Stimulating fear mobilizes the most primitive parts of our brain, weakening our ability to make reasoned, rational judgements and triggering primal survival reflexes that have led to the escalation of violence that we've been witnessing lately. By stoking fear, creating artificial ‘crises’ with blatant lies and distorted truths, right wing politicians and media groups have been encouraging this form of primal violence while carefully disclaiming any responsibility.
Freud described psychoanalysis as the ‘search for truth’ and saw this as essential for emotional health. It is ironic that the lies and 'fake news' that these extreme media groups accuse the legitimate news media of reporting, is what they are actually themselves the true masters of creating. Campaign ads and carefully selected phrases are designed to dehumanize often already marginalized groups of people and make them scapegoats for the violent expression of pent up rage. We see this violence specifically aimed at those groups identified by this hateful rhetoric.
Politicians and news/media organizations, such as Fox News and Breitbart, have become prominent voices of bigotry and racism and in this country; stirring this hatred and violence. They follow an agenda that is creating an insidious, divisive culture of lies and deception that is designed to further promote the split that has begun to threaten the cohesiveness of our society, for political gain.
It’s time to speak up and remove politicians from office who actively promote or passively allow this crisis to continue. It’s time for us all to ‘search for truth’ on our ballots next Tuesday.
Your vote counts, so please VOTE!