The MAGA Threat

Unraveling the MAGA Threat: A Journey Since 2015

Since the summer of 2015, I have been following how the MAGA far right has gained power from the fear associated with the  MAGA devotees. The MAGA threats have emboldened extremist elements and encouraged violence. The tension between the fear of MAGA and concerns for democracy is reflected in Biden’s speeches, where he emphasizes that the value Americans place on democracy is a pressing question.

Biden’s Warning: MAGA’s Impact on Democracy

The intersection between MAGA (Make America Great Again) sentiments and concerns about the potential loss of democracy has become a prominent theme in contemporary U.S. politics. President Joe Biden has warned against Donald Trump’s re-election, emphasizing his threat to democracy. Biden points to recent waves of voter suppression laws across the United States, targeting minorities and vulnerable populations, and the prevalence of misinformation online as factors endangering democratic institutions.

Of course, millions of Americans are concerned about this threat and how it has been eroding the American democratic system since the Reagan era, perhaps even longer. Naturally, those of us who believe in more progressive ideas of governing our country have been watching with concern, speaking up when possible. 

From Liberalism to MAGA: Understanding Boomer Shifts

Oddly, by my calculation, many of the folks who were liberal potheads and acid droppers in the 1960s and 70s appear to have flipped to this “Conservative” viewpoint with vigor. From the beginning, I wanted to understand how this could happen to people I thought of as intelligent and educated. Not the gun-toting back-woods hicks they are all made out to be; many are educated, kind, loving people who understand that freedom is essential. So how in the world did they become convinced enough to follow a power-obsessed, narcissistic crook to the point of making gold statues that they kiss on the way inside conventions? 

Because these people I have respected and known to be both intelligent and caring individuals, I could not understand how they came to view this person as working in any way to help Americans. So I have been listening for some time now. I voted Republican to throw my vote to the more reasonable branch of the GOP. As a result, I continue to receive their propaganda, so I see the poison the MAGA group- is being fed. I’ve had multiple discussions with friends who have wholly swallowed bogus themes. What has astonished me most is the reality that they are being force-fed through their “news” outlets, YouTube, TikTok, and radio and TV shows dedicated to misinformation. Trump is the billionaires hero, not the hero of working Americans. But you would not know this if you watched or listened to the above. 

Common Fears: Democrats and Republicans Echo Similar Concerns

Whatever talking point the Democrats have, the Republicans echo. When we (the more center and left-leaning of us) talk about not wanting fascism, or the loss of freedom, or the genuine threat of losing our democratic republic, they use the same argument to frighten the MAGAs into believing the left and center, represent the loss of all of the above. Looking at their propaganda videos, they make it seem that there is a vast money-backed conspiracy to force America to become a socialist nation or even a Communist one. The language they use is the same. They sincerely believe the masses are being force-fed belief in a system that dehumanizes us and forces them to accept ways of life they can’t stomach. Their fear of the power of women, LGBTQ, and people of color is such that they would rather have a dictator (ask them; they want him to be president for life). 

The Historical Roots of MAGA: Reagan Era to Present

Way back in the Reagan era, It began as people pulling their children out of public schools, pushing for charter schools so that their kids didn’t have to attend school with people of color. It proliferated as that group cultivated big-money corporations to back their vision of America. Women, LGBT, and the genuine need for social relief systems that exist in every nation are a threat to both the corporate billionaires and the old South racists. They employ all the same tactics that the Plantation owners and wealthy men from the South did after the Civil War. 

Continuation of the Civil War: Legal Battles and Billionaire Influence

It is safe to say that this is a continuance of the American Civil War, which, though the Union of the United States won the war, has shifted to a judicial and legal battle. We live under a system where our courts, many individual states, and local governments are run by billionaires fearful of losing their hold on their financial dominance. 

And that is EXACTLY what the MAGAs are being told is happening when anyone who isn’t on board speaks of losing our democracy. They claim that the Democrats and the Progressives are being run by the old money system that has entrapped Americans. They are convinced that the only way to break that system is to totally dismantle the federal government and do away with our constitution. 

MAGA’s Narrative: Dismantling Federal Government and Constitution

The dream of a nation where power can be shared, and leadership transitions happen without violence is dead. Our democracy has not been lost, and while only an idiot would argue that the Democrats have all the answers, they are the only party advocating for the continuance of a country based on freedom and equality for all, where each person has the freedom to choose their representation. And the MAGAs have been convincing the exact opposite is true.

A Plea for Understanding: Bridging the Gap in a Divided Nation

When we label them as being dumb, uneducated, hicks, or “deplorables,” we lose any chance of understanding them or what is driving this loss of our American Dream. To help them, and they need help, is to listen to them, know how they came to their view, and what and why they are as frightened as we are of losing the America we know and love.