Over the last decade, pundits, historians, and ‘political junkies’ have offered up many reasons for the wild success of far-right movements all around the world. They point to ‘economic malaise,’ the growing gap between the ultra-rich and everyone else, the surge in illegal immigration, the seeming ‘failures’ of the Democrats, the resurgence of racism brought on by Obama’s presidency, etc.
These are all good and valid reasons for the far right’s ascendancy — up to a point — but I’ve realized that they aren’t the main reason. I think the main, and most powerful, reason is that the far right has learned to use the media and global Internet to tap into people’s deepest ‘survival-level brains’ and keep them stuck there.
The far right has now mastered the dark art of complete subconscious manipulation, which always includes the effective bypassing of our rational minds and logical thinking.
A decade of horrific communication breakdowns
Consider this: over the past decade, millions of Americans have marveled, despairingly, at the intractability and irrationality of Trump’s MAGA followers. Millions of us have had the frustrating and horrifying experience of trying and trying to ‘reach’ these folks and engage in honest, rational conversation with them — only to face an endless barrage of denial, deflection, conspiracy theories, twisted ‘logic,’ and outright lies.
We’ve tried and tried, and — confronted by almost certain failure and massive communication breakdowns — we’ve been wracking our brains trying to ‘figure out’ what the hell is going on with these folks and how we can ‘break through’ to them. We’ve all wondered at this bizarre, creepy phenomenon, over and over again, and by now most of us have simply… given up.
It turns out, there’s a very good reason for their obstinacy and intractable irrationality: the far right and its persistent paranoid messaging have effectively turned ON these folks’ most primitive ‘brains’ and turned OFF their logical, reasoning brains. To paraphrase Marshall McLuhan and his famous statement “The medium is the message” — in today’s frantic, hyper-speed digital world, “the neurology is the message.”
A tale of two brains
When I refer to people’s primitive ‘brains’ and put ‘brains’ in apostrophes, I do so for a reason. These parts of the brain are SO primitive and irrational that they function in an entirely different way than our rational, reasoning minds. They function quite automatically and completely below the level of conscious awareness.
Scientists have done extensive research into the functioning of our primitive ‘brains,’ which are often referred to (popularly) by names such as our ‘reptilian brains,’ ‘survival mechanisms,’ or ‘fight or flight’ mechanisms. The verywellmindset.com website features a fine, extensive explanation of how our two ‘brains’ work and what their effects are. This site — and others — breaks them down into our ‘survival brain’ and our ‘learning brain.’
Wow. Mere ‘survival’ vs. … learning.
I find this description very telling and accurate. It reveals exactly why MAGA followers, neo-Nazis, Christian nationalists, and other far-right groups are so hostile, aggressive, and highly paranoid. They are ‘living in’ their survival brains while their learning brains are effectively shut down.
The weaponization of ‘threat psychology’
This is where things get really interesting, in terms of ‘saving democracy’ or even stabilizing our societies. Modern democracies allow extensive freedom of speech in most instances, and some — like the U.S. — have extremely permissive free speech laws.
But over the past decade especially, right-wing media and websites have proliferated and are intentionally doing two related, nefarious things: one, they take advantage of our societies’ free speech laws to spread hate, fear, racism, misogyny, and other fear-based ideologies, and two, they have perfected the use of media and social media to worm their way into peoples’ survival brains, stay there, and simultaneously turn off peoples’ reasoning and questioning abilities. With constant exposure, peoples’ ‘learning minds’ simply shut down, as do their critical thinking abilities.
Far-right media and influencers accomplish this noxious feat by portraying almost every aspect of modernity as a profound and dangerous threat — a survival-level threat. They constantly paint a grim picture of dire, nasty threats to our nation, family, children, race, community, religion, livelihoods, and/or baseline survival.
Black folks are a threat. Jews are a threat. Feminists are a threat. ‘The libs’ are a threat. Immigrants are a threat. Democrats are a threat. ‘Wokeness’ is a threat. The ‘Green New Deal’ is a threat. Vaccines are a threat. Etc., etc. ad nauseam.
In fact, everything remotely ‘liberal’, open-minded, or inclusive is seen as an intense, catastrophic threat. That is exactly what’s behind the vast, hateful right-wing reaction to DEI programs (note: this is why far-right movements or ideologies are labeled reactionary).
After all, what is DEI but the dangerous ‘woke’ attempt to foster and grow social diversity, equity, equal opportunity, and inclusion? Damn, that’s a quadruple threat, people! Get rid of it, fast!
The perfection of right-wing propaganda
The point is, right-wing media and influencers have found the perfect formula, now, to successfully indoctrinate and ‘capture’ millions upon millions of people all across the planet. This new-found ability to shape and ‘program’ peoples’ minds and emotional responses — perfected by right-wing media like Fox ‘News’ — is a true catastrophe in the making. It is catastrophic precisely because it is very hard — next to impossible — to counteract with reason, ‘niceness,’ logic, facts, or accurate information.
As noted earlier, millions of us have had the awful experience of never getting through to MAGA types, no matter what we say, do, or share with them. Now it’s become clear — horrifyingly clear — just why that’s the case. Right-wing media, social media feeds, and influencers are all busily stripping down their viewers’ or listeners’ reasoning abilities and feeding them fearful, angry propaganda that pushes them into the dark recesses of their ‘survival brains.’
And 24/7 immersion in in-your-face right-wing media or social media serves to constantly amplify and solidify the literal (if chaotic) ‘mind control’ that is occurring.
Using our freedom of speech and democratic values against us
Unfortunately for modern democracies and all who call them ‘home,’ it’s our very love of freedom and open-mindedness that may prove to be our undoing. Today’s world is chock-full of bad actors and devious manipulators who abuse our free speech laws and norms — and use our own laws and values against us. They truly want to bring down our societies and all they represent. They want to destroy democracy and are doing everything in their power to ensure that outcome.
Plus, our democratic or semi-democratic societies are built on various Enlightenment principles that the founders of modern societies utilized and promoted. These principles include belief in science and the scientific method and belief in the power of reason and rational discourse.
Yet these are the exact principles or beliefs that the far-right is undermining and destroying. Just think of all the anti-science, anti-vaccine, and anti-public-health nonsense that has become gospel truth among far-right ‘true believers.’
Finally, it’s becoming clear: modern civilization and democratic societies are now facing their greatest test. All over the world, formerly rational (or at least somewhat rational) human beings are being ‘programmed’ — constantly, unerringly — to devolve rather than evolve, and are being plunged into the depths of their fearful, angry ‘survival brains.’
They are being heavily ‘programmed’ to leave behind the trappings of civilization and reason and to live instead in a perpetual cesspool of fear, rage, anxiety, and hatred. And the worst aspect of this ugly process is this: it is almost impossible to counteract, as noted earlier. Once peoples’ ‘survival brains’ have in effect taken over, and their learning brains are muted or even turned off… well, they are no longer trustworthy, open-minded citizens, companions, or neighbors.
They have closed themselves off to learning and growing — due mainly to 24–7 immersion in right-wing media and social media — yet are usually convinced they finally ‘know the truth’ and ‘see our society clearly.’
But as I’ve shown, nothing could be further from the truth. The vast and perhaps insurmountable problem our civilization now faces is that their twisted version of ‘truth’ is winning, big time, and their version of ‘reality’ itself is now winning.
Conclusion and postscript
In conclusion: I’m forced to acknowledge the very uncomfortable truth that we may be living through the ‘last days’ of modern civilization and democracy. The far right has learned to tap into and direct people’s survival brains, and is brazenly growing a vast ‘army’ of irrational right-wing fanatics.
And unless our societies find a way — a deeply effective and timely way — to turn this pattern around, I’d say the days of modernity and freedom are numbered.
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** Postscript: After writing this and fully ‘getting’ the depth of the problem, I had an unusual reaction: intense relief.
Although the information I was processing and sharing was and IS devastating, at the same time I felt that now I clearly ‘see’ what’s really happening with these folks — and I can forgive them.
I realized they are being manipulated and deviously ‘programmed,’ and in most cases it’s not their fault.
Jesus’ powerful words, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do” immediately came to mind — with shattering force. Then my heart opened, and I no longer feared or hated these lost, deluded people. Suddenly, I had compassion for them instead.
I will still work hard (always!) to promote democracy, freedom, and love, of course — and work to overcome the forces of darkness — but going forward, I will (hopefully) do it from a place of love and compassion, not fear or hate.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Asdrubal luna on Unsplash
