Why MAGA Wants to See the World Burn

There is a psychological reason for that.And it is more disturbing than you think.The ResearchPolitical scientist David Moon at the University of Bath published peer-reviewed research on exactly this phenomenon.He called it kayfabe.In professional wrestling, everyone knows the fights are fake. The outcomes are scripted. The rivalries are performed. And the fans do not care. Because they are not there for reality. They are there for the villain. The drama. The spectacle. The show.Moon found that Trump supporters engage with politics the exact same way.The ScorecardHe promised no new wars. We are in a war. He promised cheaper gas. Gas is over four dollars a gallon. He promised to lower bills. Every bill has gone up.They do not care.Because they were never voting for results. They were voting for the show. They were voting for their favorite pro wrestler.The HeelHere is where the psychology gets dark.In wrestling, the villain is called the heel. And the heel is always two things at once. Unstoppable. And a victim at the same time.Trump perfected the role.He is the most powerful man in the world. And simultaneously claims to be the most persecuted victim in the world. His supporters hold both of those ideas at once. Without any conflict. Without any tension.Because pro wrestling trained them to do exactly that. To suspend their sense of reality and enjoy the show. No matter who it hurts.Why Facts Will Never WorkThis is why policy arguments bounce off. You are trying to have a debate with someone watching professional wrestling. The facts are not the point. The facts were never the point.These people would watch their own house burn down and an hour later sit in the rubble watching the footage for entertainment.Their jobs are here. Their kids go to school here. Their parents collect Social Security here. And they applauded the man who torched all of it. Because the show was too good to turn off.What This Actually MeansOur country is not a wrestling ring.And when the show is finally over, the damage is real. The jobs lost are real. The rights stripped are real. The institutions gutted are real.The people who did this knew exactly what they were watching. They just did not care.That should be unforgivable. And the very least we can do is make sure they never get anywhere near power again.Because next time there may not be anything left to save.SourcesMoon, D. (University of Bath). Kayfabe and political performance: peer-reviewed research on pro wrestling logic in populist politics. Available through the University of Bath research portal. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lucasbean.substack.com/subscribe