Extreme situations, when society is divided into two halves, are good because they leave no room for nuances. Only black and white remain. Of course, in normal life, different colors are welcome, but when people are killing each other en masse, black and white is more than enough. That way it is easier to distinguish your friends from your enemies.
Before the war began, one could argue on which side of the barricade Sobchak, Venediktov, Katz, Svetov, Latynina, Arestovich and the other “moderate people in the middle“ (V. S. Vysotsky). “Nothing is so unambiguous“ worked as their smokescreen, but after the outbreak of the war everything became unambiguous and the truth about every previously incomprehensible character became permeable.
The Trumpists - of course, I mean those of them who claimed to be anti-Putin and pro-Ukraine - until the beginning of the negotiations between Putin and Trump also retained the ability to combine the two. One could, closing one's eyes to the person's personal qualities, sympathize with the direction of some of his reasoning and declarations.
The negotiations and Trump's position regarding Zelensky and Ukraine deprived these people of the opportunity to maneuver. If Trump says that the war started in Ukraine, not Russia, if he calls Zelensky, not Putin, a dictator, if he demands free and fair elections in Ukraine, and does not demand this from Russia, then anyone who supports Trump and stands in solidarity with this position, whether they like it or not, is an enemy of Ukraine and a supporter of Putin.
The desire for black to be taken for white is sometimes so funny that it leads to incredible grimaces and jumps. For example, I came across a video of a retired American military trampoline who explained Musk's arm extension by throwing his arm forward to show the audience how his rockets will reach Mars.
What puzzles me most in this situation is the ability to blind yourself and adapt a meaningless argument like the one above to fit a pre-selected thesis. I could understand Trumpists if their idol had irresistible charisma, was charming, could speak well; in short, could do something attractive and enchanting. Emotions often prevail over reason with all the ensuing consequences.
But Trump is a 78-year-old scarecrow, smug and mediocre, arrogant and suspicious, unattractive, with a fake face and stupid jokes.
I do not believe in conspiracy theories, nor in the omnipotence of the KGB. I read from a good blogger that all Trump supporters who support Ukraine with their words are FSB agents who have now gone into remission. Such an explanation seems to me as crazy as the arguments of Trumpists. There are certainly agents of influence among them, but the vast majority are autonomous jerks who "work on autopilot". I can understand the Trumpists in Israel - that is, those of them who don't care about Ukraine and Russia. But from now on, a pro-Ukrainian Trumpist means something like a lesbian feminist from the ranks of the Taliban.
Alex Sinodov - kasparov.ru
translation: Nick Iliev