Patriots or seditionists?

a mystical möbius — curating facts, ideas, text, and media to create a contemplative space.

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Tweet provides window to Earth II

Almost two hours into the violent MAGA-insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Ivanka Trump’s Tweet (since removed) quoted her dad’s Tweet (account since suspended) and included her comment that clearly identifies a very significant problem.

“American Patriots,” Ivanka wrote. An unmistakable example of Earth II narration [e.g., alternative-fact reality].

On Earth II, apparently, violent insurrection—staged at the citadel of U.S. democracy and aimed at harming elected officials [“Hang Mike Pence!“]—is the action of “American Patriots.” Obviously, Ivanka’s designation indicates a significant problem.

There’s no gray area here. Aristotle’s ‘excluded middle’ correctly applies to the present problem of MAGA folks as either ‘American patriots’ or ‘seditionists.’

This is more of DJT/MAGA insisting that there are ‘fine people on both sides.’ White supremacists/militant seditionists are terrorists. They are neither “special” nor “loved” for committing violent insurrection, and they’re certainly not American patriots.

Unavoidable choice, and it’s binary

While I have consistently argued against a monolithic MAGA, this time the president seems to have his supporters painted into a very tight and nasty corner. It would appear that, in the wake of January 6, anyone who has identified with supporting the president is now left with either rejecting DJT and MAGA or picking a remaining category laid bare in the calamity at the Capitol, e.g., White supremacist racist, and/or violent insurrectionist.

An open question for those who have identified as MAGA: Do you still support DJT/MAGA and consider them American Patriots even in light of the militant White Christian nationalists and anti-government seditionists who violently assaulted the citadel of democracy in the president’s name? [Note: 45% of Republicans support what happened on January 6.]

Unamerican

Just as much of America has looked upon DJT and MAGA‘s unamerican talk and actions and said, “This is not who we (Americans) are,” I feel that many of the president’s supporters, when challenged with the unamerican behavior of DJT and MAGA, have basically denied it with, “That is not who we (MAGA) are.” The events of January 6 put the lie to that. [Warning: candid video]

Donald J. Trump’s persistent false-claim that the 2020 election was stolen has produced the “stop the steal” grievance and fueled the violent insurrection events we are now experiencing. The president’s stolen-election claim is patently false and, more, his unrelenting political technologies campaign on this is unamerican. Yet, even a false-claim has the power to influence, shape, and animate behavior, especially when the lie is repeated enough times.

If it were actually true that the election were stolen, and, in the face of real evidence, no one was doing anything about it, then one might make an argument for civil disobedience. In the present case it is not true that the election was stolen. Having been lied to about it incessantly forms a reasonable impetus itself to break with MAGA.

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Racist? Seditionist? Which category for you?

So, MAGA‘s dominant witness is as White supremacist racists and/or as violent anti-government seditionists. Still, some MAGA folks have been conned by the president’s Big Lie and so remain loyal to Trump/MAGA.

So, MAGA faithful, are you racist or seditionist? Damn, that’s harsh!

OK, I’d like to suggest a third possibility.

I’d argue that there’s a word very well suited to describing a third category that I feel a good number of MAGA people who support the president fall within.

The word is “mark,” e.g., pigeon, sucker, stooge, mug, rube, or target of a confidence game—in this case, Trump’s political technologies. I’d like to suggest that ‘marks‘ constitute a large faction of MAGA supporters.

No one proudly says: “I was the victim of a con game.” Let’s face it, this isn’t something most folks really want on their resumes. Still, for many MAGA people, being too gullible (wishful?) and believing a lying con-man may be their fatal mistake.

Racist? Seditionist? Mark?

So, I wish I had something more comfortable for you. However, let’s recall the alternatives left to those holding the MAGA bag—e.g., White supremacist racist, and/or violently militant seditionist. Compared to being identified with those, perhaps being a “mark” is not so bad? Surely an easier cross to bear than violent bigotry.

tl;dr

White supremacy and violent sedition are ideologies of death and form the tip of the MAGA spear.

However, I’ve always argued that not all Trump/MAGA supporters are White supremacist racists or violently militant seditionists. Some, (I feel it’s probably really many) are simply MAGA marks who have been constantly lied to by design and who got caught-up as victims in DJT‘s political technologies swindle.