I’ve been thinking about similarities between populist leaders Joseph Smith, Trump, Putin, and Kim Jong-un. ‘Truth’ for these individuals is/was just a tool to stroke their egos, justify or hide their actions, and get what they wanted. Joseph Smith would send men on missions and then marry their wife’s for example, as the Mormon church has been forced to document on their own website. Trump feels he can grab and grope women, lie like crazy, and attack anyone who calls him out for the craziness by saying they are lying. Putin invades countries, becomes filthy rich from his office, and apparently kills dissenting voices. Kim Jong-un, completely unrestrained by law, takes torture, starvation, and self-indulgence to an extreme level.

For over thirty years I have been fascinated by how followers fall under the spell of dictator minded populist leaders. All these men have fervent supporters that sing their praises. Mormons tend to talk more about Joseph Smith then Christ and sing the song, “Praise to the Man.” Trump put it best, "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters." Putin is adored by many people in Russia and by Trump.

Media researcher George Gerbner’s cautionary words to a 1981 congressional subcommittee ring true today: “Fearful people are more dependent, more easily manipulated and controlled, more susceptible to deceptively simple, strong, tough measures and hard-line postures.” Reality is complex and populist leaders allow followers to avoiding the pain of this complexity by concrete, simple, black and white concepts. The lack of abstract thinking ability directly impacts one’s ability be comfortable with the complex and contradictory nature of reality.

You hit the nail on the head.
Such people use fear to gain followers, then play off that fear to get followers to ignore the awful things they do -- because despite those awful things, they believe this person can save them from their fears.

so if I throw in followers of Islam to your description above, does that make me Islamaphobic?

How many Muslims do you know personally?

Eight that I'm aware of.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2017 03:53AM by thingsithink.

There is the apocryphal story of Stalin showing off a sham "socialist paradise" collective farm (while much of the the Soviet Union was actually going through starvation and purges); when questioned about it by a skeptical reporter from the USA, he picked up a chicken and began to pluck it alive--when he set it down it didn't run away--instead the bloody chicken came timidly back to Stalin to eat grain out his hand. Stalin had made his point about brutalizing the people and doling out what little they should be grateful for.

Makes me think of TSCC.

Claiming that Trump gropes and touches women and claiming that Putin "invades" countries and murders those who oppose him is why you are STILL BRAINWASHED even today.

WTF are you saying????

Russia took over the Crimea a couple of years ago. 10,000 Ukrainians have been killed. All those deaths are on the head of Putin.

The war there is still raging. My Canada is the major NATO player in that war, as our military is training their military, we have given 1 billion dollars in conflict aid. 1.5 million Ukrainians have been displaced, and many are in desperate need of assistance. Canada just announced it is sending even more military there.

So in essence, Canada is at war with Russia. A war by proxy.

Putin is a predator, and the fact that Agent Orange has incessantly praised him is a world wide disgrace

I don't understand how they can sing "Praise to the Man" without their heads exploding like in "Mars Attacks".

Kim Jung Il = A Son Of Perdition;
Joseph Smith = a seer, was like the Old Prophets, channeling negativity in anger and disgust- became a Huckster by passing of The Doctrine And Covenants and several "visions", founding a false church;
Trump = impeccable and blameless in all things- incredibly lucky to have him as President, the Age Of AntiChrist is coming rather near to its end relatedly;
Putin = no comment, seems alright to me; I don't believe Russia was behind that hacking during the election.