7 Ways Supporting Trump Has Changed Me, And Maybe You
“Has this election changed you?”
For those of us who’ve support Trump from the start — even as observers — the past 12-18 months have been eye-opening, inspiring, frustrating, and entertaining. It’s been fun being part of a movement. If you’re like me, it’s affected us in ways we never expected.
So how have we changed? Let me offer a few ways you may relate to:
1. We see through media lies.Mike, above all others, has demonstrated time and again the need to be skeptical of media hoaxes. The Michelle Fields episode was a turning point for me. Her allegations were so obviously false, so drummed up, it was infuriating seeing how much air time the media gave it. I haven’t watched network news since.
Now, we go to original sources where possible. We are much more skeptical of the media filter than a year ago.
2. We have thicker skin.We’ve been called racist, xenophobic, and deplorable, even by our friends and fellow Republicans. It used to bother us more than it does today. The “fight club” experience of discussions and meme battles has made us stronger and tougher. We’re better equipped to handle haters. We’ve embraced Gorilla Mindset.
3. We no longer identify with the establishment.
We used to care about respectability. In some ways we still do, but it’s different. The lies, corruption, and hypocrisy at the heart of the establishment have been laid bare. We see it every day, not just in Wikileaks but in the behavior of cucks and liberals in government, media, academia, and pretty much everywhere.
Today, we would rather have the respect of “the people” than the approval of a corrupt establishment. This feeling wasn’t as strong a year ago.
4. We’ve learned the art of memetic warfare.Some day our grandkids will ask: Where were you during the Great Meme Wars of 2016?
The trolling and propaganda among Trump supporters has been top-tier. Citizen journalism has demonstrated the power of “wholesaling” news that eventually makes its way to the broader public. A good example is his #HillarysHealth meme.
Finding new information, and packaging it in clever memes, is a weapon we’ve learned how to use. “Dank” is now part of our vocabulary.
5. We’ve made friends, we’ve lost friends.At one point, I realized that I like my anonymous friends on Twitter better than my real-life friends on Facebook. WTF does that say?
This election has brought to surface values that we didn’t know existed. It’s exposed fault lines in current friendships and has opened the door to new ones. There’s been churn. For every Facebook person we’ve unfriended (or been unfriended by), there are one or two new friends we’ve made. It hasn’t been easy, but we are better for it.
6. We’ve uncucked ourselves.This election has brought forth more masculine energy. Maybe it’s because Trump is an alpha, or because we’ve had to stick up for ourselves in new ways. Trump has inspired young men (and in some cases women) to take better care of themselves, reach for their ambitions, and grow some backbone.
Indeed, the “cuckservative” meme has been effective not just as an insult for enemies, but as a reminder to uncuck ourselves. Mike models this well. Look how he’s defending himself against false smears by James Fallows. He’s fearless, proactive, and anti-fragile.
7. We’ve become too big to ignore.“I will become too big to ignore” is one of the mantras in MAGA Mindset.
This movement, and the changes within us, are here to stay.[/size]
