Summary: The world has changed, and Ye Olde Blogge is changing with it. During Trump 1.0 and the Biden years, we pretty exclusively focused on national politics, but with the rise of The Age of Global Oligarchy, the initial motivation of diagnosing societal issues like gun violence and the rise of Trump has also changed. My expertise in psychology is no longer adequate to explain the current political landscape or what to do about it. There are other publications that can better address the demise of our democracy and economy. So, Ye Olde Blogge is returning to our short-lived roots of using psychological findings to explain a wide variety of things in our world.

Key Words: Politics Psychology Trump Oligarchy Liberal Democracy Gun Violence Mass Shootings Autism Awareness

  1. Contributions to Resisting Trumpism
  2. The Age of Global Oligarchy
  3. Shifting My Focus
  4. Image Attribution

When I first embarked on this little vanity project back in May of 2016, my goal was simple yet ambitious: to explain the seemingly inexplicable using psychological findings. I worked from the premise that an accurate diagnosis of societal issues could pave the way for effective treatments, ultimately leading to recovery. My primary focus was on the plague of gun violence, mass shootings, and school shootings and the rightwing’s indifference towards the mass suffering that easy access to guns obviously caused.

Contributions to Resisting Trumpism

It was a relief to not only understand some of the most troubling issues of our times, but also, to feel as if I were contributing, in my own small way, to the solution. Then, Trump descended his faux golden escalator spreading his faux populism to begin his faux campaign, and our world has never been the same again.

It was a relief to delve into these troubling matters, not just to understand them better, but to feel as if I was contributing, in my own small way, to the solutions. Then, like an unexpected storm, Donald Trump descended his faux golden escalator, spouting his brand of faux populism, and beginning his faux campaign irrevocably altering our political landscape.

As Trump captured the world’s attention, a sense of camaraderie emerged among those who opposed him, whether in grand gestures or small acts of defiance. I believed that by diagnosing his malignant narcissism and executive dysfunction, we could find the tools to overcome the chaos he had plunged the world into. The Democratic victories in 2018, 2020, and 2022 fueled my optimism; perhaps we were indeed on the right path.

The Age of Global Oligarchy

But now… now I find myself groping for the words and concepts to articulate my feelings and reactions to our current state of affairs. It seems insufficient to explain the motivations and inner workings of a narcissist. In fact, it seems wildly off point. His narcissism is no longer key to understanding what is happening to us, the reasons it is happening, or even what to do about it. Our current crisis is no longer tethered to the deeply flawed personality of one individual.

Understanding groupthink and its role in poor and immoral decision-making is no longer helpful when considering the Republican Party. We must recognize that the GOP has fully embraced oligarchy and pseudo-democracy, completely rejecting the tenets of liberal democracy. It would be akin to pondering why someone chose a specific car model ten years after the fact—interesting, perhaps, but not particularly useful for future decisions.

Exploring mass psychosis and cognitive dissonance as means of understanding the rank and vile MAGA voter seems unnecessary now. The possibility of a free and fair election in 2026 has largely evaporated; the oligarchs need no longer rely on actual votes. Rural conservative Christian white Republicans may come to rue the day they voted for Trump, but understanding their motivations won’t change the course we are on.

As I survey the landscape of the U.S. and the world, the direction we’re heading in has become painfully clear. I understand how we arrived at this moment, yet I feel a sense of futility—there’s damn little any of us can do to change it in the foreseeable future.

I find myself questioning what I can contribute to our political discourse, especially when there are better-informed and more widely read outlets addressing these issues. In the past nine years, I felt I had something vital and unique to say about the state of our politics. Now, however, my commentary seems less relevant and less necessary, and the commentary that is needed is outside my purview.

Shifting My Focus

All of this is not to say that I will not be blogging any longer. April is Autism Awareness Month, and I have lots that I want to say about that. Life encompasses more than just politics, and I plan to explore those themes as well. In short, I will be reexamining the purpose of the Psy of Life.

I remain a dedicated student of psychology, a proponent of liberal democracy and human rights, and an opponent to fascism and totalitarianism. These topics will be addressed as they arise.

Image Attribution

This image was found on Nurse Kieth’s Digital Doorway is licensed under CC BY 2.0.