X-post from Tumblr, regarding cult leaders, narcissists, and psychopaths:

This was inspired by a discussion elsewhere, but: a reason why it can be so difficult for victims of Internet Cult Shenanigans to speak out can be the fear of not being believed - because of people’s seeming innate inability to accept that human beings can be predatory monsters.

People tend to want to assume the best of people, (because they want people to assume the best of them) but it appears to be approaching a pathological condition - or maybe those of us who have been victimized just notice it more.

One of the most frustrating things I have encountered personally, not only as a survivor of Internet Cult Shenanigans, but in general when describing or seeing the actions of a psychopath, narcissist, or con artist described, is a response like, “that can’t be real, because I can’t believe that anyone would actually do that.”

We live in a world where the Holocaust happened, (and if the jury is still out for you on that, unfriend me now) and people are still navigating through life with this belief system stuck in their heads. OR: they don’t expect to be victimized by someone who looks like them, talks like them, or is a BNF in their fandom. They fully expect hostility from any assigned “Out Groups,” (i.e “Terrorists,” “Jocks,” “Those People”) but not anyone whom they have not Othered, especially if the con artist/cult leader is telling them things they already want to believe. Part of the reason people get suckered in the first place is because "they can't believe anyone would actually do that." Cult leaders, narcissists, and abusers bank on this mindset. It's what allows them to do their thing.

This is often compounded by the cult leader/con artist in question flailing about in wounded tears, wailing about how they are the victimized party (case in point: Donald Trump’s Twitter account - and yes I actually think he can be considered an Internet Cult leader, especially when you figure in MRAs/Stormfront/8chan) and how they “just want to live their lives, but the mean bullies just won’t leave them alone,” whenever anyone tries to hold them accountable for exploitation or abuse, or warn others so that they don’t get sucked in. I have seen them gain new followers in the wake of a cult meltdown/cult split just from this, as their hand-wringing and bawling histrionics bring in sympathy from formerly neutral bystanders/rubberneckers.

I’ve seen this on an interpersonal level, and I’m seeing it right now in our current national political situation (”you don’t need to worry about Trump or his followers, because the Nazis all died fifty years ago when Captain America punched out Hitler at the end of WWI, and racism is over. You’re just being a sore loser because you lost an election.”)

I don’t know what can be done to remedy this.

Speaking of which: Narcissistic Personality Disorder, now with Trump visual aids. Cited!

If you read nothing else about the LJ server move, please read this.

This is the first example I seen of real, specific info about what the server move to Russia really means to users from the USA and in other countries, in regards to Russian laws allowing them to monitor electronic communications. Linked post: http://das-sporking.livejournal.com/1334667.html

Relevant bits:

"The site has been owned by SUP media, a Russian company, since 2007. And in January 2009, the site moved some of its departments to Russia. So, some people would say, what difference does it make if the physical servers are in San Francisco or Russia? And why did they move there, anyway?

Because it's the law. Russian law requires that personal data of its citizens be processed by servers located within the territory of Russia. Which puts anyone not Russian in an ambiguous position at best, and in the same position as a Russian citizen at worst. 

Also, there's the issue of SORM. While the name sounds like it should be in a science fiction movie, SORM is, to quote the non-partisan think tank the World Policy Institute, "Russia’s national system of lawful interception of all electronic utterances."

SORM-1 covers telephone communications.

SORM-2 allows for monitoring of the Internet. This extends to the monitoring of social media platforms, including social network websites and any other services that allows to establish a communication between two users (e.g. chat, forums). While this doesn't represent a problem for everyone, it is a threat to anyone who writes on sociopolitical issues and for those who actively promote discussion on such topics.

And SORM-3? A wiretapping system. One that doesn't require a warrant.

This is BAD. From a Russian user: "Since LiveJournal is now physically hosted on the territory of Russia, all the confidential information of service users is available for domestic security services in real time, in accordance with the requirements of SORM[,] SORM-2 and-3 to the Russian sites."

And, perhaps most disturbingly, there are recent rumors--unsubstantiated, but rumors nevertheless--of comms being deleted without warning. Pro-Ukrainian comms, from what I've heard...but that doesn't encourage me. It just says that LJ will shut down comms voicing what it considers to be contrary to Russian policy."


Yeah. I defy any right wing troll to come here again and tell me why those of us who are seriously having second thoughts about LJ now are just overreacting. This is some serious KGB shit, right here. I've had this on repeat since August:

Watch on YouTube

Speaking of which: Narcissistic Personality Disorder, now with Trump visual aids. Cited!