PRIMAL
TRIBAL
AMYGDALA
&
MAGA

John…

As you say, “Detroit still has a primal hold on my heart and I am protective of it.” Lyrical and well said.

Please allow me to discuss some issues that come to mind when you say “primal” and “protective.”

Primal | ˈprīm(ə) |  
Adjective. Relating to an early stage in evolutionary development; Primeval… (Apple Dictionary)

When I use the word “primal” (aka primeval) I think of the “evolutionary instinct of survival”… that more than 100,000 years ago was located in the prehistorical portion of the evolving, human brain, the “amygdala.” That amygdala is still with us today in the 21st Century… the very same, small part of the prehistoric brain that continues to serve our still evolving species in the art of survival i.e. “fight or flight.”

For Trial Lawyers (teachers, parents and many others), it is especially important to be aware of the human response that is still generated (even today in 2026) from the prehistoric, part of the human brain known as the amygdala.

Amygdala | əˈmiɡdələ | 
Noun. A roughly almond-shaped mass of gray matter inside each cerebral hemisphere, involved with the experiencing of emotions. (Apple Dictionary).

The amygdala’s main function is to process emotions, especially fear and anxiety, acting as the brain’s alarm system to detect threats and trigger survival responses, like “fight or flight”… while also forming emotional memories and influencing social behavior (AI Google). No doubt, the amygdala is connected to our “primal humanness.” See Rumblin’ in the D, Chapter 2 (in rhyme scheme). Slaying of The “Innocent”

In (and even out of) Courtrooms, it helps Judge and Jury (and citizen alike) to understand (still today in 2026)… that while under the influence of fear, stress, confusion, anger or exhaustion… we can all react and respond (key word “react”) “without deliberation” (no Murder One if no “deliberation”) or do something without the specific intent to create a specific harm (e.g. the crime of Assault with the Intent to do Great Bodily Harm or, in a civil case, withholding information during contract negotiations with the specific intent to defraud). When the prehistoric Amygdala is activated (due to fear, stress, confusion, anger or exhaustion)… free will, human logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis are all compromised to some degree or other.

Stated somewhat differently… when we humans are under fear, stress, confusion, anger or exhaustion… our human cognitive ability to think and our human volitional ability to fully use our free will are (at a minimum) “compromised” or (at a maximum) “cancelled” out by the chaos of fight or flight.

Our human assessment of the fight or flight dilemma (coming out of the amygdala) is always crucially important in recreating and understanding what really happened in given “replay of past human events and human responses” … a replay you always see in courtrooms.

• What did the incident involve ???
• What was the “state of mind” of the actor(s) ???
• “What” really happened ???
• “Why” did it happened ???
• What should “the consequences” ultimately, be.

Tribalism | ˈtrībəˌlizəm | 
Noun. (Mainly derogatory)… the behavior and attitudes that stem from strong loyalty to one’s own tribe or social group (Apple Dictionary)

Tribalism is the “us against them” dynamic of humanity. It engenders a perception of a “shared identity” or a perceived “common ground” (common goals and common desires) which, in turn, produces the “reflex” of group think and group loyalty seen in the “us against them” mentality. That “us against them” mentality is, I suspect, a combination of learned behavior and instinct… naturally shared by family, race, religion, political party and common experiences. I strongly suspect that the “survival” instinct of the (primal) amygdala is involved (maybe hard-wired) into human’s tribalism… where, perhaps, we all inherit the gene (and learn early in life) to seek shelter in the familiar… our own tribe, our own race, our own color, our own family, our own team, our own gang, our own peers, our own religion, our own theology, our own group… all without deliberation, logic, deductive reasoning or critical analysis. We don’t think. We just “belong” to the strength in numbers group from which we came. That opens us humans up to abandoning the rigors of logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis and just ride without our herd, just rely on the group think and group identity.

And (right or wrong), we all have a tendency to rally around our “common identity” and common “group think”… where “just to belong” is not only enough, it is “so much more important, powerful and desirable” than finding truth and reality with an open mind or assessing facts and connecting the dots with logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis. Not unlike accepting (as gospel) the unprovable, religious beliefs of our upbringing. The Primal/Tribal reaction is not let me have an open mind and try to figure out where “truth” lies and what’s going on via logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis, but rather, more like young kids… singing the Star Spangled Banner, praying the 1700-year-old Apostle’s Creed, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, taking Scouts of America Loyalty Oaths or shouting out, “Win one for the Gipper” !!! Go Blue !!! Go Shamrocks !!! God’s on our side !!!

That’s why we Trial Lawyers voir dire prospective Jurors for their tribal instincts aka pre-existing bias(es).. as the prospective Jurors come from all backgrounds and all walks of life (of which we Trial Lawyers know absolutely nothing about until we begin to question Jurors during the Jury selection part of the trial).

Peeping through the Window… at MAGA

Think of the tribalism of present day MAGA, America First and other Trump supporters… with Donald Trump himself bragging about the tribal addiction his supporters have of him…

“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue
and shoot somebody, and
I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?”
Trump remarked at a campaign stop
at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa.
“It’s, like, incredible.”
(Jan 2016 — Trump’s 1st. term)

Doesn’t Donald Trump’s self-definition of his tribal power over his supporters give the rest of us an invite to expound on the Kool-aid addiction of his supporters (MAGA, American First, and all others)— as they all start off each new day by drinking the MAGA Kool Aid… the Donald Trump Breakfast of Champions ??? That question seems to answer itself !!! The reference to the Kool-aid, of course… a reference to Christian preacher, James Jones, who (in 1978) talked 600 plus of his followers into killing their children and then themselves by drinking cyanide-laced Kool Aid.

Then, almost 50 years later the same thing … Déjà Vu all over again (as Yogi Berra would say). The Shakahola Forest murders and suicides of 2023 where over 400 Christian followers of Pastor, Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, starved themselves to death (or otherwise murdered one another) in Africa… so they could “meet Jesus.” Is there a correlation or connection between the “Tribal” grip of Donald Trump on MAGA and the “Tribal” grip of Christian Pastors James Jones and Paul Nthenge Mackenzie on their followers ??? Intuitively, it would seem they are all emotionally connected.

Following up on Donald Trump’s description of his MAGA (and America First) supporters (quoted above), I see our fellow MAGA Americans (and American Firsters) as Primal, Tribal and afflicted with the age-old, “closed mind” syndrome…

• MAGA is blissfully Monolithic (aka non-pluralistic). The only regard those Trump supporters have for their fellow, non-MAGA Americans seems to be… conquer them, control them, beat them up (with Trump promising to pay the defense fees if anyone gets charged) and “Lock ‘em up.”
• MAGA is blissfully Ignorant of the pervasive “Control” that the Trump & Friends assert on the rest of their fellow American’s Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. See Strong Arming America’s Life, Liberty & Pursuit of Happiness
• MAGA is blissfully Ignorant of the threat of Authoritarianism, the loss of Freedom and the loss of Democracy that the Authoritarian Trump administration is establishing in the void created by a Republican Congress of “cowardly” lackeys and a “Federalist,” U.S. Supreme Court, Super Majority of Trump Cheerleaders. And, Pinocchio Trump makes the most of this non-democratic void… as he tells the New York Times on 1/11/2026 that the only thing that limits his power and his control is his own “Mind” and his own “Morality.”

“My own morality. My own Mind.
It’s the only thing that can stop me,
And that is very good”

• MAGA is blissfully ignorant of the visceral distrust that the rest of the world has of America and of our ever-mercurial, threatening and bullying President Pinocchio. An example ??? Bully Trump, ever the Empire builder, constantly insults and threatens America’s allies, including America’s best ally and economic partner, Canada… threatens our allies with outrageous tariffs and the takeover of their Countries. Finally, Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney was forced to say… Enough is Enough !!! Trump can never be trusted. Ditto for (self-proclaimed) Hillbilly, J.D. Vance. As Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, diplomatically told America’s Allies on 1/20/2026 in Davos, Switzerland… Trump & Friends cannot be trusted. We must go on without America. Thanks to Trump’s America, the old order is dead.

“Today I will talk about a rupture in the world order,
the end of a pleasant fiction and the beginning of a harsh reality,
where geopolitics, where the large, main power, geopolitics,
is submitted to no limits, no constraints.
“On the other hand, I would like to tell you that
the other countries, especially intermediate powers like Canada, are not powerless.
They have the capacity to build a new order that encompasses our values,
such as respect for human rights, sustainable development,
solidarity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the various states.”
(Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney… January 20, 2026 at Davos Switzerland)

Carney, a very bright economic guy (much brighter than Trump) realizes that the only way to deal with Trump’s constant bullying, chaos, threats and general unreliability is… not to deal with Trump. Carney, therefore, did what he had to do for Canada. He reduced Canada’s 100% tariff against China’s electric vehicles to 15% and now China will launch a steady import of their well-made, reliable and inexpensive e-vehicles into Canada… as our America’s Big Three Auto Manufacturers lose market share and our American (factory worker) jobs take a hit. Thank you, President Bully, for your constant insults of our allies (You showed them !!!). Thank you, President Tariff, for destroying our economic relationships with our allies. Thank you President Chaos for weakening the America’s economy with your constant threatening bluster and forcing our allies to embrace China as their trading partner rather than the non-to-be trusted President Trump and his Oligarch, Billionaire Cronies. Lesson to be learned ??? Hey, TACO Trump (“Trump Always Chickens Out”), you play chicken long enough and the new world order turns its back on America. You cry wolf long enough and America’s bombast from the oval office makes you and America the “not to be trusted” butt of the World’s jokes. And, you run around like Chicken Little long enough, telling us “the sky is falling” and you play yoyo with the Financial Markets long enough and, eventually, you will crash the Financial Markets (and our IRAs along with them) for good … bankrupting America, just like you bankrupted six of your own companies and stiffed everyone else. Congratulations President King of Debt.

• MAGA is blissfully ignorant of the shadow President Pinocchio has cast on our America’s resolve to do the right thing. Think of the unseemly bullying Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy recently took in our American White House by Trump and his mouthy Hillbilly, V.P.- J.D. Vance, who couldn’t wait to pile on a shell shocked and overwhelmed Zelenskyy. Think of the world leaders… Canada’s Carney, Great Britain’s Starmer, France’s Macron and the rest who shake their collective heads in unison as they try to deal with an uncouth, pussy grabbing, convicted felon, scoundrel and sexual molester (Jury gave millions to E. Jean Carroll for Tump’s sexual assault on her). That’s the very same Trump who wakes up every day ready to reward not right, not truth, not Justice, not the Rule of Law, not his duty, not competence, but to reward those who flatter him. Think tariffs (now you see them, now you don’t) and the chaos and the roiling of the financial markets going around and around, up and down and on and on. Think Greenland (aka “Iceland” in the limited wit of the self-proclaimed, “stable genius” Trump). Think Taiwan’s future… with a most vulnerable Taiwan hoping Trump saves them from China. (Good luck with that Taiwan). Think Gaza’s overwhelming, collateral damage of its innocent citizens… death, endless suffering and loss of their homeland— while Trump gloats that Gaza is soon to be the World’s new play ground resort for his Oligarch friends and Crony Capitalists, all eager to join Trump’s Board of Peace and carve up the world along with Putin, Think the West Bank expansion by the marauding murderers of innocent Palestinians with Jewish right wingers of Netanyahu’s cabinet applauding and Pinocchio Trump demonizing anyone who dares speak-up as… “antisemitic.” Think Trump’s 34 Felony convictions, Think Trump’s admitted (via consent order) embezzlement of his own Charitable Foundation in New York. Think Trump’s $25 million fraud settlement with young students who trusted their education to Trump University. Think January 6th. Think official Pardons for all the January 6th convictions (including avowed White Supremacists… Enrigue Tarrio, National Chairman of the Proud Boys and Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers… whose 20 plus year sentences for conspiratorial sedition/insurrection were commuted). Think Trump’s cozy relationships with his Dictator buddies… Russia’s Vladimir Putin, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele (and his Super Max Prison, CECOT… where torture and deprivation of human rights are on the menu every day, all day). Think Victor Orban, the Authoritarian Christian leader of Hungary. Think Alexander Lukashenko, leader of Belarus… who gives aid, comfort and support to Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine. Think Juan Orlando Hernandez, the President of Nicaragua, who was sentenced in an American Courtroom to 45 years for flooding America with tons and tons of Cocaine and was pardoned by Trump (all the while, Trump is blowing up boatloads of people in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela and portraying himself as a tough, Vigilante Drug Czar and as Judge, Jury and Executioner). Think ICE and American born citizens Rene Good (Mother of three, young kids) and Nurse Alex Pretty… both executed by ICE and now doing time in their coffins. Think Liam Ramos. America must never forget that sweet, innocent 5-year-old, Liam Ramos of Minnesota, who was recently released from doing time in a Federal lockup in Texas by Federal Judge, Fred Biery… who remarked in his Court Order…

“Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us,
the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest
knows no bounds and are bereft of human decency.”

• MAGA is blissfully ignorant of the need to control inflationary, economic forces with TACO Trump always insulting, threatening and playing politics with Fed Chair, Jerome Powell, on interest rates… while many other major Central Banks are pausing interest rates and even thinking about raising them to get inflation under control. President Pinocchio ran on “Inflation” and he seems bound and determined to die on it… and take the rest of us Americans down with him.
• MAGA is blissfully ignorant of the perceived dangers of not getting vaccinated for Flu, Covid, Measles, Polio (etc). Welcome back, measles, and don’t forget to thank the self-proclaimed, “Stable Genius” Donald Trump and the ever-brilliant, Robert Kennedy Jr. and staff for your resurgence. Measles, you are now free to wreak further havoc on America’s most vulnerable victims (our children). To this day, I still remember being four-years-old and suffering from measle hallucinations as my temperature spiked with fever.
• MAGA is blissfully ignorant of their refusal to comprehend and acknowledge that the “de minimis” risk from vaccines… far outweighs the untoward, health consequences for non-vaxers and for our society in general.
• MAGA is blissfully Ignorant of Climate Change and the existential risk to Mother Earth… and our Children and Grandchildren’s need to live with hope and ample life expectancies.
• MAGA is blissfully ignorant to the loss of Constitutional Rights, the Bill of Rights, Human Rights and the loss of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
• Etc. Etc. Etc.

Bottom Line

There is much more that can be said about President Pinocchio & Friends. But, to the point. The point of MAGA’s Primalism, Tribalism and the fight or flight defense of the prehistoric Amygdala. Primalism and Tribalism foster (in fact, embrace)… a steadfast refusal to be open minded, refusal to use God’s gift of Free Will, refusal to use God’s gift of logic, refusal to use God’s gift of deductive reasoning, refusal to use God’s gift of critical analysis and the refusal to be an open minded, independent thinker. I suspect that MAGA’s Primalism and Tribalism not only “fosters” letting those God-given talents lie fallow, unused, uncultivated and unproductive, but also fosters the knee-jerk reaction of “closed mind” syndrome… where we let others (e.g. Political and Religious Leaders) do our thinking for us and tell us which way we must think. ”No fortress is more impenetrable than a closed mind.” (Louis Nizer Esq… My Life in Court) How does this happen ??? Because, being part of the Tribe is everything and knowing what “truth” and “reality” are, well are nothing… of consequence.

Forgiveness

John, let me switch gears and go to the concept of forgiveness, the most powerful force in the Universe (Trumpian as that Superlative may sound). I (myself) am hampered in the art of forgiveness because, I must (repeat “must”) “understand logically” what may be going on emotionally in the minds of others (the fear and the fight or flight of their amygdala ???)… before I can start to chart a course of forgiveness and try to let go of wrongs.

But, I am happy to report that, in my old age, I am catching onto the need for and the how to of “forgiveness”… as I measure the words and actions of others in the context of the prehistoric part of their brain, the amygdala i.e. how much of what I see and hear in others may be generated out of their amygdala’s interpretation of fight or flight when they are under the influence of fear, stress, confusion, anger and exhaustion ??? That strategy gives me a much better chance to rid myself of my own, temporary “fight of flight” and replace it with “Stay put and Love and Forgive.” I wished I would have had this understanding earlier in life. For a more expansive treatment, including the paradox of forgiveness and tough love, see Love One Another

Enough said.

Fred Lauck
Copyright 2026