Watching for Red Flags

I think most of us are trying desperately to sort out all that we have seen and heard about the January 6, 2021 riot at our nation's Capitol building. I'm getting past the shock and the feeling that this couldn't have happened in our country, to a sad acceptance that it really did.  Deep down though, I sense that it should never have happened and that something is seriously wrong. 

This is why that today I'm looking for "Red Flags". Were there warning signs that I should have seen, but I didn't? One of the biggest "red flags" that I know about is propaganda. This a when someone tries to get and keep people just reacting emotionally. The goal is to keep the people from  logically questioning what he is saying, so he can manipulate them into doing what he wants. I think of it like us standing in an ocean of emotion. We are ok though because we have our feet firmly planted on the bottom, but if someone comes by who convinces us to lift up our feet and just float, we lose control of our own lives. This other person can now, with a only a slight effort, push us around in this sea of emotion and easily lead us to places we never wanted to go. In recent times, this has happened to the people of Germany, Italy and Russia. Could this be happening here?

We need to remember that propaganda is not just some "evil dictator" in some past time, but any time someone uses our emotions to keep us from questioning what he is doing and where he is leading us. Often the people who are trying to manipulate us into doing what they want are exceptionally charming. Think of the salesman who got you to buy the more expensive model that you had already decided you couldn't afford. I think of one of the most beloved "con man", the "spell binding" Professor Harold Hill from the musical, "Music Man". 

Creating Fear - As soon as Harold came to town he looked for  something that he could use to stir up fear in the people he wanted to "con". Harold decided that he could use the new pool hall to create fear in the people about the moral safety of their children. He told them that they were in big "trouble".

• It is sad to see our nation engulfed in fear. This land which has engraved on the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" has, under the direction of our President, built a wall between us and Mexico, and set major limitations on legal immigration and on providing asylum for many fleeing persecution.
• I've been so happy to see the world of prejudice I knew as a child in the 1960's ended, or so I thought. Now, I see an America where prejudice has once again been flamed toward Black, Jew, Muslim, Latino, and any "foreign" person. This is an Appeal to Prejudice which is based on fear.
• Trump, a very charismatic person, proclaimed that "democracy has failed" causing fear in those who listen to him.
• People view those of another political party as the "enemy" and fear that "our country will be destroyed" if they are elected.
• Trump tells us that "freedom will be taken from us", and "socialism will deprive us of our rights" if the Democratic party is in office. 
• Trump has definitely been encouraging fear. He has used name calling and Labeling ("all Congress is evil") (any news which questions his actions is "lying"), (an election which doesn't elect him is "dishonest") and  stereotyping (all Latino's or Black etc. are like this) (Latinos are responsible for crime - his reason for the wall). 

I believe that the Capitol riot shows Trump's bullying at a dangerous level. He was trying to force the Congress to "steal" the election and give it to him. He even had his son threaten those who opposed him. Bullying, and promising to punish those who oppose him.

Stepping up as "The Savior", "The Champion", who will solve the problem - Harold Hill then offers himself as the person who can make everything "right again". 

• Trump has offered himself as the person who can "Make America great again!". He promised "safety, prosperity, and peace". Glittering Generalities sound wonderful, but they don't say how it will be done.

Offering a Solution he cannot deliver - Hill is a "con man" who promises the town members a "Boys Band", even though he can't read music and has no knowledge of how to play any instrument. He is a "friend" to everyone and even helps fold laundry to "win" people over.

• Trump also offered love and support to his followers whom he applauded as "true patriots" (those who had been vandalizing the Capitol building for three hours) telling them that "he understood their pain". This is a support that only lasts as long as you do exactly as he wants you to do.
• Trump, who had never before held any public service office, has promised to "restore America to greatness". After four years in office, he hasn't done it. In actually, with over 376,000 who have died from a pandemic, a failing economy, millions unemployed, and personally facing legal charges, is this a reasonable promise? Personally, I believe that the American people have been, and will always be, great as long as they choose the good.
• Trump, in an effort to save us from the fear he created, claimed that a wall between us and Mexico would cut down on crime. He also promised that Mexico would be paying for the wall he had built between our countries. He could not force Mexico to pay for this wall and instead we, the taxpayers of America paid for the wall. 15 million dollars was taken from the Department of Homeland Security, the Defence and the Treasury Departments for funding for this wall. 

Misrepresentation - Hill presented himself as a professor even citing the musical college where he graduated. 

• Trump is well known for presenting as "facts" things which are merely life as he wants it to be. 
• Trump, born a multi-millionaire, portrays himself as an one of the "regular people" and criticizes those who are well educated and wealthy.  Claims he is a Common Man or Plain Folks, Labeling, Creating Fear
• Trump used repetition to establish the "truth" of what he says. Often no details (even false ones) are given to back up his claims. Much of the time, Trump presents "facts" which have no basis and are just his wishes. This is a propaganda technique call Ad nauseam or repeating things over and over until you are sick of hearing it.
• These "facts" are repeated over and over again for months. After a while, people believe what he says even though there isn't any evidence. They believe merely because they have heard it for so long that it "must" be true. Called repeating something Ad nauseam. His slogans such as "Save the Steal" are all examples of the Ad nauseam propaganda technique.
• I am the President, so I know "the truth", and what I say is "right" is an Appeal to Authority. In his case, he is his own authority.
• Trump uses words which create such strong feelings within us that we do not question what is said. This is called Transfer or Loaded Words.  An example is when Trump says that "they are stealing the election from us" and "Twitter is stealing our freedom of speech". Words like "steal", and "freedom of speech" create such strong emotions within us that we don't closely look at what is really going on. Trump Tweets and talks are full of "loaded" words meant to fan an emotional instead of a logical response. The goal of this approach is to make people so emotional that they don't think.

Preventing Opposition - Hill kept the piano teacher, who was also the  librarian, diverted so that he could continue collecting money from the people. He distracted the school board from getting his credentials over and over by starting them singing.

• Trump has discredited everyone except himself and his "yes men" whom he keeps replacing every time they disagree with him. 
• He has told his followers not to listen to news reports, declaring that they are just presenting "fake news" and "lies", and that they are the "enemy of the people". Name Calling, False Accusations
• Judges are "corrupt". Name Calling, False Accusations
• Congressmen who do not follow him are "evil". Name Calling, False Accusations, Demonizing
• Local government leaders such as Governors are "corrupt" if they don't do as he orders. Name Calling, False Accusations
• Biden is a "socialist" and is "senile". Attacking your opponent, not the issues
• Federal leaders, such as the members of Congress who will not do as Trump demands, are "corrupt" and "evil". Name Calling, False Accusations, Demonizing
• Voting by mail is a "fraudulent" practice. Name Calling, False Accusations
• Pelosi leads a "Satanic Cult". Name Calling, False Accusations, Demonizing
• Pence "lacks courage" and "is a traitor" - Name Calling, False Accusations
• We are a "Rino" if we don't support Trump. Name Calling, Bandwagon
• All "true" Republicans support Trump. Telling us to join the group or jump on the  Bandwagon.
• Global warming  is a Hoax - Name Calling, False Accusations
• Covid  is a "Hoax to steal freedom"- Name Calling, False Accusations
• Our government leaders are "Stealing our freedoms" - Name Calling, False Accusations, Creating Fear

Enabling Assistants 

• Hill meets an old friend in the town he plans on exploiting. He uses this "loyal" person to supply him with the information he needs to create fear in the people, to support his lies, and even to try and help him escape when it is discovered that Hill is trying to steal the people's money.
• Trump used "true" Republican leaders to help spread his misinformation, to provide him with information, threaten others, and help him escape from being held accountable.

Avoiding Responsibility - Hill always ran out of town before the people could realize that he was a liar and a cheat.

• Trump carefully planted a Conspiracy Theory stating that he had "evidence" to "prove" that he had really "won by a landslide". He "didn't lose". He is "a victim" of "evil conspiring" government officials, the Democratic Party, the Electoral College, "disloyal" Republican party members, 86 court judges, several his own appointees (all "corrupt"), and an army of "corrupt" election officials across the nation. All this to avoid having to accept that he fairly lost an election and to try to flame his supporters into "stealing" the election for him.
• Trump was recorded in an hour long interview with Brad Raffensperger the Secretary of State of Georgia during which he tried to pressure the Secretary of State of Georgia into "finding" him enough votes to overturn the results from his state. 
• Trump only replied that Raffensperger did not respond to his questions of fraudulent voting. Diverting Blame
• Trump was questioned why he as President did not have adequate security for his "rally" where five people lost their lives. Why he did not take action to disband his group when they were beating police officers and when they broke into the Capitol building. Why did he wait three hours before he told these rioters to "go home"?
• His reply - Trump tweeted: "These are the things and events that happen" when "evil" people do not  give me my "deserved" election. He claimed that he " didn't do anything wrong", then diverted his followers attention to how "bad" Twitter is, for they are depriving "US" of "our right to free speech" (which he was using to create a coup of the government). Diverting Blame, Name Calling, Loaded Words, False Accusations, Demonizing

It is time for Americans to realize that we have been lied to. It is time to notice the "red flags" and be led by principles instead of emotions. Though it is painful, we need to accept that our President is trying to use propaganda techniques to manipulate us. It is time for us to get our feet back on the ground. It is time for us to ask questions and demand answers.