I decided to post this after seeing one of the most moronic anti-Trump memes yet, again posted by another Facebook friend who once had a functioning cerebrum even as you or I. This one listed various sinister and negative meanings of “maga” in various languages, the approximate equivalent of arguing that Coca-Cola contains wax tadpoles because those sounds mean “bite the wax tadpole” in some Chinese dialects, or that Chevy Novas didn’t work because “No va” means “no go” in Spanish. This moronic display was greeted by dozens of laughing emojis and “likes.” No push back at all, certainly not from me. When you hear growls, screams, head-banging, objects being thrown and breaking glass coming from inside a locked room full of friends, do you open the door, walk in, let the door slam behind you and say, “Hey, guys! This is nuts!”? You might, but I sure won’t. But it sure is terrifying to hear.
That idiotic meme above is just one of the new ones that debuted this moring, and the Facebook mob really seem to think it’s profound. Then there is this, for a really nice, smart guy, an actor…
How separated from reality does someone who just went through four years with a fake President while their favorite news sources covered up the scandal have to be to post that publicly?
A musician and lawyer who posts nothing but political rants and memes is really excited about… 
…and adds,
Gee, you’re wonderful!
Asshole.
But the best of all, I think, was this epic post (again from a professional actor, a smart, sensitive, once rational woman) with hundreds of signatures. Note that it begins, “I will not be drawn into debate by this post.” Perfect. “My mind’s made up, don’t confuse me with facts.” The next statement is that she “knows the arguments” of those who disagree. One of those irrefutable arguments that applies to most of the items listed in the rants is, “This is just hysterical fearmongering and over-the-top virtue signaling, and either you know that and are deliberately making false innuendos, or you are naively believing those who are.”
At this point, it isn’t worth the time or the return hate to try to help these people now. They might as well be zombies, moaning, shambling along, and hungering for brains to eat. They just want to be in their safe, moronic bubble with friends telling them how wise they are and how evil their world has become. I hope they can be helped, but I’m beginning to doubt it.
Ethics Alarms 
It’s very clear to me that the people who posted those are truly gullible and have swallowed all the anti-Trump and anti-Musk propaganda and now they’re acting out based on their delusions which are characterized by or holding false beliefs or judgments about reality that are held despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary, typically as a symptom of a mental condition.
I’m wondering if Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) has forced most Democrats to completely loose their minds and resort to one simple absurd comparison to make all their decisions…
I’m beginning to think that it’s that simple for Democrats now.
How long will it be before these delusional Democrats (aka 21st century mostly peaceful terrorists) lash out using lethal force?
A minor revelation: I’ve been mystified as to why Trump Derangement Syndrome is so prevalent among my elderly Baby Boom generation. I think I have a theory. The Baby Boom generation is the most selfish, pampered, riding on a gravy train with biscuit wheels generation of all time. So much of the strange behavior is “looking out for other people.” I think we’re seeing a massive effort by Baby Boomers to “expiate their sins.” Sure, you’re a Baby Boomer and you’re despised by all the subsequent generations because they are convinced you’ve hogged all the money and jobs for the last fifty years and screwed up the world they need to live in for their lives. What do you? Constantly mimic concern for the less fortunate. You don’t do anything for the less fortunate, you just toss around platitudes and act as if you’re outraged by one of your own, a Baby Boomer extraordinaire like Donald Trump. It’s sort of a Fredo pose: “I’m not greedy and comfortable! I’m concerned and compassionate! I look out for the little guy and want someone to fleece the really rich people (you see, I’m not really rich) and give it to all the people I’d never personally lift a finger for. There. Now I can go back to my ten-dollar Starbuck coffee and the New York Times crossword puzzle.”
I guess the amazing thing is the prevalence of this condition. It’s epidemic. It may even be a pandemic.
I wonder whether there is a relation between secularization and declining church attendance at one hand, and wokism at the other hand.
John McWhorter argues in his book “Woke Racism” that wokism is a religion, with all its trappings. It has doctrines that cannot be questioned, superstitions that cannot be explained, a clergy whose words are taken as gospel (Kendi, DiAngelo), spiritual or political discipline that is being enforced (giving rise to cancel culture), sacraments (abortion and gender transition), rituals for expiation of sins (land acknowledgement, privilege acknowledgement), utopian longings, and many true believers whose “religiosity” is no less intense than what is seen in cults.
Why do people flock to wokism? Because people are religious by nature, traditional religion has lost the ability to answer a lot of questions and provide meaning to many people, so people are looking for alternatives to replace the role of traditional religion. One of the alternatives is to seek salvation in political ideologies that promise an utopian future, and that forward a dualist view on good and evil. Fighting against evil in order to accomplish that bright and brilliant future gives the true believer a sense of identity and purpose. As is typical for dualist believes, you are either with us or against us; if you are not with us you are part of problem, you belong to the enemy, in other words you are evil. And if you are evil you need to be defeated or destroyed. Typical is that mankind is divided into groups, some of these are anointed and others benighted. Examples of these political ideologies are Marxism, Communism and National Socialism; woke ideology is of a similar mold.
It is impossible to win an argument with true believers. First, they are not open to other viewpoints as their identity and sense of purpose is tied up with their belief system. Second, they believe that those who do not share their beliefs represent evil.
The best way to deal with these people and their beliefs is to mock them and laugh at their beliefs. I would avoid discussions about politics with the true believers, because nothing good comes out of it.
Well put, CEB, and thanks for the McWhorter title tip!
PWS
I think the real solution to this situation is to get off Facebook and get better friends. If you login and pay attention to this crap, you’re the one most affected by it, not them. Trying to be “social” on FB is like trying to get milk at the hardware store. We know the platform is meant to squeeze out this kind of reactivity so why reinforce the power of the platform by engaging in it. Go look at dog videos or something that lowers your blood pressure rather than raise it.
Sadly, my half-life in the arts and theater community needs FB as a communications tool. I actually don’t pay attention to the political rants and don’t see them, because most of my friends 1) know I would slam dunk their nonsense, so they keep off my feed and 2) I don’t trigger them any more by posting or linking to anything here or a political nature. These people have been incredibly loving and supportive over the past year since Grace’s death. I have only looked at the crazy stuff incidentally or as research. Most of them are genuine, long-time, wonderful friends…who have been going nuts. My sister is the same way.
Just because, the Chevy Nova was the same four cars…
N – Nova
O – Omega (Oldsmobile)
V – Ventura (Pontiac)
A – Apollo (Buick)
asked by nobody ever.
My first car, a Red 1974 Chevy Nova, the same make, model and year that John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson have to ditch in “Pulp Fiction.” Bought it with all the cash in my bank account, $3,000, with no frills (no AC, for example, two doors, not four) off the lot run by my high school pal, Greg Davidson. Almost never had mechanical issues.
Grace hated that car….I traded it in in the 80s, and I swear I’ve seen it on the highway more than once. It will run forever.
My older sister bought a 74 Ventura from out grandparents. Ugliest green four-door car in the zip code that got golf balled by a huge hail storm in 1980 and insurance totaled it.
I bought a 75 Nova, crap brown with a half vinyl roof, from a cousin going into the army. Biggest POS car as I got it at the golden age (10 years old) when GMs really started to fall apart. So I sold it to a friend…
The owner of the first (flower) meme should be asked which situation actually does fit the definition of terrorism:
the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government or civilian population in furtherance of political or social objectives
Memes like this are why I left Facebook.
Equating the misuse of a constitutional right with straight domestic terrorism is odd. It’s hard to even see what the point is beyond emotional venting, especially with the race angle to boot.
I work with younger folk, and you would be amazed at how many of them actively enjoy left-wing terrorism. They cheered the CEO getting killed, and they joke we should have more dead CEOs. They are all pretty young and depressed though, so I don’t know what to fully make of it all.
They are out in force on social media because they have no place else to vent and nothing else to offer at this point. This is the first time in decades when the Democratic party has been without a leader and without an up and coming leader. Democratic party is also at its lowest ratings in decades. They have nothing positive to offer because they banked everything on hatred of one man and destroying one man and failed to achieve their objective. Now that man has all the power and he’s using it. They can file lawsuits, but that just comes off as pouring sand in the nation’s gas tank.