FEATURE ARTICLES. THE POLITICS OF PREJUDICE. PT 3.

Perhaps the Most Effective Use of this Strategy, by INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS WITH A SPECIFIC AGENDA, WHO CARE LITTLE ABOUT HOW IT IS ACHIEVED, IS TO TARGET MEMBERS OF SOCIETY WHO HARBOR PREJUDICIAL ATTITUDES, BUT CANNOT FIND A COHERENT REASON TO CONVINCE OTHERS THAT THESE BELIEFS SHOULD BE LEGISLATED INTO LAW.  IT IS THE:

              

                                                   JUSTIFIABLE EXCUSE DEFENSE.

                                                                (FROM PART 1.)

It is Repeated Throughout History.  How Many Times Has A Government, Resident Population, or the Electorate Sought to Address its Problems Not Through Reason or Critical Analysis, but by Attacking the Least Influential and Mostly Powerless Members of Society.  It is an Insidious, but often Effective Way of Gaining and Holding Power.

If we Have a Specific and Identifiable Political Movement that Lacks the Numbers or Credibility to Achieve its Immediate Political Goals, They May Turn to Manipulative Scare Tactics that Blame, Tarnish or Accuse a Specific Group of Being the Underlying Cause For...,Well just about anything.  Sometimes, the More Outlandish the Charges, the more likely the Acceptance by Different Parts of Society.

Naturally, the Success of such a Strategy is Dependent upon Gaining and Holding on to Allies.  So what do you do if this is your POLITICAL MOVEMENT, AND WANT TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN POWER?

#1-  CREATE AN IMAGINARY ENEMY THROUGH DECEPTION, HALF- TRUTHS, AND THE IRRATIONAL PREJUDICES OF THOSE YOU ARE REACHING OUT TO.

You Know that the LEAST POWERFUL OR INFLUENTIAL GROUPS OFTEN LACK THE FINANCIAL ABILITY TO FIGHT A DETERMINED OPPONENT.  

Along with this is a REALIZATION THAT CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY ALREADY HATE THESE GROUPS, BUT VERY FEW WILL ADMIT PUBLICLY THE TRUE NATURE OF THESE FEELINGS.

So what do you do?  CREATE A CONTROVERSY, THAT ALLOWS THOSE WITH PREJUDICIAL ATTITUDES AN EXCUSE TO MAKE THEIR BELIEFS KNOWN TO THE WORLD, AND WILL JUSTIFY THEIR DESIRE TO SEE THESE HAPLESS GROUPS REMAINING AT THE BOTTOM RUNGS OF SOCIETY.

In Turn, it will be used to convince others the necessity of keeping these groups down.

LOOK FOR PART 4.