Super impressive, brilliant and the most well researched and clearly phrased article on the internet showcasing the true definition of MAGA philosophy and psychology.
This is how cult leaders operate--they figure out what people yearn for and promise to give it to them. It's the promise that matters, because they do not intend to deliver. That's not what they're there for.
Last week I had occasion to drive across southern Ontario, Port Huron to Fort Erie. Four hours without Trump signs was a breath of fresh air. Thanks for the breather.
I recently came across https://leavingmaga.org/. I know it's been around for some time but didn't give it any oxygen. I appreciate them supporting others to leave. Hoping more and more people can be de-programmed from this cult.
This is exactly the type of ideas we have to think about and discuss. Sharing is one (important!) thing to trigger as many thoughts and ideas all over as many community-brains as possible. BUT we somehow have to refine and destill those ideas and get at least a few of those to LIFE - like "leavingmaga"!
🇺🇸To My Beloved Grandparents: The Truth Is Still Ours to Share
First, I want to send a warm and hearty congratulations to everyone who took part in the No Kings protest yesterday. From coast to coast, grandparents, parents, and young folks alike stood shoulder to shoulder for truth, democracy, and the America we still believe in. Your voices were heard. Your peaceful presence made a powerful statement: we will not be ruled by fear, lies, or authoritarian fantasies. We’re still “We the People.” And we showed up.
But the march doesn’t end on the streets. After the No Kings protests, I had some heartfelt conversations in my own family—especially about why, in 2024, no one seemed to talk about how much the Biden Administration improved the economy after COVID; they feel this gap in information lead to Trump getting elected. That gap in coverage isn’t an accident—it’s a choice made by media outlets that don’t benefit from reporting progress. But we can help fill that gap. That’s why I want to talk honestly with you today about something that’s been weighing heavily on my heart: the difficulty of knowing what’s true anymore.
🧠
Truth is Hard to Find in Today’s Media World
Local newspapers—our once-reliable sources of community truth—have shut down across the country.
Billionaires have bought up major TV networks and national papers, deciding what gets covered—and what gets buried.
Social media algorithms reward outrage, conspiracy theories, and lies, repeating them endlessly until they feel familiar—even when they’re false.
It’s no wonder so many people feel lost, angry, or misled. Even topics like the economy, which can be measured with numbers and facts, have become battlegrounds for spin and propaganda.
I’ll be honest: the clearest picture of what’s really going on comes from the kinds of things most people don’t have time (or patience) to sort through—economic charts, job statistics, spending patterns, labor market graphs. Economists use these tools every day. But most people don’t, and that’s where the manipulators thrive.
📊
The Truth About the U.S. Economy in 2024—In Plain Language
Let’s remember what really happened:
The entire world shut down in 2020 because of COVID. Every economy crashed.
But in the years that followed, America led the global recovery.
By 2023–2024, we had:
Stronger GDP growth than any other G7 nation
Falling unemployment and rising wages in several key sectors
A powerful rebound in consumer spending that helped other economies recover too
A resilient dollar and global trust in the U.S. financial system
But many people still believe that the Biden Administration left our economy is in ruins. Why? Because they’re only hearing one version of the story—often from partisan outlets like Fox News, that only show what fits their political goals.
The truth doesn’t always make the news because it doesn’t stir anger, drive ratings, or sell ads.
🧓👵
A Call to My Fellow Grandparents
You and I—we remember a different time. We grew up with Walter Cronkite, with local reporters we could meet at the grocery store. We remember when the news was trusted. Today, our kids and grandkids are being misled by a media environment designed to divide and enrage, not inform.
✅ If you believe in the messages I share here, please copy and customize them for your Facebook, emails, or family chats.
✅ Add your voice. Make it personal. Tell your children and grandchildren what you have seen, what you have lived through, and what you still believe in.
✅ If you marched, tell them why. If you stayed home, tell them what you’re standing for.
This is our time to make an impact—not just in protests, but in conversations that shape the future.
Let’s keep showing up, speaking up, and lifting up the truth—because the next generation needs us now more than ever.
Not wanting to exaggerate, but this is probably the best piece of writing to date on how we have come to this time in our history. For all the unimaginable harm caused by Trump (& his MAGA cult)...deep compassion is called for. 'Hurt people, hurt people'. Somewhere along the way, we have all failed one another as human beings. Only love can restore all that has become broken.
I don't agree because of my personal journey. I'm extremely isolated and at times feel alone. However I have always been a critical thinker and have never found MAGA a tempting or interesting movement to invest. Maybe because of my truth seeking nature I find all the lies that come from the political right distasteful. I feel like Trump is too stupid to persuade me into illogical positions and perspectives. It probably also helps that I'm not a bigot or hatful.
I do feel very abandoned by our system. And Trump is actually trying to take more away then what he promises. I guess because I am well aware that right wing media is a propaganda machine I don't buy into any of it. I think Trumps hatful rhetoric pushes me away as the suffering of others does not appeal to me.
One day all of this will be over. It's encouraging that millions of people are tired of all this garbage. We live in dark times now but I expect things to swing back hard in the future.
Super impressive, brilliant and the most well researched and clearly phrased article on the internet showcasing the true definition of MAGA philosophy and psychology.
This is the clearest view I’ve seen on maga. Spot on.
This is how cult leaders operate--they figure out what people yearn for and promise to give it to them. It's the promise that matters, because they do not intend to deliver. That's not what they're there for.
Thank you for explaining things so clearly. This Canadian misses her best friend, America.
Last week I had occasion to drive across southern Ontario, Port Huron to Fort Erie. Four hours without Trump signs was a breath of fresh air. Thanks for the breather.
You are welcome Bill. I hope you can refresh your spirit in my part of Canada, Sidney BC near Victoria.
We shall return, in a much improved version, rededicated. It will happen.
This is probably the best explanation of MAGA and the WHY I have read!
This is a must read. Spot On!!!
I recently came across https://leavingmaga.org/. I know it's been around for some time but didn't give it any oxygen. I appreciate them supporting others to leave. Hoping more and more people can be de-programmed from this cult.
This is exactly the type of ideas we have to think about and discuss. Sharing is one (important!) thing to trigger as many thoughts and ideas all over as many community-brains as possible. BUT we somehow have to refine and destill those ideas and get at least a few of those to LIFE - like "leavingmaga"!
To me, I applaud your article this morning. Well thought out, insightful, IMO spot on!
This makes sense
This needs shared. It’s a cult with no sense of self.
this is a phenomenal essay and true insight into this cult.
🇺🇸To My Beloved Grandparents: The Truth Is Still Ours to Share
First, I want to send a warm and hearty congratulations to everyone who took part in the No Kings protest yesterday. From coast to coast, grandparents, parents, and young folks alike stood shoulder to shoulder for truth, democracy, and the America we still believe in. Your voices were heard. Your peaceful presence made a powerful statement: we will not be ruled by fear, lies, or authoritarian fantasies. We’re still “We the People.” And we showed up.
But the march doesn’t end on the streets. After the No Kings protests, I had some heartfelt conversations in my own family—especially about why, in 2024, no one seemed to talk about how much the Biden Administration improved the economy after COVID; they feel this gap in information lead to Trump getting elected. That gap in coverage isn’t an accident—it’s a choice made by media outlets that don’t benefit from reporting progress. But we can help fill that gap. That’s why I want to talk honestly with you today about something that’s been weighing heavily on my heart: the difficulty of knowing what’s true anymore.
🧠
Truth is Hard to Find in Today’s Media World
Local newspapers—our once-reliable sources of community truth—have shut down across the country.
Billionaires have bought up major TV networks and national papers, deciding what gets covered—and what gets buried.
Social media algorithms reward outrage, conspiracy theories, and lies, repeating them endlessly until they feel familiar—even when they’re false.
It’s no wonder so many people feel lost, angry, or misled. Even topics like the economy, which can be measured with numbers and facts, have become battlegrounds for spin and propaganda.
I’ll be honest: the clearest picture of what’s really going on comes from the kinds of things most people don’t have time (or patience) to sort through—economic charts, job statistics, spending patterns, labor market graphs. Economists use these tools every day. But most people don’t, and that’s where the manipulators thrive.
📊
The Truth About the U.S. Economy in 2024—In Plain Language
Let’s remember what really happened:
The entire world shut down in 2020 because of COVID. Every economy crashed.
But in the years that followed, America led the global recovery.
By 2023–2024, we had:
Stronger GDP growth than any other G7 nation
Falling unemployment and rising wages in several key sectors
A powerful rebound in consumer spending that helped other economies recover too
A resilient dollar and global trust in the U.S. financial system
But many people still believe that the Biden Administration left our economy is in ruins. Why? Because they’re only hearing one version of the story—often from partisan outlets like Fox News, that only show what fits their political goals.
The truth doesn’t always make the news because it doesn’t stir anger, drive ratings, or sell ads.
🧓👵
A Call to My Fellow Grandparents
You and I—we remember a different time. We grew up with Walter Cronkite, with local reporters we could meet at the grocery store. We remember when the news was trusted. Today, our kids and grandkids are being misled by a media environment designed to divide and enrage, not inform.
✅ If you believe in the messages I share here, please copy and customize them for your Facebook, emails, or family chats.
✅ Add your voice. Make it personal. Tell your children and grandchildren what you have seen, what you have lived through, and what you still believe in.
✅ If you marched, tell them why. If you stayed home, tell them what you’re standing for.
This is our time to make an impact—not just in protests, but in conversations that shape the future.
Let’s keep showing up, speaking up, and lifting up the truth—because the next generation needs us now more than ever.
With purpose and pride,
✍🏼 Clarissa Sr.
American Grandma 🇺🇸
You’re describing a cult. And I totally agree
Well said, David.
Not wanting to exaggerate, but this is probably the best piece of writing to date on how we have come to this time in our history. For all the unimaginable harm caused by Trump (& his MAGA cult)...deep compassion is called for. 'Hurt people, hurt people'. Somewhere along the way, we have all failed one another as human beings. Only love can restore all that has become broken.
I don't agree because of my personal journey. I'm extremely isolated and at times feel alone. However I have always been a critical thinker and have never found MAGA a tempting or interesting movement to invest. Maybe because of my truth seeking nature I find all the lies that come from the political right distasteful. I feel like Trump is too stupid to persuade me into illogical positions and perspectives. It probably also helps that I'm not a bigot or hatful.
I do feel very abandoned by our system. And Trump is actually trying to take more away then what he promises. I guess because I am well aware that right wing media is a propaganda machine I don't buy into any of it. I think Trumps hatful rhetoric pushes me away as the suffering of others does not appeal to me.
One day all of this will be over. It's encouraging that millions of people are tired of all this garbage. We live in dark times now but I expect things to swing back hard in the future.
This article needs to be shared far and wide.