panama Canal coverage was a masterclass in missing the point—this isn’t strategic policy; it’s authoritarian fantasy. You're absolutely right: there’s no middle ground left. It's democracy or demagogue, period. Appreciate your sharp take on this! 👏
So true, there really is no "middle ground" anymore. My only hope is that when they start implementing these insane cuts and restrictions, people will wake up and start questioning -- and that, maybe, in a few years (if they haven't dismantled voting rights somehow), this can still be turned around and a lesson learned about the fragility of democracy and how it requires people to stay engaged in order to protect it.
Unfortunately, it seems Putin has already been quite successful in destroying the US' global standing and credibility. He got Trump in in 2016, knowing full well that Trump would be his puppet ......... the 8-year-old whiny little boy who's simply not very bright was never going to stand up to a former KGB officer. Tragic how quickly it can all change.
Exactly! The fragility of democracy is on full display, and your hope for a wake-up call is shared—though it's maddening that it might take direct pain from these policies for some to finally pay attention. As for Putin, he played a long game, and tragically, it worked. Trump, the tantrum-prone man-child, was never going to be more than a pawn to someone like Putin. It’s infuriating how much damage can be done in such a short time, but here’s to keeping the fight alive and staying vigilant. 🙌
Exactly!
Fighting misinformation is abhorrent in a free and open society. More information is ALWAYS better.
Only if that information is easy to find and people are willing to challenge their own beliefs to listen to it. That is the problem we currently face. The average person is not media literate to enough to realize what is a good or bad source, and if their media source is manipulating the information or not.
Wow!! Some mighty fine, detailed work here!! Love the test questions. Frankly, though, no maga would last beyond the first 2 or 3 questions. Too many words! Too hard! Boring! Woke, ugh! Great job, I am going to save this. And congrats on the all 50 states 👏 and a couple of red ones in play. Awesome post, thanks.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the test questions. You’re absolutely right—anything beyond a soundbite often feels like kryptonite to them. That’s why simplistic lies, packaged as memes or claims at a 4th-grade reading level, are so disturbingly effective. I truly appreciate your thoughtful engagement!
Not even one MAGA will do the test. The words are too big. The questionnaire is too long. They don't read anything past the headline and the picture.
If you could have done it in Dick and Jane grade 1 text with lots of colorful pictures it might be more successful. But the entire questionnaire is a fantastic essay on Trumpism.
Your "Dick and Jane" observation is sadly accurate—and backed by research! Analyses of Trump’s speech patterns consistently show that he communicates at a grade-school level. A 2018 Factba study revealed his speech ranks at a mid-fourth-grade level—the lowest among the last 15 presidents. Carnegie Mellon’s 2016 analysis found his campaign speeches hovered around the fifth-grade level. This isn’t just coincidence. Trump’s deliberate use of simple vocabulary and short sentences caters to a demographic that thrives on headlines and emotion, not substance. It’s a strategic play, aligning perfectly with the average sixth-grade reading level in the U.S.
Interesting. I didn't know that. Thank you.
Mersault, thank you for this searing, unapologetic piece. From where I stand in Germany, watching the U.S. unravel feels like déjà vu in the worst way. Your words cut through the fog of complacency and denial like a scalpel, exposing the raw truth: this is a reckoning, and no one gets to sit it out.
You’ve captured what so many seem determined to ignore—that the erosion of democracy doesn’t come with a bang, but a slow, grinding acceptance of lies dressed as truth. This isn’t just an American crisis; it’s a global one, and your work makes that terrifyingly clear. Thank you for speaking with the urgency and clarity this moment demands.
Thank you for this powerful reflection. Coming from Germany, your perspective carries an undeniable weight—a reminder of how history echoes and the stakes of complacency. You're absolutely right: the unraveling of democracy rarely arrives with fanfare; it seeps in through the cracks of denial and normalized lies. This is indeed a global reckoning, and your words reinforce just how crucial it is to stay vigilant. I deeply appreciate your thoughtful engagement and clarity—voices like yours are needed now more than ever. 🌍✊
𝗬𝗲𝘀, 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗜𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗿, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸
𝘽𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙩: 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙜𝙤𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙪𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙢𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙮.
https://patricemersault.substack.com/p/yes-trump-is-like-hitler-but-not?r=4d7sow
𝗜 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗿—𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗡𝗮𝘇𝗶 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗨𝗽
𝘼 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 (𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚) 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙥 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙏𝙤
https://patricemersault.substack.com/p/i-wrote-about-trump-and-hitlerthen?r=4d7sow
When they fail the test, The Plot Against America will be required reading along with a book report. No Cliff Notes cheating, we’re on to that.
Well done.
Kay-El, I couldn’t agree more—The Plot Against America is a must-read, especially for anyone failing the test. I read it back when it was first released in 2004 (huge Philip Roth fan here), and what made it so powerful was how plausibly it depicted the rise of an authoritarian figure like Lindbergh. I remember recommending it to people in 2015 during Trump’s rise, thinking it might serve as a warning. Sadly, the last eight years have proven reality can be far more terrifying than Roth’s fiction. And yes, no shortcuts—book reports mandatory! 📚
Masterful, as always. Hand-delivered four copies to known magat households during this morning's dog walk. Thanks!
I love this! Definitely let us know how they scored!
Your letters are so good, now to reach their intended recipients…
Congratulations on all those subs, still counting Canada as international!
Thank you! I'm thrilled about the growing subscriber base, though I suppose my international country count might dip once we "absorb" Canada and Greenland. And with Trump's recent musings about reclaiming the Panama Canal and even renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," it seems my global reach is shrinking by the day!
There will be no absorbing Canada. Greenland is less than thrilled about it too. Both Canada and Greenland are solid. We will not just allow a greasy old rag like Trump to mop us up. We Canadians will not go gently into that good night so your global reach is not in jeopardy. I'm sorry if I sound upset. I am very angry and offended by the giant sized gonads of Trump thinking he can just come in and take over whatever he chooses in other countries.
And Corp media eating it up and spitting it out in their trashy rags is not serious reporting
I was stunned to learn that so many of my fellow Americans were such idiots to fall AGAIN for its (orange hiTLer’s) lies and disinformation. I’m too old and immobile in my senior years to pack up and leave. I HATE that we’ve came back to the bulls**t from this party. I was an independent for all of my voting life until Obama when I switch to Democrat. I’m going back to independent.
A very succinct overview indeed - very enlightening and slightly horrifying! I confess I hadn't heard a lot of these insane proclamations before and do wonder what substances were being imbibed when they were fabricated.
Speaking of appalling lies - Mike Johnson - the man who waves around the bible and pretends to be the arbiter of God's while threatening to place "conditions" on sending help to people suffering in California. The unmitigated gall of someone like Johnson really bothers me - if you want to "burn it all down", at least have the backbone to admit to it - Bannon does, and I have him pegged as one of Satan's minions.
When Johnson sold his soul at the MAGA altar, he obviously traded in the St. James version of the bible for the Trumpian one (fake gold gilded pages and all), where Trump is Lord of all.
I still cannot decide whether people are just basically ignorant, lazy and gullible and thus fell for these truly bizarre lies or whether there are truly that many cruel and narcissistic people around that want nothing more than to grab power, impose their will on others and watch their fellow man suffer (without realizing that the time will come when "they" will come for them as well).
And now all the insanity abut Greenland and Panama and Canada - which I think is a lot of smoke and mirrors for everything that Trump and his cabal are doing in the darkness.
Congrats on your "wide range" - it's reassuring to know that there are still many intelligent and compassionate people around!
Thank you for this sharp and insightful commentary! Your take on Mike Johnson trading in the Bible for the Trumpian version—complete with faux gold pages—is spot on. And yes, the ignorance versus cruelty debate rages on, though the terrifying truth is it’s likely a mix of both, fueled by power-hungry opportunists. The Greenland and Panama nonsense does seem like a shiny distraction, but your point about the "darkness" lurking beneath is chillingly accurate. Glad to know we’re in good company in calling it all out! 🧠🔥
Readers alarmed by the bastardized form of Christianity seen on the right may find interest in one of my recent articles (not coincidentally released on Christmas Eve);:
𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘆: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗷𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗵
https://patricemersault.substack.com/p/holy-hypocrisy-the-blasphemous-gospel?r=4d7sow
Thank you for this brilliantly written article and for shedding light on the dangers of poisonous misinformation and the erosion of truth in our society. Your words give voice to the frustration, disgust, sadness, and urgency so many of us feel in these turbulent times. I couldn’t agree more with your analysis of the intellectual decay, immorality, pure evil, and blind loyalty that have fueled Trumpism. So many seem immune to facts and logic; it's both exhausting and heartbreaking!
Thank you for your unwavering dedication to exposing the outrageous lies and preposterous garbage perpetuated by this convicted felon and sociopath. I feel sick to my stomach every time this megalomaniac opens his mouth. I will never understand how anyone could want to give power to such a corrupt, vulgar psychopath. Each and every day, we are forced to endure his stupidity and nonsense about how he can bully and destroy the world.
We must fight, with every fiber of our being, against these wannabe dictators, religious fanatics, and despisers of humanity, and their assault on democracy, women's rights, and morality. It’s comforting to know that so many of us stand together in this battle.
Thank you Petra for your also brilliantly written commentary.
🙏🩵
Fantastic post! Sadly, no MAGAts will be able to take this test because they don't read. I think one of the most depressing statistics I have seen is that (as of 2022) 33% of third-graders and about 31% of eighth-grader have achieved proficiency levels in reading. Ergo, nearly 70% of these children are illiterate.
"A study featured in the international peer-reviewed Psychological Medicine journal in June 2023 concluded that cultivating a habit of reading for pleasure in children at an early age (2 to 9 years) improves cognitive performance and mental well-being in their later adolescent years."
THEY. CAN'T. READ. Red states are the worst, of course, but if parents can't read, their kids are less likely to be able to read, and the perpetuation of ignorance becomes generational. Thus the aim of the GOP over the past forty years to gut education budgets in every state they control is bearing fruit: The populace can't read, therefore they are lacking in critical thinking skills and can only comprehend what they are spoon-fed.
The Dems failure to recognize the far-right's manipulation/domination of mainstream media and counter it is why we are here.
https://www.thinkimpact.com/reading-statistics/
Oklahoma here (relocated from Texas in June, thinking that being in a less nationally embarrassing red state would somehow be better...).
Love your work.
Ah, Oklahoma—trading one shade of red for another, I see! I admire your optimism, even if the “less nationally embarrassing” bar feels more like limbo at this point. Here’s hoping for brighter days and fewer facepalms in your new home state. Hang in there! 🌟✊
Brilliant and thorough.
The truth would kill him.
None