Always Someone to Blame: Politicians’ Demagogy
“The blame is his who chooses: God is blameless.” –The Republic, Plato (375 BCE)
What do Mamdani, Trump, Bibi, Kamala, AOC, Erdogan, Putin, Biden and all other politicians have in common?
They will always find someone to blame when things go wrong. (PS Things always go wrong.)
We have all been indulgently instructed to adopt a malpractice lawyer’s perspective on life: if something goes wrong, there’s always someone to blame (not God, not me), and that someone owes me!
When was the last time a politician acknowledged “My bad. I never should have done that.”? It was the same day they admitted “My opponent is a reasonable person. It’s not the end of the world if they win the election.”
The reason is simple. In the interest of self preservation, our two most visceral emotions are fear and anger. The more fearsome we portray our adversary, the more critical it is that we win our election.
Once, demagogues were the exception. Today, they’re synonymous with politicians. Depending where on the political spectrum we reside, villains alternate: Democrats / Republicans. Immigrants / Colonialists. Blacks / Whites. Arabs / Settlers. Socialists / Fascists. Haredim / Non-believers.
The one constant you must believe is that your adversaries are existentially evil.
Of course, the most consistent source of evil since literally the beginning of time (the Common Era) are the Jews. We have been responsible for every economic crisis and war (including the current ones.)
People who can’t find Israel on a map know Jews (a.k.a. Zionists) are responsible for their misfortune. Millions who have literally never met a Jew still know they are to blame.
In hematology, blood-type AB positive is the universal recipient. In the global political blame-game, Jews are.
Having been accorded that privilege, you would imagine we would know better than to blame each other. Yeah, right! Maybe after the Messiah arrives (assuming He is from our sect.)
Serendipitously, we are occasionally united by external threats.
September 2023, Bibi faces mass protests, reservists refusing duty. October 7, the nation unites (temporarily, it’s always temporary.)
January 20, 2021, W. is inaugurated, half the country questioning his legitimacy (Gore received more votes, the Supreme Court aborted the Florida recount.) 234 days later, 9/11, the entire nation enthusiastically supports him.
1987 – Ronald Reagan: “Our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat.” 2014 – Bill Clinton: “(An alien threat) may be the only way to unite this divided world of ours.”
1996 blockbuster Independence Day, Israelis and Arabs, Americans and Russians, Indians and Pakistanis unite to repel an alien invasion. 2011 –Cowboys & Aliens, Cowboys & Indians, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) & James Bond (Daniel Craig) join forces attacked by aliens.
1940 – American Jews are publicly, unremittingly, unabashedly demonized by (radio-star) Father Coughlin, (ambassador to Britain, SEC chair) Joe Kennedy, (national hero) Charles Lindbergh for trying to drag the United States into war with a Germany (nasty habit we have.) The Jew-bashing only abruptly ceases when Pearl Harbor is attacked.
What can we learn from all this?
Anyone, politician or “Friend”, who endeavors to provoke our anger or fear, shouldn’t be our leader, or friend.
When they, ad hominem, shame individuals, naming them, mocking them, scapegoating them standing in front of their homes, they only shame themselves.
Fish learning not to rise for the bait, not getting hooked, live longer.
If we avoid getting hooked on fear, anger and demagogues, we will live longer, as well.
