Torch, Winter 2012

like “Pitchfork” Ben Tillman, Eugene Talmadge, and George Wallace, used racial rhetoric to both stir up animosity toward African-Americans and to consolidate their own power in their respective states (South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama). Demagoguery transcends race, though, and with clever tongues, American leaders often arouse disdain for the rich, conservatives, liberals, welfare recipients, and even Christians. In essence, demagoguery seeks to turn a majority against a minority, and the more mysterious or unknown the minority, the more nefarious they become. It is a politicization of our fear of, or hatred for, “the other.” Recently, our demagoguery has revolved more around economics. During our recent debt ceiling crisis, President Obama used a rare press conference to argue that the difference between his plan and the Republican plan was really a choice between funding programs for children or for tax breaks for corporate jet owners. Republicans are also not immune to economic demagoguery. During the GOP nomination battle, Governor Rick Perry (Texas) and former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Georgia) assailed Mitt Romney’s (Massachusetts) past as a venture capitalist calling him a “vulture capitalist” to arouse resentment and hatred of Romney’s business success. This is not serious policy making, but it is instead class-based, economic demagoguery, which uses our fears and animosities for political gain. Sacrifice for Safety While demagogues rely on prejudice and ignorance to gain power, other political leaders create anxiety within the population by envisioning a bleak future, one where chaos reigns or where physical harm is around every conceivable corner. This approach plays upon our fear of an uncertain future, one that might threaten our financial security or our physical safety. Since 9/11, our government, led by both political parties, has used our fears for our personal safety to restrict our rights and liberties. Previously unheard of invasions of personal privacy are now routinely justified simply to protect us from terrorists. While we have all heard stories of grandmothers being humiliated during preflight security checks, we have also gladly cooperated as uniformed agents X-ray us and pat us down. We have learned to passively watch as complete strangers rifle through our most personal belongings, even after they have been run through sophisticated detection equipment. Due to national security concerns, government routinely surveils us and our vehicles, monitors our cellphones, and searches and seizes our electronic communication without probable cause. Our fear for our own safety has forced us to humbly sit by as government’s reach into our lives continues to lengthen and strengthen. The general response I hear, when raising these issues with students and others, is, “Well, if you aren’t breaking the law, you don’t have anything to worry about.” We are, indeed, a bit different from Patrick Henry, who, when confronted with an invasion of his economic liberties (“no taxation without representation”), bellowed, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” Our generation’s glib response to governmental encroachments 10 TORCH | Winter 2012 ALASHI | ISTOCKPHOTO AND CHAD JACKSON | CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY