An old and dear friend stopped by today, and we spent three wonderful hours catching up on the years since we’d last seen one another. Of course, we started with news about ourselves, moved on to family and mutual friends, and did a little reminiscing before getting to the important stuff: politics. It’s what she and I always wind up talking about.

Being very much on the same wavelength — and both being news junkies — we’re very much attuned to what’s going on in the world on a daily basis. And we are equally baffled at how so many people in the U.S. — not just the masses of MAGA morons, but the (supposedly) smart people in government and industry as well — could possibly have fallen under the sway of a snake oil salesman who, in addition to being possibly the world’s most dishonest living individual, has obviously completely lost the plot.

There seems to be no logical answer. It’s easy enough to understand why his billionaire friends — the ones who control most of the major industries and media outlets in the country — continue to suck up to him: it’s all of those lovely, lucrative government contracts and other favors. But what about the masses . . .first described by English writer and politician Edward Bulwer-Lytton in the 19th century as “the great unwashed”? Is Trump some sort of super hypnotist?

And the others who sell their souls by continuing to enable him as he gleefully demolishes every good and worthwhile aspect of this country? What is he holding over their heads? Can he possibly have potentially damaging information about every single Republican/conservative member of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the entire U.S. government? What are they all so afraid of? Is he really worth their sacrificing everything they’ve built over their lifetimes?

It is indeed a conundrum. And the only way I can account for it is to think that it may be the psychological equivalent of a Covid-like epidemic: mass hysteria.

Also known as mass psychogenic illness (MPI), it is defined as:

“ . . . a social phenomenon where a group of people share identical physical or psychological symptoms — such as dizziness, fainting, or panic — without any real physical or germ-related cause. It is driven by stress, fear, and social influence rather than an actual disease.” [Source: Wikipedia] [Bold emphasis is mine.]

“Stress, fear, and social influence.” That could be it. How else would you explain the success of this lunatic:

Or this one:

Maybe I’m wrong . . . maybe it isn’t mass hysteria at all. But if not, then what is it? Like any disease, we can’t combat it until we can identify it.

We really need to figure it out, and soon. Because it’s getting worse by the day.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/5/26