A perspective. Take a peek at what is what about this and that.

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   tsmogposted 3 days ago

   At the Books, Literature and Writing topic in this side of the fence of HubPages they share each others articles offering opportunity for feedback, thoughts, criticism, accolades and commentary on them. Opportunity is presented.
   
   Here at the Politics and Social Issues topic some of the participants have published articles in that realm and I caught them in my Homepage feed. So, I though why not share them. Here goes . . .
   
   Campaigns in Transition: How 2026 Is Reshaping American Politics by Sharlee (May 3, 2025)
   https://hubpages.com/politics/campaigns … n-politics
   
   Briefly, Sharlee shares her perspective of the nearing future midterms and the recent trends of the voters. They say 'Change is inevitable'. She shares her observations of those changes. Enlightening.
   
   Thoughts, criticism, accolades, and/or commentary?
   
   And,
   
   What Makes MAGA and CULTS Tick I? - FEAR and Uncertainty! - Setting the Stage by Esoteric or Scott Belford (Apr 30, 2025)
   https://discover.hubpages.com/politics/ … -tick-fear
   
   This is part 1 of a 4 part series. An in depth analysis of the MAGA crowd while shares about the psychology lurking behind the scenes. Interesting while also is enlightening.
   
   Thoughts, criticism, accolades, and/or commentary?

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2. 87

   Jodahposted 2 days ago

   This was a good idea, Tim.

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      Ken Burgessposted 2 days agoin reply to this

      But not a real fix...
      
      As for the political discussions they entail... well, to the first, there is a lot of time... more than a year worth of events that will occur that will impact the perceptions leading into the 2026 election...
      
      To the latter... take the sentiments provided and put them on the author, and all those on the extreme opposite end of the spectrum... what is good for the goose is most definitely good for the gander...
      
      The interesting thing, as I see it, for those who so clearly see how wrong and 'cult like' the opposition is... they fail to realize just how 'cult like' they themselves are... textbook definition of cult...

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   2. 82

      tsmogposted 2 days agoin reply to this

      Thanks Jodah!
      
      I noticed the two articles posted in the OP in my feed recently. I have not seen any articles on 'Politics and Social Issues' in years upon years it seems. So, as in the 'Books, Literature and Writing topic' presenting opportunity for interactions I thought, "hey, why not give it a try."

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3. 73

   Kathleen Cochranposted 2 days ago

   Love it! I joined HP about 15 years ago for the interaction with other writers. When HP was sold the new owners put a stop to that - except on discussion boards, which isn't at all the same.
   
   Thanks for the novel way to return to the HP I first fell in love with.

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      Ken Burgessposted 2 days agoin reply to this

      On that we agree, fully, the loss of commentary and community on articles was the first real blow to HubPages that took out a foundational pillar of what made the site popular and unique.
      
      You could see it across the internet occurring post-2016... from Yahoo Finance to Facebook... anywhere you could make comments and exchange opinions was quickly moderated or shut down completely.
      
      HubPages was late to the censorship party... but when Maven took over it wasn't that long before they rid platforms of comments and the free flow of information.
      
      HubPages 3.0: Death of a Community
      https://discover.hubpages.com/community … -Community
      
      https://hubpages.com/community/forum/35 … n-articles
      
      At a time when HubPages could have been highlighting the difference and gathering new life to itself as an alternative source to the canned, generic, heavily moderated information online found anywhere else... it to tried to become as generic, bland, heavily moderated and non-controversial as possible... ridding itself of comments and communication allowed between writer and the audience... in essence becoming as sterile and uninteractive as any other source available, but with twice the ads interfering with the ability to read an article.

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   2. 82

      tsmogposted 2 days agoin reply to this

      Your welcome Kathleen! Maybe it will work out and maybe not. I will keep an eye out in my feed for future articles to share.

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4. 85

   Sharlee01posted 2 days ago

   I think this was a great idea. Thanks for picking one of my articles to dive into. I really appreciate it. Hopefully, a few others will jump in and share their thoughts too. In the meantime, I’ll get things started with my take on Eco’s article.
   
   I gave this article a fair read, and while I understand the author feels strongly, I have to call out how lopsided and frankly inflammatory it is. Right from the start, the tone sets off alarm bells; it’s not written to invite discussion or understanding, it’s written to label, shame, and dismiss anyone who supports Trump as brainwashed or broken. That’s not journalism or analysis, that’s political venting dressed up as psychology.
   
   Look, I’m all for honest debate and acknowledging the dark corners of politics on all sides, but comparing Trump voters to cult members and abused spouses is way over the line. That’s not a neutral analysis; that’s character assassination. It doesn’t leave any room for the possibility that someone could support Trump for legitimate policy reasons, economic priorities, or even just deep frustration with how things have been run in Washington. Painting 70+ million Americans with the same psychological brush is unfair and, frankly, arrogant.
   
   Also, the article leans way too heavily on one psychiatrist’s theory and then builds an entire worldview on it. It doesn’t give voice to any counterpoints or acknowledge that many smart, reasonable people can disagree about Trump without needing a mental health diagnosis. That’s not just biased, it’s dangerous thinking, because it shuts the door on conversation and replaces it with name-calling.
   
   And that whole section on victimhood among Republicans? Sure, maybe some people take things too far, but it also glosses over the fact that many Americans do feel left behind, mocked, or pushed aside by cultural shifts, and they have every right to express those concerns. Dismissing those feelings as just whining or backlash is exactly why trust is eroding. People are tired of being told they’re crazy or evil for simply seeing things differently.
   
   I thought the article was well written, but it definitely seemed geared toward those who align with far-left ideologies. It’s the kind of take that will probably resonate most with that audience. As a conservative and Trump supporter, I found it to be pretty typical in the way it paints a dark and negative picture, something you can find all over the internet. I was hoping for a fresher perspective, maybe something that made an effort to understand or engage with the other side instead of just condemning it. In that sense, it felt kind of routine and one-sided to me. 
   
   Bottom line, if the goal of this article was to understand MAGA voters, it missed the mark by a mile. It’s written like a sermon to people who already agree, not a bridge to those who don’t. If we’re ever going to talk to each other again instead of just throwing labels around, we’ve got to do better than this. 
   
   I did not move on to part 2.

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