How Murderer Charles Manson and Donald Trump Used Language to Gain Followers (For real?)

Newsweek ^ | November 20, 2017 | Melissa Matthews

[EdnaMode]

The death of cult leader and convicted murderer Charles Manson resurfaces tales from his twisted family’s killing spree after nearly four decades. Manson orchestrated the brutal deaths of actress Sharon Tate and six other innocent people in the 1960s according to historical reports, which leave many wondering how he convinced followers, made up of a former Sunday school teacher, a church choir singer and a one-time homecoming princess, into committing such brutal acts.

According to psychoanalyst Mark Smaller, past president of the American Psychoanalytic Association, part of Manson’s power lay in the type of language he used. Notably, Manson was able to speak in a way that engaged those who felt marginalized or alienated.

“A charismatic leader knows how to speak to people in a way that will emotionally engage those people,” Smaller told Newsweek.

Smaller is clear that he does not believe President Donald Trump is similar to the convicted killer, or that their followers have any shared beliefs or characteristics, but he did say we can look to the current president to see how language is used to form a bond with followers.

“Our current president speaks in an emotional or affective way to large numbers of people in our country who feel a kind of alienation or disconnection from the government,” he said. “They feel very responded to and become his political base.”

According to the psychoanalyst, cult followers like those in the Manson family are so seduced by feelings of acceptance and understanding that they accept their leaders’ ideologies regardless of how destructive or dangerous they may be.

“It’s not even the content of what that charismatic leader says,” he said. “He or she is able to do it in an emotional way.”

[Billthedrill]

Newsweak drifts further into irrelevancy. One has to use language well in order to attract followers, which explains Newsweak's dwindling subscriber list.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I think I will write an article.

Title: How Mass Murderer Mao Tse-tung and Newsweek propagandist Melissa Matthews created false equivalencies in an attempt to destroy people they don't like.

Catchy, don't you think?