(Cartoon image is by Adam Zyglis in The Buffalo News.)The Republican Party is no longer recognizable. It was once the party of conservative principles and "family" values. It has abandoned both to follow and worship a man with no political principles or moral values. It has morphed into a cult of personality -- a cult willing to do whatever their leader demands of them. The once proud party of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Dwight Eisenhower is gone. It is now just the cult of Trump.
Daily Kos gives us 10 signs of this descent into cult status:
1. The leader is the ultimate authority If you’re not allowed to criticize your leader, even if the criticism is true, you’re probably in a cult. 2. The group suppresses skepticism If you’re only allowed to study your organization through approved sources, you’re probably in a cult. 3. The group delegitimizes former members If you can’t think of a legitimate reason for leaving your group, you’re probably in a cult. 4. The group is paranoid about the outside world If you believe the end of the world is near, you’re probably in a cult. 5. The group relies on shame cycles If you need your group in order to feel worthy, loved, or sufficient, you’re probably in a cult. 6. The leader is above the law If you’re held to a different moral standard, specifically in regard to sex, you’re probably in a cult. 7. The group uses “thought reform” methods If your serious questions are answered with cliches, you’re probably in a cult. 8. The group is elitist If your group is the solution for all the world’s problems, you’re probably in a cult. 9. There is no financial transparency If you’re not allowed to know what the group does with their money, you’re probably in a cult. 10. The group performs secret rites If there are secret teachings or ceremonies you didn’t discover until after you joined, you’re probably in a cult. I don't know about number 10, but the current GOP certainly has the first 9 elements. I find this sad. While I am not a conservative, I do think a democracy needs two or more parties with opposing philosophies. Democracy is preserved by voters having a choice between principled political parties. We are in trouble when one of those parties devolves into an unprincipled cult.
