By Joseph Batory

So, there they stand, millions of true  believers.  They are a faithful cult, the  immutable followers of a vision to Make America Great Again (MAGA).

But what are those MAGA beliefs?

To begin, MAGAites no longer have any need to read…or think… or analyze. Biased right-wing television stations and constant social media propaganda provide all the non-stop  “wisdom” they need. In the tradition of fascists and other totalitarians, they are “spoon fed” what they must believe and must endorse. Constant lying and distorting of reality is now viewed as honest communication.  When caught in a lie,  the MAGA philosophy is to just tell a bigger one. False statements are now “truth.”

The MAGA campaign has now been endorsed by many Christian evangelicals  and other faith-based groups . How can it be that those despicable characterizations of women  such as, calling different women horse face; fat pig; dog; slob; disgusting animal; and degenerate are now morally acceptable behavior.

Beyond just evil words, there is also a MAGA call to action for all men.  When attracted to beautiful women …just start kissing them…don’t even wait… they let you do it… Grab them by the ****. You can do anything.”

MAGAites subscribe to the infallible doctrine that most immigrants are  rapists and criminals. So, the Statue of Liberty should be dissembled, and its copper sold to the highest bidder.  And the phrase… “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” … is now considered by MAGA  to be anti-American. Afterall, MAGAites believe that most immigrants are “thugs” and “animals.”

With regard to environmental protection, the key MAGA doctrine is that science is worthless. The National Climate Assessment Report developed by 300 world class scientists has been redefined as a fantasy.  Its clear warning that the earth is continuing to warm is simply not true!  Human-created fossil fuel emissions are to be ignored.  MAGA unilaterally discredits all scientists who have concluded that ignoring climate change  will produce more dangerous climate-related disasters including killer hurricanes, floods, droughts, extreme precipitation, forest fires, and intense heat waves.

In the MAGA dogma, environmental protection is a needless activity, a concept endorsed by the Big Money of corporate  polluters and their political lobbyists.

Finally,  fabricated  fairy tales, such as  a stolen election are to be firmly believed even without  any evidence.  Seditious demagoguery can now be used to militarize thousands of foolish worshippers into attempts to overthrow the government.

Through all of this, America’s MAGA believers somehow persist.

In summary, Make America Great Again (MAGA)  has little to do with principle, concern for present and future generations, and ensuring the common good. MAGA is much more about producing an American nightmare.

Joseph Batory, a resident of Philadelphia, is the author of three books and nearly 300 published articles on politics, education, and history.