The Definition of Goodness

[solarbird]

Again, writings from Twitter. I didn't expect this thread to be much of a deal, but in context of events today, it's a deal, because it illustrates what's happening in DC.

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Let's talk about this lie from the White House/Donald Trump brief. Yeah, the case is over. He lost. Again. But this needs explaining, and more importantly, people need to know some whys and hows about how we got here.

Walk with me. I'll explain.

[CNN IMAGE - FALSE CLAIM: Cites the "prohibition of local independent observers at polling stations" as a factor demonstrating that the election there was "not free and fair."]

I've spoken about how fundamentalist _culture_ took over GOP culture in the late 90s. It came out of not getting what they wanted from Reagan, of being told "you're with us, but not _of_ us; you need to put in the work."

So they did, for real. Signed up, did that work.

And they brought their political culture with them. As would, I note, _any_ already-organised mission-oriented cultural group moving into a political party.

But the relevant part of that culture here is their particular moral compass about what makes something _right_.

In their case, what makes something good and right is: _Does it Serve God?_

If it does, literally _anything_ goes_. It's all good and right as long as it Serves God, and God's Desires.

(See also how they tolerate no middle ground. That's another discussion to be had.)

It's not a lie if it serves the Greater Truth of God, regardless of any factual variance from worldly "truth." It's not cheating if it Serves God regardless of any worldly law.

It's all fair game as long as it advances the Will of God, God who is the _sole_ definition of goodness. All else is evil, and of Satan.

(Again, I speak of American political evangelical fundamentalism.)

And this is what they brought with them.

This is how they could quote a gay newspaper in San Francisco as editorialising that "Paedophilia is the foundation of homosexuality" and repeating that quote for _years_ on shows like, oh, Concerned Women for America.

But it's not just a made up quote. It's worse.

They wanted to avoid libel, you see. They quoted a real lgbt newspaper (Bay Windows) and that opened them up for libel in a big way.

So they'd quote the editorial accurately, by removing context to invert the intent.

The editorial was condemning a NAMBLA attempt (when they were actually a thing) to get into Pride. They were quoting NAMBLA to show why that REALLY shouldn't happen.

But the the fundamentalists would quote it as the paper's position, without ever _quite_ saying that.

Neat, huh?

Now let's look at this quote in this filing.

Is it accurate?

Technically, yeah.

Is there removed context?

Boy howdy, is there removed context.

The quote is from Mike Pompeo. He was talking about Belarus. _Not_ about _this_ election.

But the way he's quoted, they make it look like it's about 2020 and the US, and put de facto words in his mouth - that he's saying there weren't observers here, when there were.

That's the form of the lie.

But what makes it right? Serving God?

No. That maxim was a fundamentalist Christian cultural maxim.

Trumpists aren't fundamentalists. They just share a political culture. Their version of the maxim applies to the God-Emperor.

Trump.

If it Serves Trump, it's good and right. It doesn't matter how vile it is, how bankrupt it is, or far from reality it is. Because its _goodness_ isn't judged by rational valuation, and its _truth_ isn't judged by mere correlation to _reality_.

That's the wrong metric. Reality, rationality? Irrelevant. They have simpler rules.

For fundamentalists, it's Does It Serve God?

For Trumpists, it's Does It Serve Trump?

That's the metric; that's why it's a cult.

You can't really learn how to deal with all this moving forward - how to react, what to do - until you understand what they are. As COVID-19 has shown, they really don't care about reality. It's the wrong metric.

Even with him _out_ of office, that's what we're dealing with: a _literal_ reality-defying made-up-their-own-fantasy-world _cult_, where every lie is true and every fantasy is literally _inarguable fact_ - as long as it serves God-Emperor Trump.

React appropriately.

Comments

[kathmandu]

Suddenly I am reminded of "The Butterfly Kid", a novel where the plot depended on projective hallucinations: you took the pill, and other people shared your hallucinations.

Trump has achieved projective narcissism.

[solarbird]

As does every other cult leader, really.

[minoanmiss]

I was raised fundamentalist and I had to tell you this is 100% true. An accurate and chilling analysis.

[solarbird]

Congratulations on your escape.