Unknown Artist: ‘Crazy Quilt’ Parlor Throw (1887/88)
Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, United States

"They were neither patriotism nor loyalty, but the effects of top-down Dementia."

A case could be made that our incumbent suffers from Dementia. The evidence seems overwhelming unless presented to a partisan supporter, who might as well also be suffering from the same disorder. The behavior of the incumbent's party members exhibits the same dysfunction evident in their leader. Fish. Water. They cannot see it. The rest of us can't help but see it in nearly every action of both the incumbent and his followers. Nothing else rationally explains the behaviors. They're not entirely logical, but neither are they merely irrational. They seem non-rational, not guided by reason or explainable through a reasonable description. They are not wholly random, but somewhat more patterned, with a pattern that probably best resembles a crazy quilt. It's all of one kind yet never rational. Empassioned explanations utterly fail to explain anything. People seem patient, perhaps too patient given the gravity of the resulting situation. The whole administration resonates with the clearly disturbed behavior of its leader.

This response seems perfectly understandable. In every type of organization, it has long been understood that elements of the leader's personality tend to infuse themselves in subordinates' behaviors, as if through an organic resonance. It's like water assuming the shape of its vessel or gelatin in a mold; the lead exerts inexorable influence over the various parts of their organization. This occurs without explicit direction. Nobody understands how this happens, just that it does. Organizations rarely demonstrate the ability to counteract this effect. Partisans catch the cold, however otherwise rational. The opposition doesn't, however fervently they might acknowledge the virus's presence. Only True Believers get infected, though they might have been infected before they joined the club. Those predisposed to catching such viruses tend to flock together, encouraging contagion.

Debilitating diseases do not always result. Courage can often spread outward from a courageous leader, much like an infection. Cowardliness, too, can infect a population. The tone set at the top tends to trickle down, even where strict hierarchies are not observed. We also see this effect emanating from popular performers. The tendency for fans to mimic the mannerisms of their idols seems neither unknown nor uncommon. Swifties wear the beads, deadheads, the tie-dyes. Republicans were always more straight-laced than Democrats, and liberals wore sandals barefoot while conservatives wore white socks with theirs. The subtle cues common to every cult following are often present in our culture. Fandom sometimes qualifies as social psychosis. Ask any unsettled parent when their child seemingly goes wild under the influence of some obscure media figure. It seems a necessary condition that every fan could use some serious reprogramming. They do not behave rationally.

Dementia, though, seems a rare pattern for an entire population to resonate. The criteria by which any follower chooses to mirror their idol might vary widely and not matter when deciding how to respond. There might be no treatment other than the leader's displacement, for the followers have imprinted on their leader, not on his position or title. How does one go about deposing such a poisonously charismatic leader? As we saw in 2020, electing another didn't seem to affect the ardor his followers projected or his influence as the wronged leader he claimed to be. His loss might have even increased his influence among the truest believers. His Dementia probably had nothing to do with his following, though it has proven consequential. As his cognition degrades, his decisions become increasingly reckless. He does not seem to be aware of this, though it's impossible for those not enthralled to imagine that his closest advisers are not well aware of his decline.

It's a double bind, even if those enthralled cannot see the symptoms. Loyalty explains only some of the effect. Crazy, the philosophers insist, builds upon itself. Once departing the rational realm, randomness governs progression. Results become increasingly haphazard, and few will ultimately escape the consequences. Mighty armies have fallen beneath the burden of a leader's craziness. We probably aren't an exception. This is no drill. The Big Beautiful Bill exhibits most of the typical dimensions of full-blown Dementia. It's insanity disguised as legislation, a ticking time bomb destined for detonation. Future generations will wonder why so many continued marching forward. These were never rational actions. They were neither patriotism nor loyalty, but the effects of top-down Dementia.

©2025 by David A. Schmaltz - all rights reserved

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