They were always here.

I escaped from the south to the coasts, but I always tried to warn people how vile the worst of us were.

Nobody coukd believe it, but remember, Hitler wrote about the south as the model for Germany in mein kampf, and the nazis copied the Nuremberg Laws from Jim crow almost verbatim.

I already knew that there were plenty of awful people in the US since I studied the civil rights movement in school. Watching white people use fire hoses against Black people and white people being ok with that was a clue. For me the worst part has been watching my friends and family be brainwashed by the MAGA movement. People who I know to be otherwise wonderful people.

For me it's the answer to the zombie question. Do zombies have some part of their former personality still inside? The answer is definitely yes, and not some part, but 100% of their former selves.

I'll be talking to my Mom and she'll be her old self again for a whole conversation. Like the last decade never happened. Then something political will come up and she'll be gone again. And I'm stuck arguing with this zombie.

Fox News has taken multiple family members and I'm sure many more friends. Unlike zombies there was no attack or infection. The brainwashing happened through radio, television, and social media. And unlike zombies there is hope, because people do get out of cults.

I'll never recover, personally. The way my world-view was shattered by how many not just nameless strangers, but people I actually know and interact with, are the worst sort of hateful monsters.

My world is a different place now, and I don't think I'll ever feel the same.

It's also amazing just how incredibly tacky the MAGA movement is.

The Nazis were evil, but at least they wore clothing designed by Hugo Boss. At least they borrowed from impressive looking Roman-style banners and eagles. They understood how to use colour, light and so-on to project strength. Even if you acknowledge that the Nazis were evil, at least you can sort of understand why the German people were drawn in.

But the MAGA movement is so weak, so tacky. Even if I were somehow 100% aligned with their beliefs, I wouldn't want to associate with them in public because their whole aesthetic is so embarrassing. I can't understand how anybody can look at Trump and see competence, intelligence and strength. I also can't understand how anybody can look at a typical MAGA rally and see anything other than a design scheme that would make even Wal*Mart cringe.

Living in a southern state that is solid red - it’s just difficult to exist. Much more than half of the people I interact with would not view me as a human being if I weren’t stealth about my transness - if I didn’t pass. These people voted against my rights and safety. I’m surrounded by people who think people like me are subhuman.

Without a doubt this is the worst part. It was an immediate and irreversible swing from being an optimist who believes in the good of people to the complete opposite. I now believe humanity is fundamentally flawed and will destroy itself.

Watched too much Star Trek as a kid I guess.

The big realisation, for me, was during Covid. I haven't recovered since. My view of people, in general, has changed forever.

You just know that guy on the left has a swastika tattoo somewhere on him.

It is escapable. It's propaganda. Show them different news and they are communists.

The worst part of the Trump era is the realization of just how few people don't fall for the divide and conquer manipulation.

Hell truly is other people.

I like to look at it this way: There are not many bad people but weak people who fall for propaganda. The real bad people are just a few but those are the ones manipulating the weak.

The best advice I can give to anyone regarding MAGAts is to take advantage of them.

They're letting us know how stupid they are. They're marking themselves.

So take advantage of them. Run some scams on them. They'll fall for it. Don't let Daddy Trump be the only one robbing them blind.

It didn't take Trump to make this real for me.

I remember how our country treated Muslims after 9/11. I remember how we treated people with AIDS and HIV when I was little. Right now I'm watching Nazi salutes on national TV and no one's getting punched even though the room is packed with the supposed opposition, and the people who consider themselves progressive are unironically enjoying people's families inability to afford food staples.

Dang, looks like that one guy on the left got a “TRUMP” tat on his NECK. I’m sure he won’t have any ragrets down the road.

One of the good things about living in the bay area is seeing these people on TV, it's like seeing an NPC in a video game. It's hard to believe they are real. The 1st time I saw an IRL maga hat was 2020, and I'm pretty sure it was a tourist at the beach I had to point and laugh. The 2nd time was last month, and I gave that bitch the bird. She was wearing the cringe ass Elon Dark Gothic Maga hat.

The guy with the Trump tatoo looks like the typical guy who gets a 23&ME saying he's actually part Mexican.

I think it's about time that the progressives start pandering to the dumbass class. Promising to do all sorts of dumbass and unconstitutional things and then supporting actual progressive policy when they get into office.

If this worked for the current Manchurian dumbass candidate - progressives can surely get their deception game in order.

When I examine my German family tree, this is the kind of shit they fell for too. The only difference, the USA had a healthy economy before Jan 2025, while Germany was a wreck.

Face flag looks like a fun bar guy though. Maybe he's just stupid?

THAT has been the most demoralizing part

That half of my fellow Americans willingly embraced Nazi Fascism

I don't understand how the US is so prop-full of hateful, ignorant, angry people. Is it because of all the lead they ingested towards the end of the 20th century?