Processing Upheval
Washington DC 9 Nov 2024
This brief note is for those who are struggling with the end of American democracy. In the past, I have referenced an excellent broadcast by two clinical psychologists, Drs. John Gartner and Harry Segal, who have explained Trumpism through that lens. It's one of the only ways to understand the phenomena because it is obviously much bigger than just politics. Nor is it just Trump's manifest shortcomings. There is a strong component of co-dependency between the leader and the masses. As I have explained in detail on this site, America has suffered the on-set of mass psychosis. There is no other way to explain how people hear what is being said and believe the exact opposite or explain away or sane-wash ludicrously extreme promises of death and destruction.
In this episode, the psychologists offer their viewers a therapy session. They explore useful ways to characterize and therefore understand one's reaction to the election. If you have a sensation of being trapped or that the character of the country changed and you didn't notice until this shock, this broadcast will offer useful insights. Perhaps the biggest point is to acknowledge that millions of people here and around the world feel the same way. There is comfort in knowing you're not alone and that millions of others share your concerns.
The only other thing I have come across in the post election blahfest that has been useful, in many articles and podcasts I've scowered for insights is the Hive podcast below, where guest Jeff Sharlet, speaks as frankly as I have about the threat and what's coming.
I invite readers to leave their own suggestions in the comments. I hope these recommendations help you assess what's happened.
I'll finish on this point. I have to acknowledge that Trump legitimately winning was not something I even remotely considered. As one of the late night comics observed “I guess all the fraud he saw in advance of the outcome didn't matter afterall”.
The fact he went to extraordinary lengths to speak the last election and was clearly preparing for a major rerun of the first attempted coup, was evidence to me he knew he didn't have a chance. On top of that the ever more extreme promises of violence and attacking women in general seemed to me to be electoral suicide - on purpose to set up a cause under which to attack the outcome. It simply didn't occured to me the public now wanted blood just as much as he does. They will get it too. Some of it will be there own. By then it will be too late.
I am getting sick of having smoke blown up my ass by (usually) white men and women saying "Don't leave, stay and fight" or "It may not be as bad as you think it will" Bull! I am old, disabled and LGBT. The first time was bad enough.