Universal Rhetoric For Manipulation In Politics

No matter your party, it's the same playbook

I spent years on the political left consuming Democrat rhetoric & narratives to mobilize voters.

Now that I've been exposed to the right's rhetoric, it's obvious to me now that the rhetoric style is virtually the same. It's a playbook. It works.

Politics is less about policy and more so about persuasion. Policies don't mean anything if you're unable to persuade people to move in the direction that suits you, which means persuasion is of the utmost importance.

Lots of people have great ideas but how do you get millions to leave their couches to vote for them? Whether we like it or not, people tend to vote based on emotional triggers, and more often that trigger is fear, not optimism or hope.

At one point, I remember watching MSNBC every day for hours on end & coming to a point where I told myself I needed to turn it off. I couldn't figure it out at the time but with hindsight, I realized why I needed to disconnect: I was being manipulated.

Every morning, Morning Joe was pointing out why today was the last day of democracy. At night Rachel Maddow was detailing how the Republicans were secretly plotting to overtake our civil society. However, when I would disconnect & talk to people, it didn't feel like doom & gloom.

It never felt like an impending destruction of the society that we're living in. Nevertheless, our elections were supposedly stolen by Russia, and Republicans were rigging the system. The opposition was always sinister & organized meanwhile Democrats were allegedly dysfunctional.

After I disconnected from the liberal media, I realized how much of my emotional state was being manipulated on a daily basis to make me scared of the oppositional boogeyman & needing to stay tuned for updates on the death of American civilization.

Once you realized you've been manipulated, you become very aware & sensitive to manipulation tactics. Now with my consumption of right-wing media and narratives, it's very apparent that political manipulation is bipartisan; we're all being used in the same manner.

This is not to say that some of the rhetoric isn't true but it's more of the manipulation of exaggeration, false framing, and out-of-context media. Both sides' media apparatuses share deceptively clipped videos of their opposition.

Instead of Russia stealing elections, it's the deep state that steals elections. Both sides implore their base that the opposition is rigging the "system". Both sides believe the entirety of the opposite party is racist. Both sides claim that every election could be the last.

Democrats make a case that Republicans are fascists meanwhile Republicans have a rebuttal that the Democrats are communists. Ultimately, it's a pick-your-poison of political rhetoric. What scares you more: fascists or communists?

Political manipulation only benefits the people who are manipulating, so this should make you think about what you're losing by participating in this game. Manipulation works best when it involves a grain of truth but it's not the truth that's the problem, it's the exaggeration.

It's the disappearance of context and avoidance of nuance. It's the acceptance of all-or-nothing propositions. It's the belief that your source is the real source & they would never steer you wrong. It's blind trust instead of applicable skepticism.

These are the end results of political manipulation. When you apply skepticism and humility to your worldview, you'll realize that Tucker Carlson & Rachel Maddow aren't that different in rhetoric style. Both may tell you some truths but remember, the truth isn't the problem.

There is no purity in politics or in media. Everyone has a bias, including me. I do my best to lean toward the truth but we all have our perspectives. However, purposeful manipulation based on exaggeration and connecting of dots that shouldn't creates a fearful population.

A fearful population is a reactive population and a reactive population is a persuadable population. In the end, the people lose while the manipulators gain your attention, money, and vote.

Humble yourselves & wipe the crust from your eyes: the world isn't what it seems but it's not hinging on this next election. The death of society isn't around the corner, it's just the manipulation talking.

Needing a political savior means you're a victim; don't be one anymore.

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