Philly Inquirer Op-Ed Raises Question, is GOP a Cult?


 
Rather than taking the Sgt. Joe Friday approach of "just the facts ma'am", (Dragnet) or doing some forensic analysis of specific events, people or factoids, I would like to address certain general principles that might be helpful in forming a reasoned judgement on the matter. 
First, we have a Constitutional Crisis. Second, is we as a Nation are more divided than at any time since 1860. And third, there are many informed people that have drawn the same conclusion as Will Bunch, that the Nation is imperiled having been hijacked by a Cult, which is in every way acting to protect, defend, and continue the criminal behavior of Russian asset or agent, Donald Trump. Neither Trump nor his defenders have denied that he did what he is accused of. Most of his defenders argue that yes, it was wrong, but not Impeachable. There is not a lack of clarity on this matter.
Before digging in, I have never been one to generalize or judge individual people with broad brush strokes. It's simply wrong to say that all people who belong to group "A" are this or that, all of the time. I have Republican friends, who voted for Trump. Most of them are thoughtful and good people, who are now struggling with their choices, as opposed to a hard core of possibly 15-20% of GOPers who stand with "Trump u:ber alles". This hard core displays the classic symptoms of Cult membership.

So, it's worth looking at what those symptoms are. 
1. Its Leader is virtually infallible
2. The Leader demands total loyalty. Failure to comply is met with severe punishment.
3. Its culture is similar to that of a police state, in which members are encouraged to inform on each other.
4. Members are forced to divulge their deepest secrets, and confronted with them constantly to intimidate, and enforce conformity.
5. Members are told that the cult does not need them, that they should feel privileged to be allowed to join, and that if they fail to carry out the orders of leadership, will be ridiculed, ostracized, or replaced. 
6. Members are pressured to embellish the accomplishments of the cult, and lie to cover up its abuses, to write a fictional narrative of day to day events in order to validate their world view.
7. The Leader asserts his right to control members personal life. If a member is not performing, the members spouse, family and friends become fair game for withering attacks, blaming their influence for failure. It is fair game to turn spouses and friends against each other, or even separate them to insure there is no independent thinking, or conspiracies. Secrecy is paramount, and the culture of paranoia, perceived enemies inside and out is used to keep people under control.
8. People who dissent are termed saboteurs. People who quit and leave are traitors and scum. The fear of having your friends, and associates turned against you is used to control and intimidate. 
9. Members are told they are part of an elite, that they have knowledge no one else has, and that people on the outside are sheep.
10. The cult, which may appear political in form, will demand of its members a form of Religious devotion and fanaticism, in exchange for the promise of some kind of personal reward, perks, status, and ultimately salvation.

So, food for thought. Put the picture together in your mind. Take what you know, what you've seen unfold, and you decide if and how the term "Cult" fits the GOP, or any other group for that matter.

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