They have been taught that the source of all evil is a mythical “left” that doesn’t actually exist. That started decades ago during the Reagan administration, when the Fairness Doctrine was axed, and the deregulation of the airwaves led to ideologically based “infotainment” and the control of all media in a very small number of hands.

The power then resided within those media conglomerates. The word “oligopoly” was born out of this.

Add the continuation of the war on “intellectualism”, the disastrous Citizen’s United decision, and the ease of social media manipulation, and we arrive here. At this point in our experiment in democracy, with our unique brand of American Fascism on full display.

Step 1) Identify the fears of your base.

Step 2) Identify your opponent.

Step 3) Create a version of your opponent that is the source of and embodies Step 1.

Step 4) Run against the fictional version of your opponent on the premise that you are the only thing standing in the way of their takeover of everything.

Works like a charm. It always has. Your opponent spends more time fighting to dispel the fictional characterization of themselves than they do addressing actual issues.

They can’t run on their platform. They literally don’t have one. They can’t run on ideas and record, so they run on fear.

And they plant the seeds for outrage. The election results have already been tainted. There is only one conclusion their base will accept as legitimate.

Fear creates violence. It has already, and it will get worse.

Our “American experiment” has escaped and is now terrorizing the villages.