by Rachel M
Threats to safety can make even unfounded fears seem rational. The far right frequently emotionally manipulates Americans to support their cause by crafting narratives that people are essentially bad, bad people seek to cause harm, and the world is inherently a dangerous place. It is time to recognize these talking points for what they are–a decades–long strategy of propaganda and control.
In the 70s Nixon declared drug abuse the biggest threat to American safety–in his words, “public enemy number one.” However the “War on Drugs” intentionally failed to investigate the systemic conditions and psychological factors that contributed to drug-related deaths. It was, as intended, abysmally ineffective. Eventually, Nixon’s domestic policy advisor admitted, “By getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”
Later, in the 80s, when drug overdose deaths were at their lowest in recorded US history, the Reagans stoked baseless fears, reigniting the War on Drugs. Nancy championed the “Just Say No” campaign as senior officials in her husband’s administration orchestrated the Iran-Contra Affair. Ironically, this initiative reallocated arms smuggling profits to a far-right group linked to trafficking drugs into the U.S. As before, the War on Drugs gave pretext for targeting political adversaries and militarizing police in marginalized communities. This contributed to rising mass incarceration, bloodshed, racial tensions, and divisions.
In the years following 9/11, concerns over safety were once again exploited for political gain. Thus the War on Terror began. The right readily sowed the seeds of hypernationalism and anti-Muslim sentiment. This led to increases in racial profiling and hate crimes against those vaguely perceived as having ties with the religion. The Patriot Act passed with bipartisan support, clearing the way for unchecked authoritarianism. Conditions of fear and propaganda primed Americans to accept, without question, the false assertion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and this fear necessitated military deployment that resulted in countless deaths and triggered instability throughout the Middle East.
Today the right uses many of the same talking points. Donald Trump was elected in large part because he was able to manipulate voters by amplifying anti-trans, anti-science, and anti-immigrant rhetoric; exciting their feelings of panic. In spite of overwhelming evidence that immigrants are far less likely to engage in violence or criminal activity, an analysis of election results reported by the Wall Street Journal revealed, “Immigration was the second most important issue for voters, increasing to 20% from 3% in 2020.” Americans chose the fearmongers and the consequences have been devastating. Our rights are being stripped away, ICE kidnaps people off the street, and our president has declared war on us–The Enemy Within.
The people must grapple with the power and proliferation of U.S. propaganda. As American voices continually spout manipulative talking points for control of its citizens, socialists have a responsibility to fight back. We keep us safe. Our best antidote to lies, anger, fear, and hate is to spread knowledge, build community, class solidarity, and ultimately create a better, safer world.