BATTLING THE IGNORANCE
OF
MAGA TRIBALISM

Larry…
As you say…

Being an instigator of trouble, when I run into a “Christian” Trump supporter I like to ask them the following questions:

1) “Do you believe there is a separate heaven for blacks and whites?” Usually they look at me in shock, and reply that there is only one heaven, though sometimes I get the reply that there is only one heaven, and blacks cannot go to heaven. The explanation they give to my query regarding that reply is that Jesus is the son of God, and God created man in his own image, Jesus was white, so God is white. Hillbilly logic.

2) If they have replied that there is only one heaven, I ask them, “so, when we die our body remains on earth and our spirit, or soul, goes to heaven. How do you know if the soul next to you in heaven is black, or white”? The response is usually one of confusion.

3) I then ask them, “So if God doesn’t segregate in heaven, why do we segregate here on earth”? The response is generally one of anger, swearing, and calling me a “woke” liberal (the strongest denunciation they can think of).

 

Larry…
As I say…

As usual, Larry, you many excellent points— points supported by the use of your God given Free Will in exploring the “metaphysics” of our world… through logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis. And, a little of your brand of Reductio ad Absurdum thrown in for good measure and humorous contrast.

As a ton of “trial & error” teaches us Larry, logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis don’t work with MAGA, America First, and other Trumper White Supremacists. Why ??? The short answer. Because MAGA, America First and White Supremacists live in fear of the “Great Take Over” aka the “Great Replacement” of White Christians by non-white and non Christian majorities… which leads us to a less obvious and many-times overlooked, longer answer.

We non-Trump supporters (who refuse to drink the MAGA and American First kool aide) many times fail to make allowances regarding the affect that the prehistoric part of the human brain, the Amygdala, has on Trumper group think. It is that prehistoric Amygdala that overwhelms MAGA and America First(ers) with a fearful Tribalism that neutralizes and wipes any desire on their part to understand and implement actual logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis. I submit, after long contemplation and writing (10 years worth), that the only way to understand the world of MAGA, America First and other dyed-in-the wool Trumpers is ??? in a word… Tribalism. Tribalism (in short, belonging to a protective group) rejects and defeats (in knee jerk fashion) God given Free Will, logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis. Tribalism doesn’t need those, critical cognitive skills to survive and live their MAGA dream, their America First dream, their Them First dream and their Them Exceptional dream and their (knee-jerk) need to control rest of us lunatic, bleeding heart, woke liberals. See Strong Arming America’s Life, Liberty & Pursuit of Happiness

Tribalism has always been part of Humanity’s, long survival. Tribalism has been with us humans long, long before Plato and Aristotle and long, long before modern humanity “evolved” to our present-day understanding of logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis. Tribalism is subtlety intertwined with that part of the prehistoric, human brain that processes human emotion and fear of attack or death via the “fight or flight” syndrome of the Amygdala… and, most importantly, through the human “instinct” that “belonging” to our own tribe and our group will protect us when life, death, survival and extinction are on the horizon and hanging in the balance. Tribalism is the very, very powerful, “emotional” influence arising out of the Amygdala’s, primal “fight or flight” syndrome.

That prehistoric part of the brain, the amygdala, was (and still is) the source of humanity’s Tribalism aka our human instinct of survival that finds strength, identity and the very continuation of our lives in “belonging” to and “staying” with the group we grew up with (ours Larry… White Christianity and self-proclaimed exceptionalism). As we learned early on from our parents, grandparents, Uncles and Aunts, etc. “keep to your own.” Because “keeping to your own” White Christian group will protect you emotionally, physically and spiritually with survival here on earth (and also thereafter with the ticket to Heaven). In short, cradle to grave protection and eternity thereafter via Tribalism. That’s a powerful influence.

But, there is a human price to pay… if we do not stand up to the strong, survival “instinct” of Tribalism with our God given Free Will, logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis. And that price is a Tribal “ignorance” which is passed onto each new generation, an ignorance which stunts the continuing evolution, growth and enlightenment of humanity. See MAGA Evolving Backwards

“Enlightenment” via environment (aka family nurture) and/or via education can go a long way to teach Humanity the God given, Free Will option of adopting and employing logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis to overcome the prehistoric fear that the amygdala presents. But that “option” (to adopt and employ logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis) has an element of serendipity… a serendipity that serendipitously exposes us to logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis, i.e.

• Being born to the right (tolerant, empowering, Golden Rule, liberal) parentage,
• Being born into the right (tolerant, empowering, Golden Rule, liberal) environment, or (if not) then by
• Getting lucky enough to get a (tolerant, empowering, Golden Rule, liberal) education 
• A formal education like I received from the Dominican Nuns, Benedictine Monks, Basilian priests and The Jesuits or
• An informal education like my, Greatest Generation, undereducated parents got… their diploma from the streets, so to speak.

An education that (formally or informally) stresses the use of God given Free Will to embrace the wide-open, no holds barred challenges of the Socratic Method that extends our emotional and educational boundaries by teaching us Golden Rule Tolerance and urges logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis to take control of the amygdala and figure out that there is no primal monster lurking under the bed. That there is no Santa Claus coming down the chimney with free toys, no Easter Bunny with baskets, no Tooth Fairy with quarters, no Black (brown or yellow) Bogie Man, no Black (brown or yellow) Boogie Woman or other non-white immigrants whose skin color or ethnicity might (God forbid) touch our “pure” White selves and rub off on us and dilute our, superior “exceptionalist” White gene pool.

So yes… those who are “controlled” by the knee-jerk reaction of the primal fear of their prehistoric Amygdala of “fight or flight”… will always be the lemmings, the followers and the loyal subjects of Hitler, Mussolini, Trump, J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio, Stephen Miller, Peter Hegseth and their ilk. But, the ones who can escape their own crippling, prehistoric, amygdala through a tolerant, empowering, Golden Rule, liberal environment or education (formal or self taught) are the ones who will learn to shake off the instinct of prehistoric fear that grips them thus allowing the gift of their mind to guide them with logic, deductive reasoning and critical analysis (and be “born again” to a much richer, insightful life that centers around love, non moral judgment and acceptance of one another). It is not easy, but with constant striving it can be done. I know, I did it. See Book IV, Rumblin’ in the D. Besides, the option of living “uninformed” is a colossal waste of a mind that unnecessarily restricts our Declaration of Independence’ Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. For a more detailed treatment, see Unseemly Tribalism

Happy 250th America !!! May you resist those hell bent on destroying you through their fear and their need to control everyone else’s Life Liberty and Happiness through the lens of their “monolithic” cultural wars. See Strong Arming America’s Life, Liberty & Pursuit of Happiness

May that sentiment be the Gospel of the Good News of 2026 A.D.

Fred Lauck
Copyright 2026