the 1% – Page 2 – Engaging Peace

“They’re Different from Us”: The Profiteers of Prejudice

Posted on August 31, 2018 by kathiemm

By Roy Eidelson

“They’re Different from Us.” It’s a favorite mind game of the 1% when they want to stifle broad opposition to their agenda. By manipulating our understanding of what’s happening, what’s right, and what’s possible, this psychological appeal takes advantage of prejudice to promote distrust and division within and across communities.

Today’s elites know that solidarity with the disadvantaged and mistreated is jeopardized whenever differences like race, gender, and religion are emphasized and exaggerated. That’s why so many one-percenters highlight these differences while downplaying similarities in the concerns and aspirations we all share. If this ploy works, it divides groups that might otherwise form a more united and more potent resistance. When such coalitions fail to materialize, the winners are the defenders of extreme inequality who’ve long ago forsaken the common good.

What makes these “They’re Different from Us” appeals psychologically effective is that we tend to view ingroup members more favorably than outgroup members. When we’re persuaded that someone belongs to the same group we do, we usually perceive them as more trustworthy, we hold them in higher regard, and we’re more willing to share scarce resources with them. In part, this positive bias reflects our belief that these individuals have a lot in common with us. Even if we’ve never met them, we imagine that their values, attitudes, and life experiences are probably similar to our own. However, if we see people as members of a different group instead, then we don’t care as much about their welfare and there’s a greater chance that we’ll view them as potential adversaries rather than allies. Such divisiveness is exactly what the 1% want.

The ambitions of one-percenters don’t require that they all hold explicitly racist or prejudiced attitudes about Hispanics, African Americans, Muslims, or other groups—although some obviously do. But even those who don’t can still take advantage of the fact that bigotry in the United States continues to divide individuals and groups whose collective futures could be brighter if unwarranted suspicions gave way to mutual respect and support. Law professor Ian Haney López has described this approach as strategic racism: “purposeful efforts to use racial animus as leverage to gain material wealth, political power, or heightened social standing.” Journalist Naomi Klein has similarly noted, “White supremacy, misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia have been the elite’s most potent defenses against genuine democracy.”

Today it’s clear that the leadership of the Republican Party and many titans of corporate America are comfortable supporting—or at least acquiescing to—a litany of racist and discriminatory White House policies. Their reward includes billionaire tax cuts, windfall profits, deregulation of their industries, and other favors reserved for them alone. For some this is perhaps a devil’s bargain; for others, it’s undoubtedly considered a win-win situation.

If we want to focus on the kind of differences that truly matter, we should turn our attention to the striking divergences between the documented policy preferences of the 1% compared to the rest of us. In a nutshell, Americans in general are much stronger supporters of a higher minimum wage, labor unions to strengthen workers’ rights, affordable healthcare for everyone, a more progressive tax structure, higher taxes for high-income earners and corporations, government initiatives to decrease unemployment, and a stronger social welfare safety net for those facing adversity. These are all worthy and achievable goals. The first step is to recognize and reject the manipulative “They’re Different from Us” mind game that’s designed to divide us.

Note from Kathie MM: This is a condensed version of an article originally published on Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dangerous-ideas/201806/they-re-different-us-the-profiteers-prejudice

POLITICAL MIND GAMES: How the 1% manipulate our understanding of what’s happening, what’s right, and what’s possible

Posted on April 11, 2018March 9, 2021 by kathiemm

Note from KMM: Are you satisfied with the way things are going in this country today? or wondering what the heck went wrong and why we seem to be in such a mess? if you want some answers and want to know what to do about everything that has gone awry, read D. Roy Eidelson’s new book: POLITICAL MIND GAMES: How the 1% manipulate our understanding of what’s happening, what’s right, and what’s possible.

Post by Roy Eidelson

Giant corporations are raking in record profits, while millions of Americans remain scarred by the Great Recession and a recovery that has left them behind. Mammoth defense contractors push for more of everything military, while programs for the poor are on life support. Global polluters are blocking effective responses to climate change, while the disenfranchised suffer disproportionately from environmental disasters and devastation. Influential voices ridicule those who are disadvantaged by prejudice, by discrimination, and by dwindling resources. All the while, our middle class is shrinking, imperiled, and insecure. This is not the America most of us want.

It’s really no secret that certain individuals and groups — the Koch brothers, Walmart heirs, some Wall Street CEOs, prominent politicians (many Republicans, and some Democrats too), big-business lobbyists, right-wing think tanks, Fox News — use their wealth and influence to pursue a self-serving agenda that betrays the common good. Indeed, they’ve been doing it since long before Donald J. Trump moved into the White House. But what often flies under the radar is the extent to which they rely on psychologically manipulative appeals to advance their narrow interests at the expense of the rest of us. Examples include “The dangers of global warming are overblown,” “Voter fraud is a rampant injustice,” “Workers protesting low wages are devious and dishonest,” “We’ve earned every dollar and deserve your praise, not criticism,” and “Everyone will be helpless if gun reformers have their way.”

In my new book, POLITICAL MIND GAMES: How the 1% Manipulate Our Understanding of What’s Happening, What’s Right, and What’s Possible, I explain the psychology behind the success of today’s plutocrats in marketing their false claims — and what we can do to counter them. Offering a research-based framework, I show how the 1% exploit five fundamental concerns that govern our daily lives: issues of vulnerability, injustice, distrust, superiority, and helplessness. These concerns are soft targets for manipulation because each is linked to a basic question we ask ourselves as we try to make sense of the world around us. Consider:

Are we safe? Whether as passing thoughts or haunting worries, we wonder if we’re safe, if the people we care about are in harm’s way, and if danger lurks on the horizon. Our judgments on these matters go a long way in determining the choices we make and the actions we take. But we’re not particularly good at assessing our vulnerability. Among the ways that the 1% use this shortcoming to their advantage is by promoting alarmist accounts of the perils associated with change.

Are we being treated fairly? Cases of mistreatment frequently stir our anger and our desire to bring accountability to those we hold responsible. But our perceptions of what’s just and what’s not are far from perfect. This makes us ripe for exploitation by those eager to shape our views of right and wrong. That’s a key tactic for today’s plutocrats, and portraying their own selfish actions as efforts to address injustice—on our behalf—is just one of their ploys.

Who should we trust? We tend to divide the world into people and groups we deem trustworthy and others we don’t. When we get it right, we can avoid harm from those who have hostile intentions, while building valuable relationships with those who enhance our lives. But here too our judgments are sometimes unreliable. Among the ways the 1% exploit our doubts is by intentionally fostering distrust in order to divide the ranks of their adversaries.

Are we good enough? We’re quick to compare ourselves to others, often with the hope of demonstrating that we’re worthy of respect or admiration. But the impressions we have about our own worth—and the positive or negative qualities we see in other people—are intrinsically subjective. As a result, they’re susceptible to manipulation. One way plutocrats capitalize on this is by insisting that those who are struggling to get by are simply inferior to the rest of us.

Can we control what happens to us? Feelings of helplessness can pose a substantial obstacle in both personal and collective initiatives. When we lack confidence in our capabilities, we’re more inclined to give up and abandon our goals, and less likely to show resilience in the face of setbacks. The 1% take advantage of this inclination in several ways, including by telling us that stark inequalities are the result of powerful forces beyond everyone’s control.

In responding to these questions, today’s plutocrats are masters at using duplicitous mind games—like “It’s a Dangerous World,” “No Injustice Here,” “They’re Different from Us,” “Pursuing a Higher Purpose,” and “Don’t Blame Us”—to lead us away from a more equal and more decent society. Their answers are designed to manipulate our perceptions and emotions while distracting us from careful evaluation of arguments and evidence. Rather than viewing concerns about vulnerability, injustice, distrust, superiority, and helplessness as guideposts for improving the general welfare, the 1% exploit them to advance their interests and derail effective opposition to their rule.

Political Mind Games was written with a clear purpose: to help inoculate the public against the 1%’s self-serving appeals. When we expose and debunk their mind games, the plutocrats’ empty rhetoric loses its allure, their selfish motives are laid bare, and everyone can see clearly how a privileged few have fleeced and forsaken the country—and the people—that made their enormous wealth and power possible. In turn, this recognition lays the groundwork for the coalition-building and collective action that can restore and reinvigorate our democratic principles and commitments.

Dr. Roy Eidelson has been a practicing clinical, research, and political psychologist for over thirty years. His work focuses on applying psychological knowledge to issues of social justice and social change. He is the former executive director of the Solomon Asch Center for Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict at the University of Pennsylvania, and a past president of Psychologists for Social Responsibility. He is also a member of the Coalition for an Ethical Psychology, which advocates against complicity in torture and in favor of restoring psychology’s commitment to do-no-harm ethics

“Tapping the Victim Syndrome!” Voters as Victims Fuel Trump’s Appeal! Part 1.

Posted on November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 by kathiemm

Anthony Marsella, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service

Trumpism! No magic, no mystique, no charisma, no aura of invincibility! Just an astute and calculated recognition of the nation’s many discontents, assumed causes, and an appealing public persona fuel Trump’s appeal. Voters filled with (1) grief at the collapse and loss of their myths; (2) anger at failed and betrayed government; (3) resentment of outsiders who displaced them; (4) hatred for a society in upheaval; and (5) nostalgia for the past; These are the seeds of Trump’s success.

Trump embodies the alienation of citizens once proud and confident, now in feeling powerless and insecure. And what a great name for embodying the process: Trump! Trump! Trump!

Trump confidently mounts a stage with obvious boredom, contempt, and disdain for any competing candidates! Supporters and followers shout “Yes! Tell it like it is, Trump! Don’t mince words! Right! That is precisely how I feel.”

“Thank you, Trump! Thank you for communicating my anger, resentment, and grief with whole corrupt system that has disregarded my life and struggles. Thank you for speaking forcefully, without hesitation or doubt, about the obvious causes of my problems, the unanticipated struggles I am facing, my awareness of my government’s betrayal of our nation and Constitution.”

At last someone who speaks for me, the common man, not the big shots in Washington DC, Wall Street, and corporate and bank board rooms! They are crooks, all of them, and they are trying to stay in power.”

“They should be punished for what they have done! Stealing billions, in front of our eyes, as courts, politicians, and media offer explanations and excuses for their greed. Enough! We’re not going to take it anymore. You the man! Go Trump!”

“Their criticisms mean nothing to us! Reporters trying to insult you, taunt you, and ridicule you! We know the media pundits are part of the System! Same old tired faces! Same old words! They all look alike! Fancy clothes, confusing charts, first names, smiles! ‘Thank you, Katie!’ And we will be right back after this important word from our sponsors!’ (Sponsors: Part of the problem, corporations paying salaries and bonuses to lie and deceive on their behalf).

“I don’t even listen to them anymore! Can you believe that CNN group! Liberals! I don’t think so! Actors playing a part in a drama! Entertainers! There ought to be Oscars for TV pundits! ‘And this year the award for best pundit presentation and deceit goes to . . . (name a network).”

“They claim you, Trump, are part of the 1% who raped our country; big-shot investors, bankers, communication crooks! I say who better to know the System than an insider wanting to change it; someone wanting to be a hero for the working man! A savior . . . a redeemer!”

Understanding Trumpism!

Many remain bewildered by Trump’s triumphant emergence as the presumed presidential candidate for the Republic Party. They are shocked! How can this be? Trump contests and insults all we held to be good and virtuous about our society and nation through the years. Trump’s generalizations, his sweeping stereotypes contest, challenge, and dismiss treasured assumptions, prized privileges, and sanctimonious beliefs.

Choose a topic! Trump has ridiculed, insulted, or smeared it with bile, ending forever conventional System views of the topic. Voters are shocked at his words; and then, slowly they start to say: “Right! That’s how I feel!” They start to talk with family, friends, and neighbors! They test the waters, to see if others share their views. Euphoria comes with agreement! A movement is born! It is frightening, but gratifying!

Yes, we are the people that made America great! Not the 1% group! And as for all those new races and faces with their strange dress, foods, and accents, who invited them? They hate us! They are freeloaders! Entitlements! We had no entitlements!

Trump appeals to the fears, insecurities, and xenophobia now found across the nation and world! Everywhere, tribalism is the refuge pursued to protect the onslaught! Stick with your own!

Trump is a provocateur! He loves to provoke, to incite, to assert contrary views, opinions, policies, and cherished social, political, and religious beliefs. He puts his finger on the most sacred of “holy cows,” the very source of our nation’s endless wars, foreign intrigues, and calls for patriotic fervor: Capitalism! “The system needs repair! And who better to do it than me! We don’t want socialism!” With these words he mocks Hillary and Bernie!

When all is said and done, Trump argues our government has gone to war for decades, sacrificing lives and wealth, to protect an economic system which abuses workers. Workers now know this! Soldiers know this! Work! Die! For who, why?

Trump knows appealing to victimhood is the key! He argues successfully: The USA is a victim! Our culture is a victim! The hard-working middle class is a victim! The whites are victim! The world is against us! But we will make America great . . . again. And with an aplomb born of a panderer, Trump uses words to claim blacks and Mexicans are also victims, even as he implies they are part of the problem! Amazing! Shrewd, however, from the point of view of appeal! Victims need heroes! Victims need causes! Heroes need victims!

Trump’s Persona

No one questions or denies Trump’s narcissism, arrogance, self-confidence, and vengeful disdain for critics and competitors. Indeed, Trump himself turns these attributions to his advantage. Hillary criticizes his character and competence, and Trump returns her comments with an assault on her character and demonstrated failures. One can imagine him saying: “You had the chance! We saw what you did! It isn’t pretty! But you made a lot of money!

Supporters admire his forceful presentation and presence, concluding a strong and transparent president is needed. Critics condemn virtually every remark he makes, impugning his personal character and intentions. The media assault on Trump is so extensive it confirms what he and his supporters believe: The System is protecting itself!

What is especially remarkable, amid these brutal exchanges, is Trump’s constant, unabashed, and unceremonious changes in views. Trump without warning, responding to his moods, the moods of his supporters, and the moods of the nation and world, revises his positions and words, explaining what he meant to say. It makes sense to supporters.

Trump wins new supporters everyday, and loses only a few. Trump, is constructed as an “Uber Mensch,” a powerful figure willing to use his powers to build a better nation. Trump is a human being. He is subject, as all of us are, to frailties, flaws, and failures. Yet he seems to be able to run with abandon from these limitations, turning them into victories.

“The terms “Uber,” has many connotations; it is in widespread use in our society as a noun and adjective. It implies power, ascendancy, beyondism! Uber cabs, uber cocktails, uber alles (nations), uber athletes. If you ain’t uber, you are a “loser” (verlierer). Trump will make us uber . . . again!

The Ecology of Trumpism: Problems and Persona

Trump’s success, thus far, is a function of two major sources: (1) the sorrowful state of our nation and world; (2) his persona. These two factors constitute an self-sustaining ecology. Many demographic sectors of our nation are longing for a leader who will voice their frustration, anger, resentment; someone who can speak forcefully about their loss of identity and pride. Trump, a shrewd observer of human needs, recognizes we are a society and nation grieving the loss of our “familiar” or “imagined” past.

For many, Trump’s recognizes and articulates the “victim syndrome.” Many white voters are deeply resentful of corrupt and biased policies and actions protecting the wealthy, powerful, and positioned. Consider the spectrum of issues: (1) bailouts, (2) corporate rights as individuals, (3) massive special interest donations, (4) political party delegate machinations, (5) electoral-college abuses, (6) lobbyist influence for industries and corporations, (7) lies and deception regarding 9-11, Kennedy assassinations, (8) surveillance and intrusions into privacy, (9) police brutality, and (10) empowerment of blacks, Latinos, and foreign migrants). Chart 1 offers a graphic display of issues fueling Trump’s appeal.