This is not a click-bait title, it is the essence of my post. It is about manipulation, one of the subjects that interests me most, as it is so pervasive in our world.
You don't have to read the rest of the post, there's no need – you've already been manipulated, because you read the title. The idea that Trump might be assassinated is in your mind and should this happen one day, you won't be shocked much and you won't react much.
Many of you are probably familiar with the Overton window of manipulation, the theory created by Joseph Overton to explain how even the most outrageous idea can become acceptable under the right circumstances. Given enough time and exposure, even the most inconceivable idea will become mere radical thinking, then it will be viewed as acceptable and the next step is popular. (Just go on Twitter to see how popular this idea is!)
The joke's on us all!
Political assassination is, by any standards, an outrageous idea and should be even more so in the United States, a country that was shocked by JFK's assassination. 'Never again' would be the normal reaction for the ordinary American.
And yet, the unthinkable is out there in the open. I think it started with Kathy Griffin posing with Trump's severed head. That disgusting photo drew very strong negative reactions, even Chelsea Clinton said you cannot joke about such a thing. Nevertheless, other celebrities followed suite. Johnny Depp recently joked about killing the president.
The idea is no longer unthinkable, not even revolting, it's radical (the next step in the Overton window), but you're allowed to talk about it in the open. CNN hosted several 'matter-of-fact' debates about what would happen should Trump be eliminated. You can even talk about this at the dinner table.
Obviously, among leftists the idea is by now acceptable and even sensible. 'We've got to get rid of him somehow!'
For those on the right, it's something horrible, but, as I said, it wouldn't come as a shock. It's somehow expected, given the violence on the Antifa side. 'Remember the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise at that baseball practice? We should've seen this coming'!
Get back in line
I decided to write this today as it is 9/11, the day a manipulation campaign of unseen proportions was unleashed upon the world. And I'm afraid that the people who wanted so badly to start a war in the Middle East are right now looking at ways of disposing of Donald Trump.
In my opinion, Trump must either get back in line and do the Deep State's bidding, like any decent president is supposed to do, or face the likely possibility of meeting his maker early. I think Donald Trump is a very smart man, but he is not martyr material, and he might just choose to save his skin and who could blame him? On the other hand, his ego might prove to be too big for his own good. Driven by ego, he might cross the line and step on the wrong toes.
The global reaction would not be of shock, because this manipulation campaign has spread all over the world. I live in a country far away from the US, but MSM already took care of the public opinion down here and you won't find many people betting on Trump.
Planting an unthinkable idea in the subconscious makes it not only possible, but also inevitable.
Thanks for reading
I love this post. Thanks for sharing
Oh, thanks. I appreciate that.
What a prescient post!
Given the multiple attempted assassination attempts on Trump during the election campaign, his survival and extraordinary political comeback, your identification of the start of the process of the Deep State opening up the Overton Window to his assassination is living history.
The Hive blockchain is amazing for this.
Good post @ladyrebecca I feld in the trap! @originalworks
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Thanks for reading!
Trump could send assassins after the Deep State and the Left (their leaders, their strategists, their bagmen, their propagandists, etc). Violence is not a one way street ;> I would have no problem if Wolf Blitzer fell down the stairs a few times.
I noted a few months ago that Trump made it a point to get to know a lot of the company level commanders in SF units, making a personal connection with these men.These are going to be the guys that steer the nation if things get to the coup point.
Making the assumption that Trump is sincere in wanting to MAGA (something I'm not sure about), I think the Deep State knows they are threading a fine line of a coup/assassination/impeachment/impeachment-show to keep their leftist base in line while understanding that there is indeed a III%, and that a lot of folks in that 3% are military, LE, veterans, and hunters.
A group overall that has been lied about, and to, one too many times.
I'm not very sure about Trump, either. I'd like him to be the real deal, but maybe it's just another show to keep us busy. Maybe we're just manipulated into thinking he's not part of the system...
it's a possibility, but I do have hope!
Great writing, I can see this happening.
But most of all, I like the way you look at the world, and how you pick up the signs on the wall. For most people, the unthinkable seems to be that, just the unthinkable... But if you put a little time in research you can indeed see how they can manipulate us into accepting, and therefor creating, almost any scenario.
That's just one of the reasons that I don't watch tv anymore. ;)
I don't watch TV either...but I still read the news so you never know when you're being manipulated.
The manipulation is combined with hypocrisy as what is seen as outrageous is commonplace when considering the assassination of other world leaders such as Kim Jong-un. Should this idea ever be brought to the table or must it always remain clandestine?
Trump is likely just another clown in the system, a cog to turn to the ends of a few. If he is to be sacrificed, it will likely not be at the hands of an enemy but at those who put him there in order to further satisfy their goals. If he is to be ridiculed or raised onto a pedestal, it is likely in line with their plans also.
This world is an unbelievable mess and no matter who we are, unless in the absolute upper circle, we are likely never to see the depth at which it flows.
True what you say about hypocrisy as far as eliminating leaders deemed undesirable. As for Trump, we'll just have to wait and see.
This will probably sound strange, but I do live in the US and I barely think about Trump, or any politics. I stopped watching the news a long time ago, it's all bullshit, or at least I can't filter out the bullshit from the truth which is just as bad.
Honestly I've never noticed a change in my own personal life no matter who is being called the Chief here. I tend to view it all as theater that you can be appalled or entertained by depending on your nature, or you can simply choose not to see the show.
I'm not apathetic, I know it might sound that way, but it's not the case. Given a chance to effect change I take it, a change in the way people view the world and other places and different cultures, but I do it , for example, by talking about the amazing people I've met on steemit.com that reside on all points of the globe . I'm a huge advocate for Being the change you want to see in the world, I just no longer try to make it change.
You are not wrong though, that is exactly the way it goes. Maybe if more people would stop watching the show....
Actually, it doesn't sound strange at all. I couldn't care less about politics in my own little country as I realized they are completely insignificant. And I didn't bother follow American politics under Obama, as he too was insignificant. However, I took an interest in Trump as he seemed the one who could change things, the one who could beat the system... and I do often wonder if it wasn't just a twist to keep the show entertaining.
I have the same opinion of it doesn't really matter who is in that office, nothing really changes to any meaningful degree. I've been a voter since the early 90's and honestly, what has changed? Endless spending of way more money than the US takes in and bullying the world into submission. And of course the other side always promises to do it better but it ends up being exactly the same with minor tweaks.
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Here we are in 2024 marveling that Trump is not only alive, but also about to become the 47th president. May he survive his entire second term, the system wants him gone now more than ever.
Reading this post now, seven years later, is almost uncanny. The cultural shift it describes — how extreme ideas can be normalized over time — seems even more relevant today. The Overton window theory here offers such a powerful way to understand the dynamics behind public opinion on divisive figures like Trump. Now that we’ve actually seen assassination attempts and increasing polarization, it makes me wonder how much of what we see in media and culture is purposefully designed to shift that window.
It also raises important questions about the role of media and public figures in either restraining or accelerating these shifts. The responsibility to uphold a discourse that doesn't veer into incitement is more critical than ever, especially given the rapid spread of information (and disinformation) today. This post has reminded me of just how powerful subtle, cumulative messages can be, especially when they make extreme possibilities seem inevitable.