The Psychological Aspect of the Success of Right-Wing Populism

Rabkor 12 July 2024

The success of right-wing parties in the European Parliament elections and Trump's possible victory in the United States have sparked heated discussions in the left.

What is the reason for the success of the far right? How do they manage to attract the lower classes of the working class? There is a simple answer to these questions – they cleverly deceive their voters. Right-wing politicians use social rhetoric to attract the masses. But their economic program is built in the interests of big capital, which will inevitably hit the stupefied masses if the right comes to power. So, should we wait until the masses become disillusioned with the failed policies of the right and start voting for socialists again? The experience of the 1930s showed that this is a bad idea. The far right may not give up power. We need to fight the threat of fascism now. And one of the components of this fight is understanding the mechanisms of the success of the far right’s propaganda. One of these mechanisms lies in the field of psychology and cultural norms.

MENTAL SPECIALIZATION
With the division of labor and the emergence of class society, not only did wealth and power polarize. Along with them, mental functions were divided, especially their public display. The ruling class was obliged to demonstrate aggression and courage. The oppressed had to demonstrate hard work and submission.

"Psychic specialization" is still with us. A class society of narrow specialists needs cogs with narrow psychic functions to support the pyramid of power as effectively as possible.

For the masses, hard work and obedience are still considered virtues, and expression of anger is prohibited. This prohibition is both legislative and cultural. If you shout in the street, you will be charged with petty hooliganism, and if you are not charged, society will condemn you: "a girl should not behave like that", "a man should control himself", etc.

Psychological oppression is one of the dark sides of class society, all its layers suffer from it. But it affects the masses of working people the most. Being in a dependent and subordinate position, people are forced to endure economic, political, social, gender oppression and, as a rule, cannot give an adequate response.

In such a situation, there are two standard exits. The "sheep" must either run towards the feeling of their helplessness and enter the pen of depression, or they must direct their anger at those who are weaker and more dependent: women, children, migrants, gays, etc.

This is how the capitalist system reproduces itself. The social lower classes remain submissive, the pyramid of oppression ends in violence against children, abuse of animals and suicide.

THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS OF RIGHT-WING PROPAGANDA
When a frustrated man in the street wants to express his anger and dissatisfaction with life, the right offers him a convenient object for release - internal or external enemies, safe enough to express hatred towards them. The right incites hatred towards vulnerable groups, points to them as the culprits of misfortunes and gives the man in the street the opportunity to join the fight against the "enemy", which is safe for him.

This is a simple scheme. And it works.

Are you unhappy with your life? Are you seething with anger? Do you want to yell at your wife... This, of course, also helps and corresponds to traditional values, but it is better to catch an illegal immigrant in a company of patriots like you. Or write calls for reprisals against the country's external enemies on the Internet. This is a way to get emotional release.

Discharged the charge of anger! And it became easier for a while. But, after, a feeling of guilt may come... Here, right-wing propaganda will come to the rescue, which will reinforce the action with convictions in the justice of violence against strangers. Thus, a holistic complex of thoughts-feelings-actions is formed, reinforcing each other. You feel anger - you pour it out on the "enemies" - you are convinced that the "enemies" hate you in return - you feel fear, which turns into anger. The cycle repeats, in it the personal traits characteristic of the "authoritarian personality" are formed and reinforced. An identity corresponding to the behavior is formed.

SCHEME VULNERABILITY
But there is a big flaw in this scheme. When anger is expressed not at the right object, and not for the reason for which it arose, it does not lead to complete emotional release and calming of the psyche. So, if a person was yelled at by a boss, and then he snapped at his wife, it becomes easier, but not completely. The situation of humiliation and helplessness in front of the boss remains relevant and continues to generate pain and anger. It can be resolved in a conflict with the boss, and not with the wife. But the very idea of ​​​​resolving the conflict can be blocked by fear of management.

So, all that remains is to take it out on the weakest. And right-wing propaganda provides emotionally convincing images of enemies that can be fought safely. Then, the conditional migrants receive all the accumulated pain and anger. Not only for the examples of unsightly behavior of their representatives, but also for high housing and utilities prices, the tyranny of bosses, work without vacations and the lack of life prospects.

This effect is the key to the cruelty of ethnic pogroms: when pogromists pour out their anger that has been building up for years, they feel relief and joy. People regain their emotional subjectivity, the feeling that they have power, that they are not helpless. They can take revenge!

But since the main sources of fear, pain and anger are not in the interethnic sphere, after a short-term release the tension returns, and the person again looks for an opportunity to splash out his rage. This is how the funnel of hatred spins. It deforms the personality, leads to physical and psychological exhaustion.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FAILURE OF LEFT-LIBERAL DISCOURSE
Far-right propaganda offers the masses convenient objects for the safe expression of pent-up anger. In essence, it is a form of consolation for the depressed individual. The right offers the tormented a pill, a temporary painkiller, or even a “drug” of legal anger.

What do the leftists say to this proposal? "Let's live in peace?" "Don't be angry at the migrants, they are not to blame?" People already know that they are forbidden to be angry. Capitalism teaches "to be good and keep quiet." And here the socialists add their voice to the system of psychological suppression of capital.

The right offers relief, the left offers patience.

THE FORMULA FOR VICTORY OF THE LEFT
For the left to win, it is impossible to follow the liberals with their calls for "universal peace" and it is impossible to integrate into the right-wing agenda with its manipulations. It is necessary to use the power of anger and direct it at the true causes of the suffering of workers. In practice, Mélenchon and his "France Unbowed" are trying to implement such a strategy.

Here anger has a positive function of resolving conflict and achieving change. And here anger gets a real release. But for release, victory is needed. If there is no victory, then the situation of defeat throws people into a feeling of helplessness and depression.

This is the difficulty of the left's path - desperate resistance from the ruling class.

Therefore, in conditions when the ruling class prohibits and represses the expression of anger towards itself, organized resistance is suppressed and anger is expressed in outbursts. People are ready for these outbursts only in extreme cases, when they feel that they have nothing more to lose.

There is no way for the left to calmly ride on the energy of anger. We need structures and mechanisms that will be able to bypass or overcome the resistance of the ruling elites.

The most promising way is to direct anger at the true causes through the organization of a systemic struggle, through public, political and trade union organizations, in which not only will emotions be expressed, but also education and training. And which will fight for real results - so that violence in all its forms becomes less. So that workers from a class in themselves can become a class for themselves.

It is necessary to combine the impulses of a hot heart with the power of a cold mind. The mind creates mechanisms for transforming the world, feelings set these mechanisms in motion. And then leftist politics will bear its good fruits.

Let us wish our French comrades success on this path.
rabkor.ru/columns/editorial-columns/2024/07/07/the-psychological-aspect-of-the-success-of-right-wing-populism

Back


Links Search