. . . in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods.
. . . . For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying. — Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, vol. I, ch. X[1]
Hitler knew he could make reality on the spot by loudly and repeatedly spreading his message around the German nation. He spread lies about the staggering economy, about the scapegoats responsible for it, and about the necessity of national loyalty and unity. And he was believed.
Kathy Deters observes that the loudest and most authoritative political voices today are the voices of fear, greed, and religious zealotry.
We live in a world where the loudest voices prevail. There are voices that scream to take up arms, fear those who are different from you, and grab as much as you possibly can as quickly as you possibly can, with little regards to the consequences for the rest of humanity; those voices have become the loudest voices in the room, and they’ve amplified their volume by invoking the name of God. Kathryn Deters
Truth is the first victim in a Presidential campaign. Everyone thinks God is on their side.
I heard a young Black Alabaman interviewed on a PBS documentary talking about how he detested President Trump, but he did not have confidence in the leadership of Vice-President Biden. I pondered what Biden lacked in leadership, and I could only imagine that he was not as loud and abrasive as the current President. Biden’s style of oratory was best heard in small groups, whereas the President Trump’s style was built for arenas. In the evaluation of candidates style was taking over for substance.
We have grown accustomed to one style: loud and the strident voices, so that the calm and reserved can not be heard. We are tuned to a certain volume of leadership, so that the lower volume lacks authority, because it is not amplified or sanctified. We are as vulnerable to autocrats as the German people were in the 1930’s. We need to tune our ears to a new key, a rhetoric of difference, not amplification.
The political campaign remaining will be full of sound and fury, perhaps signifying nothing. How does the voting public hear the conflicting messages without falling prey to the loudest or the most repetitive? How do we discern who is telling the truth or even 75% of the truth? How do we learn to vote in our best interests, rather than succumbing to loud and false promises? Can rational voices tune their rhetoric, not to be louder, but to be heard above the fray?
I remember the really good teachers who rarely raised their voices. They would get the class’s attention with non-verbal cues, such as raising a hand or making eye contact with the disruptive kids. Only when the din had died down would they speak slowly and quietly, adding emphasis with their reserved, even delivery. Those were the moments when we actually listened and believed.
The fall campaigns need a similar modulation, not amplification of partisan platforms. Instead of more extravagant rhetoric and half truths, the resisting campaigns need visual and auditory strategies to seize the attention of voters. It will not be the loudest and most redundant that captures the audience, it will be the ones who can halt the punches and counter-punches with a feint, a jab and another feint. What kind of cues might disrupt the noise?
- Open a political message with contemporary music like the amusing “You’ll be back, soon you’ll see/ You’ll remember you belong to me” from Hamilton. Or lead with a visual: the lowering of the Confederate flag; an NFL team displaying solidarity on the field. The key is to disrupt the chatter by modulation to a different key.
- If there are lies floating in the air waves, they should be called out with quiet authority.
- Dark background music, then “My opponent says I want to defund the police force. That is a lie.” Cue the hopeful background music: ” What I did say was . . .”
- Or present a graphic table with “Lies” on one side and “Truths” on the other. After reviewing them with a pointer, say, “There will be a test,” (Truths are the real answers). Cue some light-hearted musical theme. Show there are no gray areas for spinning the truth, but hope for the future.
- Promote voting without specifying which party they support. Put up visuals of the various methods of voting: in person, by mail, by drop box. Play background marching or patriotic music. Show examples of objective information about candidates, such as candidates’ responses to questions provided by the Women’s League. Show people taking an offered ride to the polls. A non-partisan commercial raises all boats.
- Don’t argue the issues, as on the floors of Congress . The American voter is overwhelmed by issues and how they are spun for one Party’s message. Political ads make opposing claims from apparently reliable sources. The research required for each candidate and claim is exhausting. The most effective message will be with multi-media symbolism, disrupting the tiring rhythm of charges and counter-charges.
Voters: don’t be seduced by the bold and repetitive lie. Don’t be a cult follower, who assumes every statement of the peerless leader is truth. Check out the seductive claims on Snopes.com or other fact-checkers. And don’t judge leadership by the volume and self-assured tone of the tune. We do not need leaders who can override their opponents with noise, but those who can clear the air of lies and half-truths. We will get the leaders we deserve.
Hitler fooled the Germans once. Shame on him. If demagogues fool us again, shame on us.