Much of the Left has a tribal identity that is the most meaningful aspect of their lives. I don't think they can, without great psychic sacrifice, see what they have become.
Every so-called interest group that the Democrats embrace is a "victim" of American society, according to the Democrats.
Having written off the white vote under Obama, and the working class vote under Kamala, their one great hope was to get all their oppressed groups together, to form a coalition.
Every one of their groups, or tribes, has forced party "purity" within the Democrat coalition. So no matter how outrageous or radical their demands, you had better follow the party platform. Dissent is not tolerated!
The litmus test for whether or not you are dealing with a totalitarian group is this.. When a person either inside or outside the group questions or dissents to the group narrative or to the leader, do the herd members SHUN/SMEAR/PUNISH?
If they do.....you are dealing with a totalitarian herd. They do not take dissent lightly, because it weakens their power.
Exactly. This has been what is pushing them farther and farther away from the interests of most Americans. The most radical of the groups/ tribes are the ones making the most demands of the party. And if you question it, you're OUT.
The protests of Trump have come from the farthest Left of the party, and they have shown everyone else, as to what their real goal is--power. Loss after loss, in the area of public perception. But, do they ever think to recalibrate their opposition, and really examine what they are protesting? Nope. Therefore, they are painting themselves into a corner. They have become pro-illegal immigration, pro-criminal, pro transgender mutilation of children, on and on...
Picking the 20% side of an 8020 coalition, is not a winning strategy. Get your popcorn out 😂
How long before there is a serious break, between the far-Left Progressive Socialist Communist faction, and the more moderate Liberal Democrats? 🤔
I get the totalitarian treatment on some Substacks, when I ask questions which are obviously not in the best interests of what the Substack host planned for their brand-building.
Then I get a lot of self-righteous harumphing....and I am soon banned. Little do such hosts realize that they are outing their own proclivities....even if their writing is about "freedom-fighting". Obviously, that is just a theme that tends to sell well for them. Nothing more.
I come here to Sasha's Substack every so often because I hear authenticity in her voice.
It's possible I could be wrong, but she comes across to me as genuine. She allows questioning and dissent, even when this might question her. Good sign.
Other "freedom-fighting" Substack hosts might ban a questioner before they get the words out of their mouth (keyboard). With a good cover -- such as "getting rid of trolls" or "maintaining community harmony". Uh huh. Those are the kind of excuses used by totalitarians. Think back to the COVID-mania days, for instance.
Yes. Instead of actually looking at the situation, and asking themselves what they could do better… or are they representing themselves, their party, and their policies well…
They doubled down and triple down.
I'm a big firm believer in, if somebody is an idiot, I mean total idiot, you let them speak and expose themselves for what they are…
Throw them a shovel and tell them to keep digging!
Spot on, A. Anytime you are in a group of Dems/Leftist, dissent from the anti-MAGA line is quickly punished, and assent is expected/demanded.... Silence is regarded (rightfully so, it must be noted) as disagreement, and is viewed with suspicion.
And I'm fascinated by the fact that in these Dem/Leftist groups, there is a competition to see who is the most vehemently anti-Trump, i.e., who is the most fanatic cult member... Really really weird...
Totalitarian herds always have a groupthink narrative. Which MUST be followed, to the letter. As well as adoring the leader, this hive-mind is what ties them together.
We saw it in the insane collective that appeared across the West during COVID-mania.
The other hint that you are dealing with totalitarianism is their propensity for spying. They love snitch-lines and Stasi types and curtain-twitchers. All the better for determining who is not following the narrative, and proceeding to punish them.
That is a classic gaslighting tactic....to call someone crazy or mentally unstable whenever they disagree with you. To attempt to sow doubt on their opinions.
And coming from the authentically unstable Left, that is rich.
Notice that Biden was truly in the throes of Dementia -- as President! -- yet they kept insisting that he was fine.
Here is an example. Think of the shunning of their own family members by Jehovah's Witnesses. Which is a very un-Christian thing to do. But they excuse it to themselves nonetheless.
Identity has become such a large part of the Democrat platform, that it is causing their groups to start turning on each other occasionally, because of the contradictions in their "beliefs" as a party.
Rather than supporting policies that treat everyone equally, they have bent over backwards to be Santa Claus to every one of their little tribes, every interest group that they have in their coalition.
Therefore the loudest voices get the most attention. Those on the far Left, the most Progressive, turn their demands into official policy.
So, at some point, the Democrats became more of an advocacy group of every so-called "oppressed" tribe, and neglected the needs of large segments of the population.
Hence, that is why we are seeing more moderate Democrats leave the party, because the Democrats no longer represent them.
Identity but also just raw emotion. No one on the right or even centrists lose it like the Left. Witness the goofball in DC throwing his sub sandwich. On the Left, seems no need to introspect.
Well put. I used to buy some of this stuff, would've called myself 'liberal.' Then I lived in Korea for 14 yrs, proceeding to come back home to the US at peak woke, which triggered the type of spiritual crisis that could usher in real clarity about the state of things in the US. It's like scales being removed from the eyes. It is painful, and I think most people avoid it at all costs.
It's really an interesting topic - how one goes from Left to Right. We all have different tales to tell. Sasha has chronicled hers well. For me, it was when my girlfriend told me she was pregnant. In an instant, I knew this wasn't about choice, it was about our decision whether another human should live or die. It was an epiphany or, as you say, the scales fall from your eyes. I don't think we can make this happen en masse, it has to happen on a personal level.
It is the spiritual and emotional angst that happens when you realize that your gods have failed you. Rather like realizing as a child that your parents have failed you.
Where now? Turns a person's world around and shakes it out. Can lead to growth, but the cost is high.
Both are tribal, nasty and use names like you just described to ridicule and name call the other side to avoid talking to them like human beings and I admit I do that as well when i get pushed into these debates and you dont respect my point.
Really? I get the impression from that statement that you're unfamiliar with the concepts and results of Marxist ideology. Nothing about Trump indicates he is an unwitting subscriber of Nazi ideology. But Marxism is all about establishing oppressor/oppressed and using whatever tools will advance that belief. Progressives are Marxist inspired. Over time, I have gotten the impression you are determined to play both sides (disingenuously) while very obviously taking one of them.
You're not paying attention or you to appreciate Marx, the denial has been going on for decades. The depression era gave lots of people, desperate for solutions, the lack of knowledge of what it was doing in Soviet Russia was broadly unknown so some saw it as a solution. The by the late 40s the Soviet reality was better known and Mao was making his move. As of today Communism has claimed more than 100 million lives and untold more lived it's misery. There's no legitimate way the wasted philosophy should be anything more than a historical foot note but it's incredibly popular. The Democratic Socialists occupy seats in our Congress and 58% of 30 and under think it's worth a shot, this's in America. Thank Education for not educating. Have you not seen one Turning Point debate on one of our college campuses? Virtually all that come well prepared in Marxism but I'll concede that they're probably unaware as well, but it's what they've been taught. YOU Sir have some observations to catch up on. The current front runner for Mayor is a Happy Marxist, AOC, Ilhan Omar and the rest of the Squad, approve of Marxism. Because of people blind like you, it's spread here in the land of Liberty.
One has an extremist/authoritarian ideology, and the other does not. The Far Left has taken over the Demo Party. The Far Right (KKK, Neo-Nazi) remains fringe.
The far left has shit over the real power in the democrat party the corporation section. All that you see is smoke and mirrors please learn to look inside not at the magic show being presented.
The American Founders were adamant that we should not engage in foreign wars because they saw first hand how it destroyed much of the European nations; yet the GOP and Dems, both run by Neocons, fund trillions in foreign wars in Europe and Middle East over decades. The Democrats and the Republicans are far more similar in their hypocrisy than they are different in their implementation of critical decisions like trillions in debt, foreign entanglements and military.
Not really. I am essentially the same person I was 40 years ago and my beliefs have not changed in any material respect. I do not identify with any particular brand of Republicanism or conservatism and my sense of self-identity is not determined by affiliation with any group. Indeed, I do not expect affirmation or fear rejection based on my political leanings.
I do not think most liberals can say the same. Certainly the liberals I know well have trouble being in the least way broad minded.
Most people do not share that. From Sasha to Matt Tabbi they are very oriented to one party ideology even if they wont admit it my biggest pet pieve is they use "independent" as a word to attract people when they are clearly rooting for one party to succeed and one to fail.
I am desperately rooting for the Democrats to fail. A bigger bunch of racist bigots has rarely walked the Earth. But the fact that I want them to fail does not mean that I identify with the Right. It just means I hate hypocrites that are trying to impose an Orwellian state.
Depends. The persons who escape usually view it as a freeing of themselves, rather than a sacrifice.
However, life does not necessarily become rosy right away. There may be a phase of enormous grief from having left your herd and leader. Independence might arrive in steps. You may have to survive one step at a time.
I recommend reading the memoirs of escapees, such as those who have fled cults or extremist religious groups or gangs or Cluster-B families or any of the various totalitarian herds.
P.S. Be careful though, not to accept the word of those who have escaped one totalitarian group....only to jump into another. This is not infrequent.
You have former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who was raised in an extremist religious group, only to join radical leftists at WEF as an adult.
Or the author of a recent book on leaving Mormonism, who thought she had beaten it all. Then she proudly professed to having joined the WOKE-folk. Same could be said for author Martha Beck, who left Mormonism only to join the Leftists.
agreed. Perfect example, one of thousands that can be easily found:
- Michigan State Professor REQUIRED students to "join" her "Rebellion.com" org for $99
- teaching a class required for graduation
- Dr. Amy Wisner stated in a now-deleted Facebook post that the organization was a “safe place to coordinate our efforts to burn everything to the fucking ground”
- Her official syllabus called the group 'a global social learning community,'
- this went on for years until someone discovered the funds were actually going to:
____a) Planned Parenthood, and
____b) buying herself a "Rebellion RV" to tour the country going to protests
Actually, per Robert Hare, the creator of the Pschopathy Checklist, it's 4% of the general population. And right now, they are an extremely vocal population. It's like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." They are making themselves undeniably visible where before, they were just coasting under the radar.
Well SuezCanal...you're ready to play nicely with me today, are you? I can forgive. But do not go back to your previous ways, please.
I know all about Robert Hare, of course. He is one of the better-known in that field because he wrote the basics for a general audience too.
You might say that if you include the seriously pathological Narcissists here, the number is more 5-6%. And possibly getting higher. I just did not wish to exaggerate.
They were always visible if you knew what to look for. The problem has been that too many people were hopelessly naive about this end of human nature.
Asylums do not work for Psychopaths, though. They do not come across as insane....they come across as evil. But before onlookers realize they are evil, the Psychopaths are generally seen as charming and charismatic. Real Pied Pipers. Which is how psychopathic politicians get the vote.
They are snakes.....but until an onlooker sees that, they will probably think of them as exciting leaders, or as experts in something. The fans will pander and drool. Which is the way any Psychopath worth his or her salt gets them eating out of the palm of his or her hand.
And Troodo of Canada. Though thankfully he is not PM any longer. He and Gavin Newsom always seemed like a pair of sordid twins to me. Cut from the same cloth.
I always remember how "arranged" the Ukraine war was. Just at the height of the Trucker Convoy in Canada, when Troodo was losing to the people....he not only called in his troops to put them down, but he called in his globalist buddies to arrange an international distraction for him.
The Ukraine War was announced in February 2022 just as Troodo was in the thick of things with the Truckers. Not a coincidence. I think they had been holding it for the time it was needed as a distraction. As the next crisis.
We knew in the 1960s that Russia wouldn’t tolerate missiles so close to Moscow that they had no chance of shooting them down. Back then, 80 years ago!, we had to remove ours from Turkey so that they would remove theirs from Cuba. Dr Strangelove still relevant today, 80 years later. Some days I’m embarrassed for Homo Saipans.
lol.. no Justin did not have the pull to or have enough world leaders give a rip bout him to get an entire war started so he wouldn't get bad press over dealing with a protest. I am sure we share many things in common about our opinions of him and how he handled the trucker convoy, but your hypothetical is way out of there. The situation with Russia/Ukraine was building for a decade since Obama engineered a coup in the Ukraine to get in a US friendly government in order to break their word and get Ukraine into NATO so they could build large number of troops on the Russian border. Putin immediately annexed Crimea and put troops in the far eastern region of Ukraine to try to buffer himself from that. When Biden came to power he resurrected the push to get Ukraine in Nato (Trump didn;'t support that), and the war began. Just wanted to give you some historical perspective.
Whoa, Davey. Bit silly of you here. You had me smirking. That was not what I said, for starters. I was not referring to the historical perspective. I was referring to the Psychological perspective. You need a lot of catch-up work. You got that one wrong, my lad.
You seem to know zip about the manipulations behind it.
Justin the Court Fool was the puppet of much higher powers. The Trucker Convoy in Canada was a major populist uprising in North America, which eventually spread to populist uprisings in other Western countries. It seriously worried those in the globalist ranks. Where were you? Did you sleep through 2022?
I was talking about political strategy by the Machiavellians pulling the strings, They make great use of the distraction tactic. As they did here, by naming the day for the Ukraine war announcement. Had nothing to do with the history of the Ukraine issue, but much to do with political strategy of that particular time.
Go back and learn how influence is played. I recommend the basic primer by Prof Robert Cialdini..."Influence".
Now run along and do your homework. You failed my class.
Ukraine has long had a troubled history. That is not new.
However -- and you need to look this up -- it was late February 2022 that there was a Russian invasion announced with the formal declaration of war in the Ukraine.
It is easy to confirm this, if only through recent memory; I can certainly remember it. I am not sure why you do not just look it up.
there isn,t. I gave some information in my reply to him. The Russia / Ukraine issue was brewing since 2014 and was a direct result of Biden resurrecting Obama's policy of wanting to get Ukraine in NATO, as a follow up to Obama's coup in the Ukraine in 2014. Nobody is starting a massive war in Europe because Trudeau couldnt handle a vaccine mandate protest by truckers and supporters and needed a distraction from bad press. I am very anti Trudeau and am in alignment with a lot of his detractors, but some of these types tie everything to him and won't let that bone go. He was absolutely incompetent, but he was not significant enough to do much on a world level, especially calling power broker leaders for a favor.
Davey, Davey, Davey..... what are we going to do with you? You seem unable to grasp that the Ukraine war can be assessed through a historical lens, or through a Psychological lens. Probably an economic lens too.
These are very different approaches. My expertise is Totalitarianism. Do you know what that means? I can do only so much for you here. You need to do the work yourself which might open your eyes. And stop your misplaced blustering. You strike me as someone who is in over his head here.
I trust I have dealt with your difficulties for this evening.
While reading your latest personal reflection, I thought about Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, possibly still sitting across a table and perhaps being aware of being two of the most demonised people in the world in terms of what has been projected upon them by both so-called elites and also everyday people bombarded with propaganda by the hacks of various mainstream media organisations and by self-righteous bureaucrats full of conviction that they know more about what is needed to "save the world" than do the men and women trying to survive and help their families to survive the chaos and struggle they endure daily inflicted upon them by their so called "betters" who delusionally believe that they are really qualified to be the "elite". I just hope that somewhere in the middle of it all these two "apex leaders" have some moments of humor and mutual empathy as to the similarities of the situations they are in. Both of them have massive numbers of people who want to see them "crash and burn" - mainly from these loathsome "elites" that want to maintain control. May the results of their meeting be substantive for both sides, but also as outstanding as the most dramatic "kayfabe" fight between the two greatest WWF finalists. Because God knows the world needs the nearest thing possible to some sort of "win-win" solution to this mess.
I also thought about this as we await this Alaska meeting. It’s so incredibly obvious that Russia has merely been a tool for the DS- in one moment, Hillary is holding a “reset” prop and Obama is humiliating Romney (“The 80’s are calling…”) and the next , Putin is the devil and Trump is one of his minions.
Trump and Putin truly have the opportunity to drive a dagger into the heart of the DS by bringing a peace deal and forge a new path for a better world. That common ground of vilification could form the basis for a powerful alliance- though “trust but verify” would have to drive it. Putin is former KGB afterall.
That today is the Solemnity of the Assumption is huge. Anyone who understands what happened at Fatima understands the significance of this.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us. Be with these men today.
Indeed! Really liked the group Rosary on the feast of the Assumption. Great songs to Mary today too at Mass. thanks for the reminder about Fatima and note, Granny.
Putin kills his political enemies, controls all three branches of their fake republic, and skims billions off the oligarchs he controls with fear. Not sure he’s quite a role model.
And are we any different? JFK was assassinated by the Deep State. All three branches of our own government are habitually corrupted by the IC. And Biden and his cronies from the Deep State skimmed billions from USAID and Ukraine, and no doubt countless of other places.
Unfortunately , I've just realized over the past decade how corrupt and debased our own government is, and how most voters live in a idealized fantasy world where they think what they do has any impact on what our leaders do. Forever wars, failures at "spreading democracy?"
I've come to the conclusion that a government run by narcissistic psychopathic pedophiles who rig every election they can and who want to disarm us for their own protection may not be the ideal system.
Hes not a role model. He is a bad dude. But you know what? Working with him, ending the war, giving him some concessions so he can save face with his people, and deepening trade ties with Russia is heck of a lot better than the path things are on. (perpetual war and Russia getting closer to China).
Totally agree. He won’t be around much longer. We can’t cow him, he has a $2Bil gold dacha-fortress on a cliff overlooking the Black Sea, all he can fear is his legacy as a loser. Let him reunite a sliver of Russian Ukraine, force he and Zelensky into an Ukraine favorable trade relationship and a mutual non-aggression pact and let them repair their nations and move on.
Another good one, Sasha. I’d argue that they didn’t “turn into” who they are. They were always that way. Bill Clinton? Corruption all the way down. Hillary’s sociopathy was obvious. Obama was a “rules for radicals” acolyte, a supposedly smooth and plausible door to usher in all that - and, while I never found him either, obviously many did. And he did try to usher it in.
Way back when Obamacare was being debated, I had legitimate concerns (that badly turned out to be too mild - the reality is much worse). I used to post things sometimes on Facebook. A high school friend sent me a long private message that she was unfriending me because of my obvious racism - my first real experience with someone totally ignoring facts and history in the cult of personality. Mind you, I’d already been working in Uganda for years where only 3% of people are white. Working with Ugandans, not white-savioring. But no, I was a racist, she couldn’t possibly be friends with someone Iike me, the end. I sent her a long message back, and unfriended her once she’d read it. With what I know now about the left, she didn’t read it or believe any of it, but I said my piece.
The problem for them now is that an increasingly shrinking minority of ever more loudly shrieking crazy people (yes esp white women and all the trantifa types) are certifiable. Others are waking up everywhere, looking around and remembering a world that used to exist and thinking maybe they prefer it. They will get violent because they are crazy, in the purest definition of the word. But they only push more people to the right as they do, and hopefully we will once again embrace mental health and hospitals and treatment over whatever has been happening for the past 35 years. If we can find un-woke therapists I guess.
In my own life here in the South, I have to say that things feel normal again. I’m grateful.
I saw this on Facebook in the years before Trump and among people I knew in meatspace. So yes they were always this way or at least on the road to it. It got ratcheted up as Sasha said. The thing about ratchets is you can't go back.
Consider what almost happened to our country — Hillary Clinton winning in 2016.
With all these insane bums and their protégés protecting her for 8-years.
Imagine Schiff as D/CIA.
Imagine the Supreme Court today with her selecting four Progressive justices during her reign as the Crazy Queen.
Trump deserves to be on Mt. Rushmore simply because he stopped Hillary Clinton in 2016 —for destroying a comatose Biden in the 2024 debate — for stopping Kamala Harris in November 2024.
Just imagine the Woke being in charge of everything without Trump giving almost everything to stop them.
Imagine our country suffering another four years of an open border under Harris.
It is not over yet. We had better hope that JD Vance will defeat Hunter Biden in 2028, or else President Hunter Biden will bring in a hundred million or more foreigners, including all the Palestinians to permanently change the country. Trump picked Vance as his successor, and I think he made an excellent pick.
It takes guts to walk away from one’s tribe. And great fortitude to bear with the loneliness and isolation. But I know no one who has done so who regrets it.
There are also cases where the person does not walk away, but is pushed. As in the memoir "Don't Hug Your Mother" (JP and Brendan Byrne/Murphy) in which a Narcissist father who had pushed the innocent mother out of his children's lives then tried to push out one of the older sons too.
It was too much for that young man. He became Schizophrenic due to that episode.
Pathological Narcissists are simply one possible version of the polar end of the psychological spectrum of Id/Ego/Superego. They are hyper-Id. And Psychopaths are a step further.
Problem is: pathological Narcissism alone is just a part of Cluster B personality disorder. Can’t institutionalize anyone not floridly psychotic. And “a danger to self or others”.
I grew up in a Cluster B home and it did feel schizophrenic at times, although fortunately I escaped with only a trauma disorder (treated). When every attempt at addressing the lies and manipulation is "that never happened and you're crazy" you start to actually feel crazy. Like you can't trust your own sense of what just happened. If you submit and enmesh the mentally ill person literally writes your reality for you and you lose contact with any sense making of your own. It's hard to explain to people who haven't lived it.
Not sure what happened here. My post responding to you seemed to disappear.
I understand your situation, Jen. Glad you got out.
Yes....Cluster-B types are enormous gaslighters. Trying to make the normal folk who are in their way seem like the crazy ones.
Cluster-B types have a bagful of tricks, which they use regularly. Anyone who has not lived in their world cannot possibly understand what that alternate reality is like.
The scapegoats of Cluster-B types tend to get the blame while the perpetrators sit back and grin like the cat who got the cream. And most of the normies side with them, which seems absolutely inexplicable. But it happens.
Although you probably know all of this as well as I do.
I escaped co-dependency, and instead became hyper independent. Figured I would just be on my own and take care of things myself considering my history of depending on other people didn't work out for me that well. Did that until my late 20s when I realized I was lonely and had trust issues and needed to let people in. Met my now husband shortly after. Great guy. Married 17 years. Two kids.
Sasha, Incredible piece. You weave together historical context, cultural references and political analysis in a beautiful tapestry of a narrative podcast punctuated with documentary video evidence of the insanity of our times. It is always a joy to see your wonderful work. Thank you.
I don’t think many on the left will change. I do also think that many of these people will be mentally and emotionally damaged for the rest of their lives. They are terminally conflicted. They are so deeply immersed in their ideology that to realize that they have been largely or totally wrong on all their deeply held political beliefs would cause a deeply scaring break in their own identity and psychology. It’s like forever trying to convince yourself that 2 + 2 equals 5. Logically they know it’s wrong but they cannot come around to accepting that it’s wrong. You can see that 2+2 is 4 but you just can’t come around to fully accepting that. It’s sad but I don’t sympathize. I have not forgotten their hatred and how far they would go to destroy others who simply believed differently. They were frequently violent. They hurt peoples livelihood. It’s justice that they are trapped in a Hell that they cannot escape. They created the Hell and their hatred got them there. Enjoy.
I think that still there are others like Sasha that will turn to facts. Some personal event starts the process. Sasha said that the death of her father was just the beginning but it was a start.
How many Sashas have made the journey to the normal world of more common sense and open mindedness? Why haven't more white women who are well.read and college educated? Or was their "education" the problem? I see and hear about such women all the time. Within their own groups they seem nice enough but once the dreaded name is mentioned the vibe shifts and not in a positive or pleasant manner. The hatred is palpable. And the worst of it is that the hate is also directed at any other woman who does not bend the knee and show they too have the hate bug.
Sasha observations regarding Obama and Hillary are spot on. What has either accomplished in life outside of divisive politics that has allowed them to become powerful and rich( Hillary of course needed bill for both). Does either possess the traits or values we associate with "selflessness" or " humanity"? Yet they are revered by millions especially liberal white women ( bill was too of course including offers to play the role of Monica to thank bill for his abortion stance: all the while closing eyes to his extreme misogyny).
I generally don't care that mu h about retribution but now that we are learning (slowly) about the cabal of Obama,Hillary, Comey et al , it is essential that tens of millions of Americans learn what they did and attempted to do. Whether they go to.jail is beside the point. The TRUTH needs to be known and every single excuse maker ir deflector needs to be put on the hot seat so they are NEVER AGAIN TRUSTED OR TREATED WITH RESPECT . Until then the Sashas and Taibbis and Julie Kellys need to keep the info flowing and banging the drums of transparency and full disclosure
Nothing breeds contempt and hatred like self-righteousness. Admitting that you were wrong or duped is difficult enough in a vacuum but when your relationships and livelihood depend on it it becomes a matter of survival—self-righteousness is no longer the guardian of ego but the defender of existential threat. This is today’s Democratic Party. They are under existential threat, done in by their own self righteousness. They have nothing else to offer.
This is classic narcissism Split others into good and bad and create an alternate reality where you are always superior and correct. Whatever it takes.
Agreed, with the caveat that these people did what they could to harm you. They made it defacto legal to chase you out of restaurants for wearing a hat, censored your speech, tried to woo your children into their twisted delusions.
You are entirely justified in taking it out of their hides.
It’s not just acting normal. It’s remembering to humor the Democrats too even though much of what they spew is pure hatred towards us on the normal side. We need to remember that they are humans too; give them the benefit of the doubt the way Sasha gave MAGA the benefit of the doubt. This has been hard for me too, but I try to think about how exhausting their view of the world must be; how tiresome it is to think that everyone is out to get them; how fatiguing it is to be that paranoid to believe that the world is one giant oppressor. I feel very sorry for them and I hope that one day they are able to see the truth or at least want to try to.
Um, no. When you think there'll be some greater reward for turning the other cheek to these people or that they are deserving of your pity, that's what they're counting on. Avoiding accountability. Never experiencing the full consequences for their aggressions. Always hitting you harder than you're willing to hit them back.
No, thanks. I'd rather have a full measure of revenge, now, if it's all the same to you.
I refuse to subscribe to the, "We need to be better than them.", line of thinking. Where I come from, playing by the exact same set of rules that your opponent plays by is usually referred to as "fair".
Your ability to dissect your experience these last years and then put it into words is just extraordinary. You are truly gifted, and I am so grateful we are the recipients of the fruit of your deep introspection.
There will be no return to sanity for Democrats. They have gone too far to turn back. For them, the only way out is through. They've built absolutist positions for themselves on every issue of note, and backing off even an inch destroys the whole foundation.
As an example: While it may be ridiculous to assert that "transwomen" are identical to women, it is even more ridiculous to assert that they are identical *except* when it comes to athletics. Pull any loose thread, and the whole thing unravels.
And if they DO moderate, and admit that biological reality trumps identity? What do you say, as a Democrat, to one of your true believers who followed you down that Good-Intention paved roadway? What do you say to a progressive parent who thought they were really helping when they, at your behest and with all your assurances that it would all turn out for the best, encouraged and allowed their child's healthy body to be butchered and altered in ways that cannot be restored? "Oops."? "Sorry we turned you into a monster, but please keep voting for us."?
No. They've already chosen the hills they'll die on.
Who knew we would witness the rightful shredding of the legacies of Obama, Hillary and Biden — all in real time.
Each with their own personal arrogant and pathological need for revenge against America — mostly against white or male Americans — which proved to be their undoing.
And yes, even against each other. Keep in mind Hillary never imagined Obama would defeat her in 2008. And Biden never imagined being sidelined by Hillary in 2016.
Much of the Left has a tribal identity that is the most meaningful aspect of their lives. I don't think they can, without great psychic sacrifice, see what they have become.
Yes, they are tribal. But I have known sane tribes. So that does not explain it all.
The leftists are not sane. They are in a Collective Psychosis.
Every so-called interest group that the Democrats embrace is a "victim" of American society, according to the Democrats.
Having written off the white vote under Obama, and the working class vote under Kamala, their one great hope was to get all their oppressed groups together, to form a coalition.
Every one of their groups, or tribes, has forced party "purity" within the Democrat coalition. So no matter how outrageous or radical their demands, you had better follow the party platform. Dissent is not tolerated!
You're right, Scott.
The litmus test for whether or not you are dealing with a totalitarian group is this.. When a person either inside or outside the group questions or dissents to the group narrative or to the leader, do the herd members SHUN/SMEAR/PUNISH?
If they do.....you are dealing with a totalitarian herd. They do not take dissent lightly, because it weakens their power.
Exactly. This has been what is pushing them farther and farther away from the interests of most Americans. The most radical of the groups/ tribes are the ones making the most demands of the party. And if you question it, you're OUT.
The protests of Trump have come from the farthest Left of the party, and they have shown everyone else, as to what their real goal is--power. Loss after loss, in the area of public perception. But, do they ever think to recalibrate their opposition, and really examine what they are protesting? Nope. Therefore, they are painting themselves into a corner. They have become pro-illegal immigration, pro-criminal, pro transgender mutilation of children, on and on...
Picking the 20% side of an 8020 coalition, is not a winning strategy. Get your popcorn out 😂
How long before there is a serious break, between the far-Left Progressive Socialist Communist faction, and the more moderate Liberal Democrats? 🤔
I get the totalitarian treatment on some Substacks, when I ask questions which are obviously not in the best interests of what the Substack host planned for their brand-building.
Then I get a lot of self-righteous harumphing....and I am soon banned. Little do such hosts realize that they are outing their own proclivities....even if their writing is about "freedom-fighting". Obviously, that is just a theme that tends to sell well for them. Nothing more.
I come here to Sasha's Substack every so often because I hear authenticity in her voice.
It's possible I could be wrong, but she comes across to me as genuine. She allows questioning and dissent, even when this might question her. Good sign.
Other "freedom-fighting" Substack hosts might ban a questioner before they get the words out of their mouth (keyboard). With a good cover -- such as "getting rid of trolls" or "maintaining community harmony". Uh huh. Those are the kind of excuses used by totalitarians. Think back to the COVID-mania days, for instance.
Try doing any of that on Reddit, as I have, and you get banned almost instantly. 🤣
I keep praying they keep it up.
Yes. Instead of actually looking at the situation, and asking themselves what they could do better… or are they representing themselves, their party, and their policies well…
They doubled down and triple down.
I'm a big firm believer in, if somebody is an idiot, I mean total idiot, you let them speak and expose themselves for what they are…
Throw them a shovel and tell them to keep digging!
Spot on, A. Anytime you are in a group of Dems/Leftist, dissent from the anti-MAGA line is quickly punished, and assent is expected/demanded.... Silence is regarded (rightfully so, it must be noted) as disagreement, and is viewed with suspicion.
And I'm fascinated by the fact that in these Dem/Leftist groups, there is a competition to see who is the most vehemently anti-Trump, i.e., who is the most fanatic cult member... Really really weird...
Totalitarian herds always have a groupthink narrative. Which MUST be followed, to the letter. As well as adoring the leader, this hive-mind is what ties them together.
We saw it in the insane collective that appeared across the West during COVID-mania.
The other hint that you are dealing with totalitarianism is their propensity for spying. They love snitch-lines and Stasi types and curtain-twitchers. All the better for determining who is not following the narrative, and proceeding to punish them.
John Fetterman is a good example. When he started speaking out, the Dem party started questioning his health and mental stability.
That is a classic gaslighting tactic....to call someone crazy or mentally unstable whenever they disagree with you. To attempt to sow doubt on their opinions.
And coming from the authentically unstable Left, that is rich.
Notice that Biden was truly in the throes of Dementia -- as President! -- yet they kept insisting that he was fine.
It's upside-down land.
Here is an example. Think of the shunning of their own family members by Jehovah's Witnesses. Which is a very un-Christian thing to do. But they excuse it to themselves nonetheless.
Identity has become such a large part of the Democrat platform, that it is causing their groups to start turning on each other occasionally, because of the contradictions in their "beliefs" as a party.
Rather than supporting policies that treat everyone equally, they have bent over backwards to be Santa Claus to every one of their little tribes, every interest group that they have in their coalition.
Therefore the loudest voices get the most attention. Those on the far Left, the most Progressive, turn their demands into official policy.
So, at some point, the Democrats became more of an advocacy group of every so-called "oppressed" tribe, and neglected the needs of large segments of the population.
Hence, that is why we are seeing more moderate Democrats leave the party, because the Democrats no longer represent them.
Identity but also just raw emotion. No one on the right or even centrists lose it like the Left. Witness the goofball in DC throwing his sub sandwich. On the Left, seems no need to introspect.
Yes. There doesn't seem to be any self-examination or anything. If they lose, it's because people are racist and misogynistic. Better double down…
🤣😂
Some say corrupt.
Well put. I used to buy some of this stuff, would've called myself 'liberal.' Then I lived in Korea for 14 yrs, proceeding to come back home to the US at peak woke, which triggered the type of spiritual crisis that could usher in real clarity about the state of things in the US. It's like scales being removed from the eyes. It is painful, and I think most people avoid it at all costs.
It's really an interesting topic - how one goes from Left to Right. We all have different tales to tell. Sasha has chronicled hers well. For me, it was when my girlfriend told me she was pregnant. In an instant, I knew this wasn't about choice, it was about our decision whether another human should live or die. It was an epiphany or, as you say, the scales fall from your eyes. I don't think we can make this happen en masse, it has to happen on a personal level.
It is the spiritual and emotional angst that happens when you realize that your gods have failed you. Rather like realizing as a child that your parents have failed you.
Where now? Turns a person's world around and shakes it out. Can lead to growth, but the cost is high.
Both parties are tribal by nature today
Yes but one is inspired by Marx and the other the American Founders and their Constitution of which no matter what's said, Trump's yet to violate.
Raymond...
BOOM. TRUTH.
🎤🎤🎤
Both are tribal, nasty and use names like you just described to ridicule and name call the other side to avoid talking to them like human beings and I admit I do that as well when i get pushed into these debates and you dont respect my point.
Please explain how a post that says one side is inspired by Marx is name calling.
Because its not true and just as bad as calling Trump a Nazi.
Really? I get the impression from that statement that you're unfamiliar with the concepts and results of Marxist ideology. Nothing about Trump indicates he is an unwitting subscriber of Nazi ideology. But Marxism is all about establishing oppressor/oppressed and using whatever tools will advance that belief. Progressives are Marxist inspired. Over time, I have gotten the impression you are determined to play both sides (disingenuously) while very obviously taking one of them.
WHAT?
Mamdani is NOT a Marxist?
You're not paying attention or you to appreciate Marx, the denial has been going on for decades. The depression era gave lots of people, desperate for solutions, the lack of knowledge of what it was doing in Soviet Russia was broadly unknown so some saw it as a solution. The by the late 40s the Soviet reality was better known and Mao was making his move. As of today Communism has claimed more than 100 million lives and untold more lived it's misery. There's no legitimate way the wasted philosophy should be anything more than a historical foot note but it's incredibly popular. The Democratic Socialists occupy seats in our Congress and 58% of 30 and under think it's worth a shot, this's in America. Thank Education for not educating. Have you not seen one Turning Point debate on one of our college campuses? Virtually all that come well prepared in Marxism but I'll concede that they're probably unaware as well, but it's what they've been taught. YOU Sir have some observations to catch up on. The current front runner for Mayor is a Happy Marxist, AOC, Ilhan Omar and the rest of the Squad, approve of Marxism. Because of people blind like you, it's spread here in the land of Liberty.
One has an extremist/authoritarian ideology, and the other does not. The Far Left has taken over the Demo Party. The Far Right (KKK, Neo-Nazi) remains fringe.
The far left has shit over the real power in the democrat party the corporation section. All that you see is smoke and mirrors please learn to look inside not at the magic show being presented.
I stand uncorrected. There is nothing against Leftists and Elitists allying. And that is what has happened.
I am a free market Capitalist.
Marxist cloak themselves as "Liberals" or "Progressives".
Call me a CAPITALIST and I admit it.
Get pissed when I call you a Socialist?
It doesn't make sense.
Learn the difference of Socialism and Marxism and Democrats only want very certain thing the rest of the world has covered.
Well stated ! ! !
The American Founders were adamant that we should not engage in foreign wars because they saw first hand how it destroyed much of the European nations; yet the GOP and Dems, both run by Neocons, fund trillions in foreign wars in Europe and Middle East over decades. The Democrats and the Republicans are far more similar in their hypocrisy than they are different in their implementation of critical decisions like trillions in debt, foreign entanglements and military.
Not really. I am essentially the same person I was 40 years ago and my beliefs have not changed in any material respect. I do not identify with any particular brand of Republicanism or conservatism and my sense of self-identity is not determined by affiliation with any group. Indeed, I do not expect affirmation or fear rejection based on my political leanings.
I do not think most liberals can say the same. Certainly the liberals I know well have trouble being in the least way broad minded.
Most people do not share that. From Sasha to Matt Tabbi they are very oriented to one party ideology even if they wont admit it my biggest pet pieve is they use "independent" as a word to attract people when they are clearly rooting for one party to succeed and one to fail.
I am desperately rooting for the Democrats to fail. A bigger bunch of racist bigots has rarely walked the Earth. But the fact that I want them to fail does not mean that I identify with the Right. It just means I hate hypocrites that are trying to impose an Orwellian state.
Umm yea that is a clear indication where your loyalty are and have been unless you are an anarchist who wants both to fail to which I have not seen.
Depends. The persons who escape usually view it as a freeing of themselves, rather than a sacrifice.
However, life does not necessarily become rosy right away. There may be a phase of enormous grief from having left your herd and leader. Independence might arrive in steps. You may have to survive one step at a time.
I recommend reading the memoirs of escapees, such as those who have fled cults or extremist religious groups or gangs or Cluster-B families or any of the various totalitarian herds.
P.S. Be careful though, not to accept the word of those who have escaped one totalitarian group....only to jump into another. This is not infrequent.
You have former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who was raised in an extremist religious group, only to join radical leftists at WEF as an adult.
Or the author of a recent book on leaving Mormonism, who thought she had beaten it all. Then she proudly professed to having joined the WOKE-folk. Same could be said for author Martha Beck, who left Mormonism only to join the Leftists.
Out of the frying pan, into the fire.
Stupid always seeks its proper level, no matter the nomenclature
These observations on this blog right here by Sasha, are very illuminating...
This has happened to a lot more people than everyone else realizes...
"Was it worth a cold Civil War that has divided this country, divided families, ended friendships, torn us apart"?
We must understand, 👆THAT IS THEIR GOAL. To tear It All apart.
agreed. Perfect example, one of thousands that can be easily found:
- Michigan State Professor REQUIRED students to "join" her "Rebellion.com" org for $99
- teaching a class required for graduation
- Dr. Amy Wisner stated in a now-deleted Facebook post that the organization was a “safe place to coordinate our efforts to burn everything to the fucking ground”
- Her official syllabus called the group 'a global social learning community,'
- this went on for years until someone discovered the funds were actually going to:
____a) Planned Parenthood, and
____b) buying herself a "Rebellion RV" to tour the country going to protests
There are Psychopaths in many walks of life. About 1% of a general population.
Actually, per Robert Hare, the creator of the Pschopathy Checklist, it's 4% of the general population. And right now, they are an extremely vocal population. It's like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." They are making themselves undeniably visible where before, they were just coasting under the radar.
This is more the level of reference material that I use:
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/64910384d2da1763d7156043/t/65bc5a78ab4aef10b9901a25/1706842827397/Psychopaths+Narcissists+Machiavellians+Toxic+Leaders+Coercive+Controllers++Subsets+of+One+Overarching+Dark+Personality+Type++MITCHELL+PHD+THESIS.pdf
"Psychopaths, Narcissists, Machiavellians, Toxic Leaders, Coercive Controllers: Subsets of One Overarching ‘Dark’ Personality Type? "
Karen Mitchell 2024
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Well SuezCanal...you're ready to play nicely with me today, are you? I can forgive. But do not go back to your previous ways, please.
I know all about Robert Hare, of course. He is one of the better-known in that field because he wrote the basics for a general audience too.
You might say that if you include the seriously pathological Narcissists here, the number is more 5-6%. And possibly getting higher. I just did not wish to exaggerate.
They were always visible if you knew what to look for. The problem has been that too many people were hopelessly naive about this end of human nature.
It is curious though...
How many of those psychopaths have turned out, and become stalwart members of the Democrat party and Leftism.
🤔🤔🤔
BRING. BACK. ASYLUMS.
Honestly, if they did this...
It would decimate the most activist members in the Leftist progressive coalition.
Think about that for a minute...
🤔🤔🤔
Asylums do not work for Psychopaths, though. They do not come across as insane....they come across as evil. But before onlookers realize they are evil, the Psychopaths are generally seen as charming and charismatic. Real Pied Pipers. Which is how psychopathic politicians get the vote.
They are snakes.....but until an onlooker sees that, they will probably think of them as exciting leaders, or as experts in something. The fans will pander and drool. Which is the way any Psychopath worth his or her salt gets them eating out of the palm of his or her hand.
Gavin Newsom is a perfect example of this.
Except for the fact we are busting his chops on X every day.
I would put Obama on that list.
And Troodo of Canada. Though thankfully he is not PM any longer. He and Gavin Newsom always seemed like a pair of sordid twins to me. Cut from the same cloth.
Like Epstein
Yes, I think that Epstein was psychopathic. Actually, Pedophilia is a form of Psycopathy.
And from the news coming out in Britain, it seems that Prince Andrew is himself too close for comfort to Epstein, in terms of having Cluster-B traits.
See:
"Surgeon ‘had own legs chopped off for £466k insurance claim’
Neil Hopper, 49, charged with fraud and encouraging someone else to remove body parts"
Telegraph UK
OR
"Plastic surgeon tried to kill boss after 10-year feud
Peter Brooks found guilty of stabbing boss and attempting to torch his Nottinghamshire home over ‘personal vendetta’"
Surgeons are one of the professions they might gravitate to. Lots of control and power.
I'm not necessarily thinking of the leaders of insanity, but more the "useful idiots."
Yup....the leaders are evil, the followers are insane. But not the lock-them-in-an-asylum kind of insane.
It was the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act that caused all of the asylums to close in CA.
I always remember how "arranged" the Ukraine war was. Just at the height of the Trucker Convoy in Canada, when Troodo was losing to the people....he not only called in his troops to put them down, but he called in his globalist buddies to arrange an international distraction for him.
The Ukraine War was announced in February 2022 just as Troodo was in the thick of things with the Truckers. Not a coincidence. I think they had been holding it for the time it was needed as a distraction. As the next crisis.
We knew in the 1960s that Russia wouldn’t tolerate missiles so close to Moscow that they had no chance of shooting them down. Back then, 80 years ago!, we had to remove ours from Turkey so that they would remove theirs from Cuba. Dr Strangelove still relevant today, 80 years later. Some days I’m embarrassed for Homo Saipans.
I agree, Libertarian.
Disaster was very close at that time.
lol.. no Justin did not have the pull to or have enough world leaders give a rip bout him to get an entire war started so he wouldn't get bad press over dealing with a protest. I am sure we share many things in common about our opinions of him and how he handled the trucker convoy, but your hypothetical is way out of there. The situation with Russia/Ukraine was building for a decade since Obama engineered a coup in the Ukraine to get in a US friendly government in order to break their word and get Ukraine into NATO so they could build large number of troops on the Russian border. Putin immediately annexed Crimea and put troops in the far eastern region of Ukraine to try to buffer himself from that. When Biden came to power he resurrected the push to get Ukraine in Nato (Trump didn;'t support that), and the war began. Just wanted to give you some historical perspective.
Whoa, Davey. Bit silly of you here. You had me smirking. That was not what I said, for starters. I was not referring to the historical perspective. I was referring to the Psychological perspective. You need a lot of catch-up work. You got that one wrong, my lad.
You seem to know zip about the manipulations behind it.
Justin the Court Fool was the puppet of much higher powers. The Trucker Convoy in Canada was a major populist uprising in North America, which eventually spread to populist uprisings in other Western countries. It seriously worried those in the globalist ranks. Where were you? Did you sleep through 2022?
I was talking about political strategy by the Machiavellians pulling the strings, They make great use of the distraction tactic. As they did here, by naming the day for the Ukraine war announcement. Had nothing to do with the history of the Ukraine issue, but much to do with political strategy of that particular time.
Go back and learn how influence is played. I recommend the basic primer by Prof Robert Cialdini..."Influence".
Now run along and do your homework. You failed my class.
A, “The Ukraine War was announced in February 2022”? Do you mean Russian army crossed the border and invaded Ukraine to distract from truckers?
Ukraine has long had a troubled history. That is not new.
However -- and you need to look this up -- it was late February 2022 that there was a Russian invasion announced with the formal declaration of war in the Ukraine.
It is easy to confirm this, if only through recent memory; I can certainly remember it. I am not sure why you do not just look it up.
100%
I was questioning your statement that Russian’s invasion of Ukraine was used to distract from Canada’s internal troubles. I do not see a connection.
there isn,t. I gave some information in my reply to him. The Russia / Ukraine issue was brewing since 2014 and was a direct result of Biden resurrecting Obama's policy of wanting to get Ukraine in NATO, as a follow up to Obama's coup in the Ukraine in 2014. Nobody is starting a massive war in Europe because Trudeau couldnt handle a vaccine mandate protest by truckers and supporters and needed a distraction from bad press. I am very anti Trudeau and am in alignment with a lot of his detractors, but some of these types tie everything to him and won't let that bone go. He was absolutely incompetent, but he was not significant enough to do much on a world level, especially calling power broker leaders for a favor.
Davey, Davey, Davey..... what are we going to do with you? You seem unable to grasp that the Ukraine war can be assessed through a historical lens, or through a Psychological lens. Probably an economic lens too.
These are very different approaches. My expertise is Totalitarianism. Do you know what that means? I can do only so much for you here. You need to do the work yourself which might open your eyes. And stop your misplaced blustering. You strike me as someone who is in over his head here.
I trust I have dealt with your difficulties for this evening.
Well then you need to do your homework, my friend. You are a bit lazy-minded, like our friend Davey here
Or enrol in one of my courses. Though It is not my responsibility to take you by the hand and teach you. Make the effort yourself!
Yes. Obvious goal.
While reading your latest personal reflection, I thought about Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, possibly still sitting across a table and perhaps being aware of being two of the most demonised people in the world in terms of what has been projected upon them by both so-called elites and also everyday people bombarded with propaganda by the hacks of various mainstream media organisations and by self-righteous bureaucrats full of conviction that they know more about what is needed to "save the world" than do the men and women trying to survive and help their families to survive the chaos and struggle they endure daily inflicted upon them by their so called "betters" who delusionally believe that they are really qualified to be the "elite". I just hope that somewhere in the middle of it all these two "apex leaders" have some moments of humor and mutual empathy as to the similarities of the situations they are in. Both of them have massive numbers of people who want to see them "crash and burn" - mainly from these loathsome "elites" that want to maintain control. May the results of their meeting be substantive for both sides, but also as outstanding as the most dramatic "kayfabe" fight between the two greatest WWF finalists. Because God knows the world needs the nearest thing possible to some sort of "win-win" solution to this mess.
I also thought about this as we await this Alaska meeting. It’s so incredibly obvious that Russia has merely been a tool for the DS- in one moment, Hillary is holding a “reset” prop and Obama is humiliating Romney (“The 80’s are calling…”) and the next , Putin is the devil and Trump is one of his minions.
Trump and Putin truly have the opportunity to drive a dagger into the heart of the DS by bringing a peace deal and forge a new path for a better world. That common ground of vilification could form the basis for a powerful alliance- though “trust but verify” would have to drive it. Putin is former KGB afterall.
That today is the Solemnity of the Assumption is huge. Anyone who understands what happened at Fatima understands the significance of this.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us. Be with these men today.
Amen
Father, we know the gates of hell won't stop your plan. We pray you'll give Trump wisdom. We pray for the killing to stop. In Jesus name, amen.
Indeed! Really liked the group Rosary on the feast of the Assumption. Great songs to Mary today too at Mass. thanks for the reminder about Fatima and note, Granny.
Putin kills his political enemies, controls all three branches of their fake republic, and skims billions off the oligarchs he controls with fear. Not sure he’s quite a role model.
And are we any different? JFK was assassinated by the Deep State. All three branches of our own government are habitually corrupted by the IC. And Biden and his cronies from the Deep State skimmed billions from USAID and Ukraine, and no doubt countless of other places.
I suppose Israel and Hamas are the same as well and are just proxies in a war of two evils?
False equivalency. We are tame by comparison.
Prove it. I think your brainwashed indoctrinated patriotic bias is showing.
Damn, you sound like a lefty going for the insults almost immediately.
Unfortunately , I've just realized over the past decade how corrupt and debased our own government is, and how most voters live in a idealized fantasy world where they think what they do has any impact on what our leaders do. Forever wars, failures at "spreading democracy?"
I've come to the conclusion that a government run by narcissistic psychopathic pedophiles who rig every election they can and who want to disarm us for their own protection may not be the ideal system.
No, sir and no one said that he's a role model; he's much more than that: He's reality.
Let’s hope that reality doesn’t come here. The left has been trying to bring it.
Dont worry, reality left the US with all the pregnant men.
Hes not a role model. He is a bad dude. But you know what? Working with him, ending the war, giving him some concessions so he can save face with his people, and deepening trade ties with Russia is heck of a lot better than the path things are on. (perpetual war and Russia getting closer to China).
Totally agree. He won’t be around much longer. We can’t cow him, he has a $2Bil gold dacha-fortress on a cliff overlooking the Black Sea, all he can fear is his legacy as a loser. Let him reunite a sliver of Russian Ukraine, force he and Zelensky into an Ukraine favorable trade relationship and a mutual non-aggression pact and let them repair their nations and move on.
You think Xi, Trump, Bibi and Sharmer don’t do this?! That’s been going on worldwide wide for thousands of years.
Another good one, Sasha. I’d argue that they didn’t “turn into” who they are. They were always that way. Bill Clinton? Corruption all the way down. Hillary’s sociopathy was obvious. Obama was a “rules for radicals” acolyte, a supposedly smooth and plausible door to usher in all that - and, while I never found him either, obviously many did. And he did try to usher it in.
Way back when Obamacare was being debated, I had legitimate concerns (that badly turned out to be too mild - the reality is much worse). I used to post things sometimes on Facebook. A high school friend sent me a long private message that she was unfriending me because of my obvious racism - my first real experience with someone totally ignoring facts and history in the cult of personality. Mind you, I’d already been working in Uganda for years where only 3% of people are white. Working with Ugandans, not white-savioring. But no, I was a racist, she couldn’t possibly be friends with someone Iike me, the end. I sent her a long message back, and unfriended her once she’d read it. With what I know now about the left, she didn’t read it or believe any of it, but I said my piece.
The problem for them now is that an increasingly shrinking minority of ever more loudly shrieking crazy people (yes esp white women and all the trantifa types) are certifiable. Others are waking up everywhere, looking around and remembering a world that used to exist and thinking maybe they prefer it. They will get violent because they are crazy, in the purest definition of the word. But they only push more people to the right as they do, and hopefully we will once again embrace mental health and hospitals and treatment over whatever has been happening for the past 35 years. If we can find un-woke therapists I guess.
In my own life here in the South, I have to say that things feel normal again. I’m grateful.
I saw this on Facebook in the years before Trump and among people I knew in meatspace. So yes they were always this way or at least on the road to it. It got ratcheted up as Sasha said. The thing about ratchets is you can't go back.
It is curious...
How many of those psychopaths in American society, have become stalwart members of the Democrat party and Leftism?
🤔🤔🤔
BRING. BACK. ASYLUMS.
Honestly, if they did this...
It would decimate the most activist members in the Leftist progressive coalition.
Think about that for a minute...
🤔🤔🤔
Consider what almost happened to our country — Hillary Clinton winning in 2016.
With all these insane bums and their protégés protecting her for 8-years.
Imagine Schiff as D/CIA.
Imagine the Supreme Court today with her selecting four Progressive justices during her reign as the Crazy Queen.
Trump deserves to be on Mt. Rushmore simply because he stopped Hillary Clinton in 2016 —for destroying a comatose Biden in the 2024 debate — for stopping Kamala Harris in November 2024.
Just imagine the Woke being in charge of everything without Trump giving almost everything to stop them.
Imagine our country suffering another four years of an open border under Harris.
It is not over yet. We had better hope that JD Vance will defeat Hunter Biden in 2028, or else President Hunter Biden will bring in a hundred million or more foreigners, including all the Palestinians to permanently change the country. Trump picked Vance as his successor, and I think he made an excellent pick.
"President Hunter Biden".
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
OMG, that's a good one!!!
Never say never. We almost had the Cackling Idiot.
Yes, yes, let's legalize cocaine. Even in the White House!
It takes guts to walk away from one’s tribe. And great fortitude to bear with the loneliness and isolation. But I know no one who has done so who regrets it.
I have done it, Glenda. I know exactly what you mean. Right down to the nitty-gritty.
I offer all the academic material here...but my real secret is that I have lived it too.
A different kind of “Me Too” movement:) # WalkAway has helped.
Glad to hear you have made headway. Can sometimes be a long road.
There are also cases where the person does not walk away, but is pushed. As in the memoir "Don't Hug Your Mother" (JP and Brendan Byrne/Murphy) in which a Narcissist father who had pushed the innocent mother out of his children's lives then tried to push out one of the older sons too.
It was too much for that young man. He became Schizophrenic due to that episode.
I have been struck repeatedly and increasingly since 2020 how much our powers have taken on the qualities of pathological narcissists.
Pathological Narcissists are simply one possible version of the polar end of the psychological spectrum of Id/Ego/Superego. They are hyper-Id. And Psychopaths are a step further.
It is curious...
How many of those psychopaths in American society, have become stalwart members of the Democrat party and Leftism?
🤔🤔🤔
BRING. BACK. ASYLUMS.
Honestly, if they did this...
It would decimate the most activist members in the Leftist progressive coalition.
Think about that for a minute...
🤔🤔🤔
Problem is: pathological Narcissism alone is just a part of Cluster B personality disorder. Can’t institutionalize anyone not floridly psychotic. And “a danger to self or others”.
Exactly. The authorities cannot street-sweep into asylums anyone they do not like.
But now, things are starting to change.
There are people getting assaulted for wearing MAGA hats. People are getting spit upon and attacked...
And so many people on the Left refuse to condemn violence that is almost encouraged by the language of people who occupy public office.
I grew up in a Cluster B home and it did feel schizophrenic at times, although fortunately I escaped with only a trauma disorder (treated). When every attempt at addressing the lies and manipulation is "that never happened and you're crazy" you start to actually feel crazy. Like you can't trust your own sense of what just happened. If you submit and enmesh the mentally ill person literally writes your reality for you and you lose contact with any sense making of your own. It's hard to explain to people who haven't lived it.
Not sure what happened here. My post responding to you seemed to disappear.
I understand your situation, Jen. Glad you got out.
Yes....Cluster-B types are enormous gaslighters. Trying to make the normal folk who are in their way seem like the crazy ones.
Cluster-B types have a bagful of tricks, which they use regularly. Anyone who has not lived in their world cannot possibly understand what that alternate reality is like.
The scapegoats of Cluster-B types tend to get the blame while the perpetrators sit back and grin like the cat who got the cream. And most of the normies side with them, which seems absolutely inexplicable. But it happens.
Although you probably know all of this as well as I do.
If you are a hyper-Superego type yourself, I recommend Robert Glover's book, "No More Mr. Nice Guy".
It was written for men with the Disease to Please, but much of the advice works for women too.
I escaped co-dependency, and instead became hyper independent. Figured I would just be on my own and take care of things myself considering my history of depending on other people didn't work out for me that well. Did that until my late 20s when I realized I was lonely and had trust issues and needed to let people in. Met my now husband shortly after. Great guy. Married 17 years. Two kids.
Sasha, Incredible piece. You weave together historical context, cultural references and political analysis in a beautiful tapestry of a narrative podcast punctuated with documentary video evidence of the insanity of our times. It is always a joy to see your wonderful work. Thank you.
Yes, it actually takes a person of substance, to admit that they've been misled.
Exposing that to others, is the best way to allow other people to make this self-realization.
Because getting in deluded peoples' faces, and telling them that they're crazy, doesn't work. They have to realize it on their own.
I don’t think many on the left will change. I do also think that many of these people will be mentally and emotionally damaged for the rest of their lives. They are terminally conflicted. They are so deeply immersed in their ideology that to realize that they have been largely or totally wrong on all their deeply held political beliefs would cause a deeply scaring break in their own identity and psychology. It’s like forever trying to convince yourself that 2 + 2 equals 5. Logically they know it’s wrong but they cannot come around to accepting that it’s wrong. You can see that 2+2 is 4 but you just can’t come around to fully accepting that. It’s sad but I don’t sympathize. I have not forgotten their hatred and how far they would go to destroy others who simply believed differently. They were frequently violent. They hurt peoples livelihood. It’s justice that they are trapped in a Hell that they cannot escape. They created the Hell and their hatred got them there. Enjoy.
I think that still there are others like Sasha that will turn to facts. Some personal event starts the process. Sasha said that the death of her father was just the beginning but it was a start.
It is curious...
How many of those psychopaths in American society, have become stalwart members of the Democrat party and Leftism?
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BRING. BACK. ASYLUMS.
Honestly, if they did this...
It would decimate the most activist members in the Leftist progressive coalition.
Think about that for a minute...
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How many Sashas have made the journey to the normal world of more common sense and open mindedness? Why haven't more white women who are well.read and college educated? Or was their "education" the problem? I see and hear about such women all the time. Within their own groups they seem nice enough but once the dreaded name is mentioned the vibe shifts and not in a positive or pleasant manner. The hatred is palpable. And the worst of it is that the hate is also directed at any other woman who does not bend the knee and show they too have the hate bug.
Sasha observations regarding Obama and Hillary are spot on. What has either accomplished in life outside of divisive politics that has allowed them to become powerful and rich( Hillary of course needed bill for both). Does either possess the traits or values we associate with "selflessness" or " humanity"? Yet they are revered by millions especially liberal white women ( bill was too of course including offers to play the role of Monica to thank bill for his abortion stance: all the while closing eyes to his extreme misogyny).
I generally don't care that mu h about retribution but now that we are learning (slowly) about the cabal of Obama,Hillary, Comey et al , it is essential that tens of millions of Americans learn what they did and attempted to do. Whether they go to.jail is beside the point. The TRUTH needs to be known and every single excuse maker ir deflector needs to be put on the hot seat so they are NEVER AGAIN TRUSTED OR TREATED WITH RESPECT . Until then the Sashas and Taibbis and Julie Kellys need to keep the info flowing and banging the drums of transparency and full disclosure
Yes indeed!
Nothing breeds contempt and hatred like self-righteousness. Admitting that you were wrong or duped is difficult enough in a vacuum but when your relationships and livelihood depend on it it becomes a matter of survival—self-righteousness is no longer the guardian of ego but the defender of existential threat. This is today’s Democratic Party. They are under existential threat, done in by their own self righteousness. They have nothing else to offer.
This is classic narcissism Split others into good and bad and create an alternate reality where you are always superior and correct. Whatever it takes.
That is well put. Thanks.
The ghouls you named are all soulless and dead on the inside.
Was it all worth it to them?
I do not think they feel anything so they’re unable to answer.
Now that we have the momentum moving to the right, do not get cocky. Be normal, not crazy like them.
Agreed, with the caveat that these people did what they could to harm you. They made it defacto legal to chase you out of restaurants for wearing a hat, censored your speech, tried to woo your children into their twisted delusions.
You are entirely justified in taking it out of their hides.
It’s not just acting normal. It’s remembering to humor the Democrats too even though much of what they spew is pure hatred towards us on the normal side. We need to remember that they are humans too; give them the benefit of the doubt the way Sasha gave MAGA the benefit of the doubt. This has been hard for me too, but I try to think about how exhausting their view of the world must be; how tiresome it is to think that everyone is out to get them; how fatiguing it is to be that paranoid to believe that the world is one giant oppressor. I feel very sorry for them and I hope that one day they are able to see the truth or at least want to try to.
Um, no. When you think there'll be some greater reward for turning the other cheek to these people or that they are deserving of your pity, that's what they're counting on. Avoiding accountability. Never experiencing the full consequences for their aggressions. Always hitting you harder than you're willing to hit them back.
No, thanks. I'd rather have a full measure of revenge, now, if it's all the same to you.
I refuse to subscribe to the, "We need to be better than them.", line of thinking. Where I come from, playing by the exact same set of rules that your opponent plays by is usually referred to as "fair".
Your ability to dissect your experience these last years and then put it into words is just extraordinary. You are truly gifted, and I am so grateful we are the recipients of the fruit of your deep introspection.
Thank you, Sasha.
PS - have you reconciled with your sister?
Regret!? Hell, they’re doubling down.
There will be no return to sanity for Democrats. They have gone too far to turn back. For them, the only way out is through. They've built absolutist positions for themselves on every issue of note, and backing off even an inch destroys the whole foundation.
As an example: While it may be ridiculous to assert that "transwomen" are identical to women, it is even more ridiculous to assert that they are identical *except* when it comes to athletics. Pull any loose thread, and the whole thing unravels.
And if they DO moderate, and admit that biological reality trumps identity? What do you say, as a Democrat, to one of your true believers who followed you down that Good-Intention paved roadway? What do you say to a progressive parent who thought they were really helping when they, at your behest and with all your assurances that it would all turn out for the best, encouraged and allowed their child's healthy body to be butchered and altered in ways that cannot be restored? "Oops."? "Sorry we turned you into a monster, but please keep voting for us."?
No. They've already chosen the hills they'll die on.
Excellent post. Your second paragraph is my favorite.
Who knew we would witness the rightful shredding of the legacies of Obama, Hillary and Biden — all in real time.
Each with their own personal arrogant and pathological need for revenge against America — mostly against white or male Americans — which proved to be their undoing.
And yes, even against each other. Keep in mind Hillary never imagined Obama would defeat her in 2008. And Biden never imagined being sidelined by Hillary in 2016.