In the last several years we have heard and read the phrase “war on” so much it has become part of the political lexicon.
Google it and see for yourself, there was the war on the poor, the war on the middle class and my favorite, the war on women. Talk about fixing Social Security and you have launched a war on seniors. Recently we have been told there is a war on black men.
Generally speaking the words ‘war on” are associated with the word Republican and uttered by a Democrat or their liberal supporters. It appears any disagreement with the left, any questioning of a course of action or expansion gets you accused of waging war against someone or some group.
Do we see a pattern here? 😱 Hey, “war on” plays well. It’s scary, it gets your attention and certainly a war on anyone is a bad thing, right? I don’t think contraceptives (or other health care services) should be “free” so I guess I am a soldier in that war on women and the sick.
Using the phrase “war on” shuts down thinking and discussion, it divides and it simplifies complex issues. It creates the mindset among uninformed people that anyone who wages a war must be on the wrong side.
There is a pattern here, it’s called divide and conquer. So, if you think someone who doesn’t agree with you, who sees a problem differently, who seeks a different solution to a problem or who thinks money should be spent differently is waging a war on this group or that, you have been duped. You are the victim of political rhetoric. You have successfully been manipulated.
Oh yes, there is another “war on” coming from the left. As we get closer to the November election there will be a resurrected war on the wealthy, big business, the banks, CEOs and Wall Street all designed to play on populist themes and further divide the Country. You are a victim after all, you are entitled, your economic status is all the result of inequality and the success of someone else. Sadly, many Americans will buy into these messages because blaming someone else is always the easiest road to take.
If you believe that dividing our Country, that turning people against one another with populist rhetoric pushing a Robin Hood like agenda is a good thing, just look around the world. And remember, there is always someone who has less than you do and wants more too.
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