\u201cShow me someone without an ego, and I’ll show you a loser.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2015Donald J. Trump<\/p>\n
Sheeple is formed by combining the words “sheep” and “people” used mainly by politicians to describe the blissfully unaware masses. I would call them blind followers. They are not skeptical people. They are not particularly informed\u2013or care to be. Bill Maher recently stated on his HBO: Real Time with Bill Maher<\/em> show, \u201cThe zombies are in the mall.\u201d His insinuation is that the Trump minions are mindless zombies. That\u2019s very insulting\u2014to zombies (rim shot).<\/p>\n Trump has nothing <\/em>in common with the poor and uneducated; however he has convinced them that he will serve their <\/em>interests and not just his own\u2013as he has done his entire career. How does this happen? It could be many things: Hero worship, pandering, the halo effect*, gullibility\u2013take your pick.<\/p>\n \u201cI love the poorly educated.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2013Donald Trump<\/p>\n Religion is growing faster in impoverished, poorly-educated, and volatile countries such as Africa and South America. You don\u2019t see a rise of religion in countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. That\u2019s why the majority of Trump\u2019s supporters are not college educated. Trump knows his target audience.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s supporters are so loyal it\u2019s virtually a cult. In modern times<\/em>, cultists Jim Jones (Peoples Temple), David Koresh (Branch Davidians) and Marshall Applewhite (Heaven\u2019s Gate) were able to convince 914 (1978), 82 (1993), and 39 (1997) followers, respectively, to commit suicide<\/em> based on their leaders\u2019 authoritarian, charismatic personalities\u2013and their certainty of an afterlife. (It\u2019s interesting how they ignored the part about suicides not going to heaven found in most religions).<\/p>\n The phrase \u201cdrink the Kool-Aid\u201d refers to how Jim Jones was able to convince\/coerce over 900 of his followers to commit suicide by drinking poisoned Kool-Aid. I\u2019ve seen the phrase used at least once in reference to Trump\u2019s followers. It means they would follow him to their own doom. And with Trump\u2019s Old Testament, neurotic temperament\u2013this could very well happen if he is president.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the power of personality and persuasion\u2013and Trump is the master. Another trait cults have in common is paranoia and a persecution complex<\/em>. Trump routinely accuses others of \u201chaving it in for him\u201d or being \u201chaters.\u201d If it was not so scary it would be funny. Sadly, it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n But, you ask, what about all his conspiracy theories? Does not that prove that Trump is inquisitive and skeptical? No. It\u2019s one thing to be skeptical about the economics of a wall between Mexico and the United States or if global warming is a plot by the Chinese\u2013and whether Obama is a US citizen. Skepticism should be based on facts and reason. Wild conspiracy theories are another matter altogether.<\/p>\n \u201cThe concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n @realDonaldTrump twitter feed (Nov 6 2012)<\/p>\n