I have a good friend who constantly tells me that I am in a cult. Fred was born and raised in England in a small town not too far from the British resort town of Blackpool. He joined the fabled Royal Air Force as an aircraft mechanic (or 'engineer' in British parlance) where he would eventually become a RAF boxing champion, among other things. We met as military maintenance contractors with DynCorp in Germany at the US Army's Coleman Barracks outside Mannheim. We connected and became friends. He taught me much about about Great Britain alongside all the other Britons we worked alongside.
Fred now lives in Bavaria with his German wife. One-hundred percent disabled, he mostly works out, takes care of his bride, also disabled, and harasses me online whenever possible. Because I'm in a cult. Or so he says. The cult, you ask?
MAGA. The President Donald Trump-led Make America Great Again movement that seeks to promote free speech, freedom of religion and expression, the downsizing of the bloated federal US Government, and to bring peace to the world. I have voted three times for “The Donald” because has has been the first and only candidate who checks all the boxes that I and so many others across the political spectrum has been saying we were hoping for all of my adult life:
Independent
Successful businessman
Not a lawyer
Unbeholden to any special interest
Incredibly consistent
A rebel
Unafraid of being politically incorrect
Say what you may about Trump, but for many people he has been liberating. And I agree with much of his platform and his efforts to reform government and to reign in corruption. If I have any complaints, the main one is that he is proceeding too slowly.
And this is why Fred, a fine friend who has NEVER set foot in America, tells me I'm in a cult. And he hates Trump. I have spent much time arguing to him that I am NOT in a cult. But, he refuses to hear me. So, I decided to look up the definition of a “cult.”
cult, noun, ˈkəlt
1: a group (such as an organization or religious sect) with tenets and practices regarded as coercive, insular, or dangerous
2 a: great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (such as a film or book)
b: the object of such devotion
c: a group of people characterized by such devotion
3: a system of religious beliefs and rituals
4: formal religious veneration : worship
5: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator
American mental health professional and author Steven Alan Hassan who specializes in the area of cults states, “cults use indoctrination methods that 'program' beliefs through hypnosis, repetition, and behavior modification techniques.”
And THAT is when it hit me. Holy cow! I AM in a cult! Both my parents, my paternal grandfather, numerous maternal uncles, my brother are all part of the cult! We're in a group that is just a small part of the nations' population, in an organization with practices that are coercive or dangerous, shows great devotion to an idea or work, uses a system of rituals, are dedicated to the object of such devotion, and uses indoctrination methods that 'program' beliefs through repetition and behavior modification techniques.
I am a retired soldier! I have colleagues who are given titles within the cult such as “sailor,” “Marine,” “airmen,” “guardsmen,” and “guardians.” And within those titles are others designating the leaders and workers such as General, Admiral, Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant, Petty Officer, Private, and others. So, by any measure, yes, I am in a cult. I spent a bit less than 29 years serving. My brother 35. Dad spent 20. Grandad spent well over 30. Mom spent two. We're all in a cult it seems.
So, Fred, I admit that I am in a cult. And Fred, so are you.
