The Wrong Side of History: After MAGA, We Rebuild
The Wrong Side of History: After MAGA, We Rebuild
Let’s call it what it is: MAGA isn’t a movement — it’s a mind virus.
What started as a cheap knockoff of “patriotism” spiraled into a full-blown cult. One drenched in red hats, bootlicking, and fear — clinging to one guy like he’s a savior, while the rest of us watched our country get ripped apart in real time.
They burned bridges.
They spread lies.
They cheered as democracy took a punch to the gut.
And the worst part?
They think they’re the heroes.
But heroes don’t storm the Capitol. They don’t chant for civil war while kissing up to billionaires who crush workers, dodge taxes, and rocket off into space.
They don’t demonize immigrants. They don’t silence trans voices. And they sure as hell don’t put one man above the Constitution.
We’ve seen this before.
Fascism never shows up with a swastika the first time — it comes smiling, waving flags, and promising to “take back the country.”
Sound familiar?
So What Now?
We all know someone who bought in.
Someone who fell down the rabbit hole and forgot how to climb back out. A parent. A partner. A friend. And yeah — it hurts.
Here’s how we start putting the pieces back together:
Step 1: Call the Cult What It Is
MAGA isn’t just bad politics — it’s cult behavior.
Isolation. Fear. Identity control.
Understanding this dynamic helps us shift from anger to compassion.
That’s the playbook. And we can’t fix it with facts alone.
We need patience, compassion, and some punk-level stubbornness. Just as cult deprogramming requires patience and empathy, so too does MAGA recovery.
Step 2: No Shame, Just the Exit
Most of them stay because they’re afraid to admit they were wrong.
Shame is their cage. Pride is the lock.
We must avoid humiliation and instead create space for exit — stories of redemption, of former MAGA loyalists who now speak out (like former Trump officials Miles Taylor or Cassidy Hutchinson), should be shared more widely.
If we want them to break free, we’ve got to give them the dignity to leave.
Step 3: Burn Labels, Not Bridges
The MAGA base has been told for years that the “left” wants to destroy the country.
Don’t argue party lines.
Argue truth. Argue fairness. Argue compassion.
That’s what breaks the spell — not yelling louder, but showing that the “enemy” never wanted to be one.
We must lead with values that most people, regardless of politics, still believe in: fairness, safety, integrity, and freedom of thought.
Talk less about “Biden vs. Trump” and more about why truth matters, why honesty is patriotic, and why violence cannot be the answer.
Deprogramming happens not through confrontation, but conversation.
Step 4: Teach the Real History
MAGA feeds off historical amnesia.
Many supporters don’t see themselves as anti-democratic because they’ve been fed a whitewashed version of America’s past — one where protest is un-American and power is always justified.
We need to teach the full story — protest, resistance, injustice, and recovery.
Investing in real civic education — in schools, online, and in public discourse — is key to long-term healing. We must reconnect with the truth of our history to prevent repeating its worst chapters.
Truth-telling is punk as hell — and revolutionary.
Step 5: Accountability Is Non-Negotiable
Forgiveness? Maybe.
But first comes justice.
The insurrectionists, the grifters, the power-hungry opportunists — they don’t get to rewrite the rules and walk away clean. Those who committed crimes or incited violence must face consequences. Accountability is not revenge — it’s how democracies survive.
If democracy means anything, it means consequences.
They show that no one — not even a president — is above the law.
As historian Timothy Snyder warns, democracies collapse when people stop believing laws will be enforced equally.
Reclaim. Rebuild. Resist.
We can’t just “move on.”
We need to make damn sure this never happens again.
This is the part of the story where we decide who we are.
Do we stand up? Do we speak out?
Do we reach back for the ones who got lost — without letting go of the ones they tried to erase?
MAGA will fade.
But our response — that’s what history will remember.
So when they ask:
“Where were you when the country split open?”
We say:
We were loud. We were honest. And we fought like hell to bring it back.