The Sloganism of The Right

[MineralMan]

The right in this country has almost mastered Sloganism as a political system. The use of simple slogans, rather than actual thinking or rational arguments, is working for them with a surprisingly large group of people. It's nothing new.

"Arbeit Macht Frei," is a perfect example of Sloganism. Emblazoned on the gates of a Nazi concentration camp, the slogan promises freedom in exchange for work. It's a lie, of course, but Sloganism doesn't depend on truth for its power. It depends on simplicity, or even simple-mindedness, to control a population and subdue that population.

George Orwell, in his novel, 1984, took Sloganism and expanded it into what amounted to a system of government. "War is Peace!" In that society, language was reduced to a minimum, making slogans even more powerful. Despite the contradiction in the slogan, it pacified the population into acceptance of the endless wars of that society. The government could do anything it wished by controlling the population with simplistic, contradictory slogans. The novel paints a frightening picture.

Today, we have the Republicans following the example of the Tea Party, which uses slogans to manipulate people who either do not have the capacity or desire to engage in the use of reason. Crowds of people, all carrying signs with slogans on them, often misspelled, expressed contradictory messages. "Government Out Of My Healthcare" on a sign held by a Medicare recipient in a wheelchair demonstrates the willingness of some to accept a slogan, even when it is patently contradictory to their own interests. Other examples of Sloganism in use by the Tea Party and now the GOP are numerous and well-known.

The effectiveness of the Tea Party "movement" has led the GOP to adopt Sloganism as their primary tool for influencing voters. We saw the results of Sloganism in the 2010 elections, where a number of people espousing Tea Party slogans won elections. The GOP has learned that slogans need not be true and can even be completely contradictory, and still lead people to vote for their candidates.

Is Sloganism the new system of government in the United States? It certainly appears to be growing. It's a very alarming prospect. How this growing simple-mindedness can be countered is still undetermined.

[Arctic Dave]

1. repugs aren't really thinking, they are conditioned subjects.

That is the big difference.

If I had a nickel for evertime I heard the phrase, "they don't pay me to think", I would be a rich man. Could be a reason why military types are more attracted to the repug mentality.

[MineralMan]

2. The thing is that I think the Republican leaders are

thinking, and this use of slogans as a primary tool for campaigning both for their candidates and against the left is very deliberate. It is the followers who are being trained not to think. I believe this started in earnest in 1994, with Gingrich, and is now deeply ingrained in Republican strategy. It appears to be working, too. I don't like it, but haven't any suggestions for how to counter it without using the same strategies, and that just doesn't appeal to me at all.

[Arctic Dave]

3. The only way to counter laziness is to force a reaction.

Wether it is mental or physical. You can say Wisconsin was an exercise of the mind, it made the complacent middle class think about their own situation and how they are being affected.

[MineralMan]

4. That's true. Wisconsin is a great example. If the recall

efforts succeed, it's going to give new life to activism on the left, I think. Thanks for the excellent example. It perked up my spirits a bit.

[Siouxmealso]

5. Does this mean

that I have to get rid of my "Hope and Change" bumpersticker?

[MineralMan]

6. That's up to you. It's your car. I have a

Veteran for Obama bumpersticker on mine. I'll get a new one in 2012. I don't do slogans. I do statements. I also do a lot of precinct walking. My precinct voted 60% Democratic in 2010.