David Pakman

And so in order to understand why people fall for authoritarian leaders, you kind of do have to start with cult psychology.

Loyalty is the primary thing that gets rewarded.

If you doubt the dear leader, it's almost like a betrayal.

Any criticism from those outside the movement is proof that they are attacking us and we've got to fight them even harder.

And you see it constantly in Trump world when something doesn't work for them.

The tariffs, which were going to save us, but they led to higher prices, health care plans that don't materialize or when they do, they're terrible for people.

No more wars.

And then he starts a war with Iran.

The explanation is never, oh, I had a bad idea.

The tariffs were a bad idea.

Sorry, guys.

The Iran war was a bad idea.

Whoops.

My bad.

Instead, there's some other reason the Federal Reserve screwed us or the NATO countries wouldn't come and help us open the Strait of Hormuz or whatever.

And what this does is it always allows the core belief to stay intact.

It's similar to when these cult leaders

Say doomsday is what was the one April 21st of 2012.

The rapture and then the rapture never comes and people go, oh, well, it sounds like your dear leader was wrong.

No, no, no, no, no.