The Cowboy Creed

by Mark Snider, Hamilton

According to an article reviewed by Psychology Today Staff, “groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of well-intentioned people makes irrational or non-optimal decisions spurred by the urge to conform or the belief that dissent is impossible. The problematic or premature consensus that is characteristic of groupthink may be fueled by a particular agenda…”

One of the outcomes of groupthink is closed-mindedness, which keeps people with strong beliefs such as suspicion, hate, anger and revenge very dangerous and oblivious to their delusions. 

Nancy MacLean, author and Duke University historian, says “Biden’s speech was a ‘wake-up call’ for the nation and mainstream media. He was absolutely right, in my opinion, that the Trump wing of the party and the MAGA Republicans have jumped the rails of constitutional democracy, of the factual universe and of representative democracy.”

Steven Hassan PhD, expert on mind control and mental health and author of four books, recently wrote a book entitled, “The Cult of Trump.” In it he tells us that Trump is a dangerous autocrat, a pathological liar and malignant narcissist. He goes on to say that “anybody who is rational and living in reality sees exactly what is going on, sees exactly how Trump is manipulating people, sees exactly how his surrogates are going on television and taking elements and turning them and redelivering them.” 

Trump and his MAGA followers do not accept a fair and honest election, they are willing to resort to violence, support book burning, lie at every opportunity and deny the insurrection. They do not understand they have been brainwashed by Trump and MAGA news media such as Fox News. 

The cure for Trump’s violent cult is the Cowboy Creed: If it ain’t right, don’t do it. If it ain’t true, don’t say it. If it ain’t yours, don’t take it. 

It ain’t right to be a poor loser if you lose a fair election. It ain’t right to attack our capital. It ain’t true that the election was stolen and it ain’t true that Democrats are baby butchering demonic pedophiles. The secret documents at Mar-a-Lago weren’t Trump’s, he shouldn’t have taken them. 

There is nothing wrong about being conservative or Christian or a Republican, but if you are still supporting Trump you have been brainwashed and you are part of a dangerous cult. Stop listening to lies. Don’t close your mind to the truth. Stop thinking about violence, anger, fear and revenge. Don’t listen to a pathological liar and a malignant narcissist before you become one.