Popularity does not always equal skill or competence. However, it can be quite exploitable when a particular brand loyalty can be highjacked to push an agenda.
The face of the movement is not always in charge.
On my book Authoritarianism & Propaganda the Puppet Master Tools I dedicate a sizable part to help people understand the mechanics of authoritarian propaganda. Often the “dear leader” is not even the one in charge, though it would certainly have some level of influence over the masses.
Most authoritarians need to borrow an existing clout and then transform it into a group of obedient fools who will heed their every word. What the useful fools fail to realize is that the words they actually hear are carefully redacted and chosen to gain their concurrence through faux outrage. This is a tactic as old as civilization itself, and it works!
Throughout history we’ve seen countless examples of people who thought they could “control” an authoritarian wanna-be, and use their influence as a catalyst to push a specific agenda. A classic example is when Benito Mussolini was invited to become the Prime Minister for Italy. There was a lot of division among the citizens circa that timeframe, and the arrogance spewed by Mussolini seemed to be the answer to the less-acute minds in charge. Well, the miscalculation ended in the creation of fascism. We are still dealing with that aftermath.
When you’re paying attention to a politician, you also must pay attention to the hearts and minds of their followers. Some of these followers will have exploited biases, which will cause them to perpetrate heinous crimes against humanity, while being convinced they are the morally superior crowd.
The goal post of what is acceptable, and what it is “now needed” will of course continue shifting. Generally, it does not start with genocide from the get-go, but rather by adding a level of frustration that is largely fictitious, but might seem very real inside a political base echo chamber.
They want you to ultimately fight alone (don’t be a dummy!)
An authoritarian wants you to fight ultimately alone, especially after you’ve alienated anybody else who would be in your team. That is why you will always hear the reality that an authoritarian only cares about himself or herself – everybody else is disposable. That loyal base they enjoy, and who worships them is ultimately disposable.
This is nothing new, it has happened time and time again. They will make their base believe they are part of a bigger team that is fighting “good against evil” – without realizing that they have already become the mirror version of whom they despise. I’ve mentioned in a previous article, it starts with a bias – it gets exploited, and from there it is very easy to control the crowd.
That is by the way one of the reasons why those controversial “outliers” seem to get so much traction in gaining prominence. There is marketability in controversy and demagoguery. For example, if you watch a movie with a very vanilla plot and no conflict, then it will be a snore-fest. But if you add some conflict, even if it is manufactured or too fantastical to be accurate, it will have a much higher chance of getting people to watch it.
Something similar happens to people when pushing an agenda – except that it will feel very real, as though they are the protagonist of their own movie or adventure. If a crowd or political base has already demonstrated a proclivity for falling for a certain narrative, they will be pointed in that direction – and enhance the echo chamber – creating this faux reality they are now convinced it is the morally superior way of life.
In reality, they were only afforded a fraction of the “truth” – but it was poignant enough to make them believe they are the smartest people in the room. They are not, they are being manipulated – and spoiler alert – we are all potential victims. That is why I advocate for pairing critical thinking with intellectual honesty. HLC