This BONUS edition of the MTB Afterthoughts was inspired by an article from Wonkette, which offers “filthy, hilarious, liberal news.” Don’t forget to check it out!
In this BONUS edition of Afterthoughts, we’re diving into a topic that’s equal parts fascinating, frustrating, and completely infuriating: the strange but very real willingness of MAGA loyalists to make personal sacrifices... just not for the reasons you might expect.
You may have seen the recent headlines about Trump suggesting that American kids might need to settle for three dolls instead of thirty. Predictably, some people thought that would be the tipping point—“Aha! They’ll never stand for this!”
But the awesome folks over at the Wonkette independent news site shared a recent article titled “Trumpists Are A Lot Happier To Put Up With Economic 'Sacrifice' Than We Give Them Credit For.” Basically, assuming that diehard MAGA folks won’t be willing to make personal sacrifices misunderstands something fundamental: MAGA folks will sacrifice. They’re already sacrificing. The trick is that Trump asking them to sacrifice seems to work when it reinforces their identity (or sticks it to the people who they fear and hate).
In other words, many MAGAts are happy to make sacrifices for their Orange King!
If this all sounds eerily like certain religious dynamics, that’s because it is. We’re not just talking about politics—we’re talking about a cultural mindset that’s steeped in the dangerous theology of “redemptive suffering.” It’s the belief that pain now means reward later, that obedience in the face of injustice is a virtue, and that “faithfulness” is proven by how much you're willing to endure without question. And let’s be real: that’s not exclusive to MAGA, by any means. In fact, that’s Christianity 101.
So today, we’re asking the hard question: How the fuck did we get here? And more importantly—what can we do about it?
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