Interesting. Though I am a rationalist and don't believe in a personal Devil or demonic posession, somehow I think this comes closer to the truth than the other comments so far.
These people are bully worshippers and death worshippers.
Orwell wrote of bully worship quite a bit in his journalism as being the main religion of the 20th century.
Orwell also used the term "Death Worship" in his book 1984 as the Eastasian version of "Ingsoc" (English Socialism) that Winston Smith suffered under in his book.
Well, it's not at all like 1984, which is really a burlesque of the Stalinism of his own time, but the terminology holds.
All Pipes says is true, but he doesn't make that final leap.
Leftism is death worship.
Leftism is death worship.