The Alternate Reality of Trump World

by | Aug 4, 2021 | Life, Politics

I often talk about the alternate reality of Trump World where facts, logic, documentation, and the truth are irrelevant. Their inability to deal with reality and facts in a logical manner, seriously places our democracy in jeopardy. How scary is that? But it’s even worse than I imagined. They listen to FOX and an array of right-wing websites, which repeatedly push absurd information, such as conspiracy theories, which they readily believe. I don’t know if it’s stupidity, or if the false info simply jives with their personal beliefs about those who despise their hero, Donald Trump. I suspect it’s a combination of both.

Let me start with a caveat that millions of Trump voters are NOT part of an alternate reality. But in my opinion, a very significant majority definitely make up a cult where their hero can do nothing wrong. It’s no different than the Germans who worshipped Hitler in the 1930s. Yes, it can happen in America. Remember, just as Hitler did, Trump spent 4 years successfully imbedding the following thoughts into the minds of his supporters. The Free Press is an “Enemy of the People”, you cannot trust anything they say. That mindset has grave implications for our country.

You should always remember the Supreme Leader of a cult is never wrong. Members of the cult are not allowed to disagree with or criticize their Supreme Leader. When Trump tells his followers something, they do not require proof, documentation, or evidence. In addition, they perceive attacks on their leader as personal attacks against them. Hence, they readily believe the entire government, including the FBI is corrupt, and only Donald Trump stands between them and a corruption. Even though Trump surrounds himself with FELONS, they see nothing wrong with and it does not change their beliefs.

I read a summary of a recent study which revealed, the more Trump supporters are presented with evidence, or facts which contradict their beliefs and opinions, the more they cling to those beliefs and opinions. Hmmmm… very interesting, because those who live in the real world, repeatedly try to disprove those numerous lies perpetrated in their alternate reality by producing facts, evidence, or documentation. But they don’t understand that producing facts and documentation have no impact on the beliefs of Trump supporters.

For example, about 96% of Covid-19 hospital patients are not vaccinated and about 99.5% of those dying from Covid-19 are not vaccinated. Do those scientific facts have any impact on Trump Cult members? Obviously, they do not, I’m confident they perceive scientific data as Fake News. My research reveals Trump supporters believe his speeches, statements, and social media posts are the sole source of information they can trust. They believe the only person with the ability to lead our country back to the 1959 version of America they want, is Donald Trump.

They are people who believe they’re losing their country and their identity. They feel they’re being displaced by communities of color, by feminists and by immigrants. These people are motivated by what they see as an existential threat to their way of life, which is an attack on everything they believe in.

Researchers are constantly trying to analyze Trump’s loyal base via an array of factors. But I would stipulate this isn’t as difficult, or as complex as they try to portray it. Yes, we know people from a variety of economic backgrounds voted for Trump, but in my opinion, the primary determining factors are one’s level of education and race. Please read the following carefully and do not forget this.

  • Eighteen of the top twenty states with the highest levels of education voted for Biden.
  • Eighteen of the 20 states with the lowest levels of education voted for Trump.
  • There are some small exceptions, but Trump’s Republican Party is virtually an ALL-WHITE PARTY.

One doesn’t have to be a research analyst to understand that one’s level of education plays a huge role in their ability to ignore facts, documentation, and the truth. If you add racial identity to the equation, you will often find a Trump supporter. Their inability to understand logic and scientific methodology, places them in a position where they readily accept and believe conspiracy theories. They will not engage in independent research to verify what they are told by Fox, Trump, and/or right wing websites.

But there’s one other huge factor which is almost universally embedded in Trump supporters. Studies of conservatives reveal the FEAR Factor plays an important role in how they think. Thanks to Fox and right-wing media, they believe liberals and Democrats are a major threat to American Democracy. They steadfastly believe those two groups are trying to destroy much of what they perceive as American values. As a result, they have a strong hate and fear of people whom they classify as liberals and Democrats.

I’m going to post a list of comments, which I’ve read on more than one occasion, which comes from Trump supporters. I could create a never ending list you wouldn’t believe, but I think this small sample is more than enough. They are very easy to find as his support forums are everywhere.

  • Let’s start with the obvious. The majority of them believe, despite zero evidence, that Trump won the election.
  • God sent Donald Trump to save America
  • On January sixth, Nancy Pelosi stopped the National Guard from responding to the U.S. Capitol.
  • Many Trump supporters believe the January Sixth attack on the U.S. Capitol and the U.S. Capitol Police was a peaceful demonstration.
  • The Pelosi comment reminds me about the old, non-stop bogus Fox story that Hillary told the military to stand down after the Benghazi attack.
  • They refer to Covid-19 as the China virus, because in their world, Covid-19 is a plot by the Chinese government to attack America.
  • A significant number of his supporters believe the federal government is using the vaccine to imbed a micro chip in them. Unbelievable!
  • A significant number of Trump supporters believe the vaccine doesn’t work, is dangerous to their health, or is part of a plan to make Biden look good.
  • The federal government is waging a war against gun owners.
  • All investigations linking Trump to Russia are nothing more than a plot crafted by a Deep State and the FBI. We know they never read the Mueller Report.
  • Trump should have the power to overrule court decisions.
  • Obamacare is horrible, while Trump’s healthcare plan is fabulous. Of course, their preference isn’t impacted at all by the fact that Trump has no healthcare plan. Why would one allow a minor issue like that to get in the way?
  • The actually believe the numerous Republican “voter suppression laws” are just more stringent “Voter ID” laws. As a result, they don’t understand why many Americans are outraged by their party’s attack on the most precious right in a democracy, the right to vote.
  • They believe it is their duty to take their country back. This reminds me of the Tea Party theme when they were formed after the election of Obama in 2008. Their slogan was “Take Our Country Back”.
  • They are the MAGA crowd which believes everything their hero, Trump, does or doesn’t do, is part of making America Great Again.
  • One of Hitler’s themes was “Make Germany Great Again”.

 

Top Ten Safest / Most Dangerous Cities and States

by | Jul 10, 2021 | Politics

Top Ten Safest and Most Dangerous Cities and States

I think it’s fascinating to know which are the most dangerous and safest cities / states. The list is not based upon personal opinions, it’s based upon FBI violent and property crime stats per 100,000 people. I think you’ll be surprised by some of the rankings.

MOST DANGEROUS CITIES                 SAFEST CITIES            

  1. Detroit, MI                                   1. Irvine, CA
  2. Louis, MO                                    2. Virginia Beach, VA
  3. Memphis, TN                               3. Plano, TX
  4. Baltimore, MD                             4. Scottsdale, AZ
  5. Springfield, MO                            5. Henderson, NV
  6. Little Rock, AK                             6. Irving, TX
  7. Cleveland, OH                              7. Boise, ID
  8. Stockton, CA                                8. Lexington, KY
  9. Albuquerque, NM                          9.  Anaheim, CA
  10. Milwaukee, WS                           10. Laredo, TX

    ———————————————————————————————-

MOST DANGEROUS STATES                  SAFEST STATES

  1. New Mexico                                    1. New Hampshire
  2. Alaska                                            2. Maine
  3. Louisiana                                        3. New Jersey
  4. Arkansas                                        4.Vermont
  5. South Carolina                                5.Connecticut
  6. Tennessee                                      6. Idaho
  7. Alabama                                        7. Wyoming
  8. Oklahoma                                      8. Rhode Island
  9. Missouri                                        9. Virginia
  10. Arizona                                       10. Massachusetts

One of the big propaganda goals of FOX is convincing their viewers the governments running the blue states don’t know what they’re doing and they are out of control. FOX always talks about high taxes, a high cost of living in, and high crime rates in blue states, but they leave out critical information, such as the following.

  • Blue states have the best schools and the highest levels of education.
  • Red states have the lowest levels of education.
  • Blue states have the best and highest paying jobs.
  • Red states often have a preponderance of low paying jobs.
  • Blue states usually have much more in terms of cultural institutions such as museums, theaters, and scientific exhibits.
  • Blue states not only support themselves, they also often help support red states.
  • Most of the states which depend on the federal government for tax assistance [welfare] are red. West Virginia, which depends on the federal government more than any other state, is a perfect example. It’s also a state which Trump won by a huge margin.
  • The states with the highest levels of education and the best jobs are almost always blue.
  • The states with the lowest levels of education and the lowest paying jobs are almost always red.
  • It’s obvious that blue states have higher taxes because they invest in their communities and residents. On the flip side, many red states have lower taxes because they do not invest in their communities or residents. There are consequences for failing to invest in your communities.
  • Donald Trump is worshipped in the red states and hated in the blue states. This isn’t a coincidence. Education, versus the lack thereof, is a critical reason for the big difference.
  • With one or two exceptions, states with the highest levels of education voted for Biden, while states with the lowest levels of education almost always voted for Trump. In my opinion, there’s definitely a correlation between levels of education and support for the wanna be dictator.
  • I believe those without an education often fail to read and/or do independent research. They are much more susceptible to being told how to think and what they should believe (propaganda), such as Trump won the election.

The 10 states receiving the most in federal aid as a percentage of their general revenue are:

  1. Mississippi,  42.9%
  2. Louisiana,  41.9%
  3. Tennessee, 39.5%
  4. South Dakota, 39.0%
  5. Missouri, 38.2%
  6. Montana, 37.4%
  7. Georgia, 37.3%
  8. New Mexico, 36.6%
  9. Alabama, 36.1%
  10. Maine, 35.3%

At the other end of the spectrum, the 10 states receiving the least in federal aid as a percentage of their general revenues are:

  1. Illinois, 25.9% 
  2. New Jersey, 25.5%
  3. California, 25.0%
  4. Nevada, 25.0%
  5. Kansas, 24.9%
  6. Delaware, 24.8%
  7. Connecticut, 23.4%
  8. Virginia, 22.9%
  9. Alaska, 22.4%
  10. Hawaii, 21.5%
  11. North Dakota, 19.0%

Hypocrisy in Fox/Trump World

by | Jun 24, 2021 | Politics

The Fox Propaganda Network and Trump are constantly trying to blame incompetent Democrats for the problems Blue States have. However, they only focus on part of the picture and always leave out key information in their analysis. They also ignore statistical data reference Red States, who voted overwhelmingly in favor of Trump. That level of hypocrisy illustrates how propaganda effectively influences people. The technique is clever, this is how it works. They find something which is true, and focus solely on that, endlessly repeating that to their viewers. Meanwhile, they completely ignore other relevant data. Remember how this technique works as you read the article.

Before we get to the data/facts, let’s talk about some of the allegations coming from Fox/Trump World. They always say blue states pay the highest taxes and have the highest crime rates, implying leadership in those states are not serving their residents. The first statement is true, while the second one is true only if you look at the total number of crimes. The FBI uses a per capita analysis to compile their crime stats and their statistics reveal red states are extremely violent and dangerous. We’ll get back to the level of crime later, but let’s begin our examination of the facts/data with the following, which I believe illustrates the hypocrisy in Trump World. If one listens to Fox, they never stop berating people on welfare and you know who they mean. But let’s check the real data to see what we learn.

The top 5 states receiving federal welfare benefits are all Trump states.

  • West Virginia
  • Mississippi
  • Arkansas
  • Kentucky 
  • Alabama

West Virginia, where Trump had his 2nd largest voting victory, gets more money per person from federal government programs than any other state in the country, with more than a quarter of their income in the coming from federal benefits. After West Virginia, the rest of the top five recipients of federal benefits are: Mississippi, 24.0 percent; Arkansas, 22.8 percent; Kentucky, 22.4 percent; and Alabama, 21.8 percent. 

Residents of Washington, D.C., received the lowest percentage of government benefits, with only 11.7 percent of their total income coming from government programs. Do you think FOX will ever mention any of the above? I’m LOL. Of course not! They focus solely on the negatives in blue states, while totally ignoring the dysfunction occurring in the red states. That’s how propagandists operate.

The lists below show the top ten states with the lowest and highest levels of education. Let’s start with the 10 states which have the lowest levels of education. As we already know, a low level of education, translated into a higher margin of victory for Trump in 2016. In English, that means people who are not educated, voted for Trump at a significantly higher rate than educated people.
The 10 States with the Lowest Levels of Education

41 New Mexico
42 Oklahoma
43 Tennessee
44 Nevada
45 Kentucky
46 Alabama
47 Arkansas
48 Louisiana
49 West Virginia
50 Mississippi

The 10  States with the highest levels of education.

1 Massachusetts
2 Maryland
3 Connecticut
4 Vermont
5 Colorado
6 Virginia
7 New Hampshire
8 Minnesota
9 Washington
10 New Jersey

How many times have you heard someone say you get what you pay for? Blue states have the best schools, the highest levels of education, the best jobs, and the best cultural forums (art, theater, museums, etc.) Blue states have higher taxes because they invest heavily in their communities and we can see the results of those investments. They aren’t dependent on the federal government, and as many people pointed out, they actually help support many of the poorer red states.

As for crime, the blue states definitely have more homicides and other violent crimes than the red states. Here’s a relevant question for you, which Fox viewers seemingly cannot answer correctly. Where would you expect to find a greater volume of violent crimes and homicides? Would it be in the sparsely populated red states like Montana and Wyoming, where the nearest neighbor may be a mile from your home? Or, would you expect to find more total violent crimes in the big cities, where millions of people live on top of each other?

If you have any level of intelligence, the answer is obvious. But in Trump/Fox World, they try to push the story that crime rates are higher in the big cities because Democrats are in power. No, it has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with numbers and human behavior when living in a very crowded environment.

Let’s examine some other trivial forms of hypocrisy. When Obama was President, a supply crisis resulted in high prices of gasoline. In many states, the price was over $5 a gallon. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that Fox and their viewers blamed Obama for the rise in prices. But a few months later, when the supply crisis was resolved, gasoline prices dropped below $3 per gallon. When the same people who blamed Obama for the high price of gas, were asked if he should get credit for the significant drop in prices, do you know what their response was? They said the President has no impact or control over the price of gasoline. Duh… Many who reside in Trump World do not understands logic. If you blamed Obama for soaring gasoline prices, why don’t you give him credit for falling prices? HYPOCRISY!

Let’s examine another trivial issue. When Obama was President, he played golf 4 or 5 times per year. Fox and their viewers constantly criticized him for not staying in the White House and doing his job. People who study presidential behavior, wrote articles stating Trump played golf 22% of the time he was President. That means he spent at least one out of every 5 days playing golf. Guess what? We never heard one word from Fox/Trump World. How do you spell hypocrisy?

Let’s take a quick look at one other area illustrating hypocrisy. Fox and Trump World frequently talked about Obama destroying the economy and stock market. At the same time, they praised Trump for stock market and job growth. Would you be surprised to learn this is more propaganda? Trump did OK with the stock market and job growth before Covid-19 arrived, but not great. Let’s examine how Obama handled the economy in his 8 years in office. As Trump and his supporters claimed, Obama did everything he could to make this country into a third world nation. Really?

The above helps explains why uninformed voters supported a despicable man like Donald Trump. His supporters live in an alternate reality, devoid of facts and the truth. If you want the truth, please read the following economic impact of the Obama Administration.

  • Along with GW Bush, President Obama saved GM and Chrysler.
  • Our nation’s banks, which were in grave danger, were also saved.
  • Multiple records were set for job growth over the course of his administration.
  • The unemployment rate was cut in half.
  • The stock market (the DOW) more than tripled in value during the Obama Administration.

I found the last point fascinating because Fox/Trump World always tried to portray Obama has a Socialist, who is opposed to capitalism and the free market. Yet the DOW tripled in value over the eight years of his administration and job growth set an array of records. Hmmmmmm……. not too shabby for a Socialist.

In conclusion, the level of hypocrisy is incredible in Trump World. When anything good happened, they gave credit to Trump, even when he played no part in the process. When something bad happened, they never held him accountable. One area where they are truly excellent, is coming up with a scapegoat every time something negative occurred.

Republican Cruelty Demonstrated by their opposition to Obamacare

by | Jun 17, 2021 | Health, Politics

When it comes to Obamacare, the Republicans repeatedly demonstrated cruelty towards the American people.  Even though the concept originated with Republican Mitt Romney, they repeatedly tried their best to block it because, in my opinion, they didn’t want President Obama receiving credit for a national health insurance law. They created an array of bogus scare tactics such as “Death Panels’, and it’s a government takeover of healthcare, etc. Nothing could be further from the truth because, per the law, all insurance is provided by PRIVATE companies.

Apparently, Republicans couldn’t care less if millions of Americans are forced to live without health insurance. When Trump was President, and they controlled both houses, they never came up with an alternative to Obamacare. That didn’t stop Trump from repeatedly promising the best health care bill ever will be ready to go in two weeks. In my opinion, that was the biggest broken promise (out of many) from Trump. Of course, his loyal followers will never hold him accountable for that failure.

Republicans recently tried to destroy the Affordable Care Act law forever, with a Texas case, supported by 17 Republican State Attorney Generals, which advanced to the Supreme Court. Thankfully, on June 17, 2021, the Supreme Court announced a 7-2 decision, rejecting the lawsuit, because they didn’t have legal standing. I’m sure the 21 million Americans on Obamacare are breathing a sigh of relief, knowing they can keep their health insurance.

Let’s acknowledge that Obamacare has flaws which need to be fixed, but that’s very doable. The main reason everyone should support the Affordable Care Act is it provides insurance to around 20-21 million people, who prior to this law, often went without health insurance. But the law did a lot more than fill in a desperately needed gap in coverage. Even though most people (around 85%) still obtain health insurance through their employers, the law has a major impact on everyone. Check out the following positive changes which apply to all Americans.

  • You can no longer be denied health insurance because of Pre-Existing Conditions, and it also eliminated the Pre-Condition Penalties. By the way, it’s estimated that over 40% of Americans have pre-existing conditions.
  • The unemployed can buy quality health insurance.
  • Those who are Self-Employed can buy quality health insurance.
  • Those who have jobs where their employer doesn’t provide health coverage can now buy it.
  • Women cannot be charged extra for their premiums, which was typical before Obamacare.
  • The Affordable Care Act prohibits employers from imposing annual or lifetime limits on benefits and caps out-of-pocket spending. If you get a serious illness, such as cancer, this one is huge.
  • Children can stay on the parent’s policies up to the age of 25.
  • Medicaid was expanded.
  • For Medicare recipients, Obamacare closes the so-called Prescription Drug Doughnut Hole.
  • The next one is so important, I’m going to highlight it with a different color. Insurance companies and doctors all agree on the critical importance of preventive care, which often discovers health problems before they become serious, major issues.
  • Thanks to Obamacare, preventive care is free to the patient.

Do not listen to the never ending bogus, phony Republican claims about Obamacare. And don’t believe  what I wrote. I encourage you to do your own research, something which rarely happens in Trump World. I’m confident you’ll learn that even with its flaws, Obamacare is having a major positive impact on America. If the Republicans don’t like the law, why don’t they come up with a better alternative? As mentioned above, they had a golden opportunity to create their own health care law during the first 2 years of the Trump Administration, but they did nothing. I think they just don’t care. They instead concentrate their efforts on taking away health insurance from approximately 21 million Americans. That is cruel and despicable.