Political stereotyping is a parasite on America

Such labeling without explanation can trivialize the suffering of millions of black people under real slavery, just as the loose characterization of political opponents as “Nazis” diminishes the genocidal nature of Nazism. It is slapdash to describe all the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 as white racists rather than a motley crew that included conspiracy fanatics and nationalists, together with many ordinary citizens who were misinformed as to a supposedly stolen election.

On the ultra-Left, although “antifa” may not be a structured movement, the premise for its existence is to combat “fascists” — a flexible epithet that can be used against virtually any political opponent. Communist regimes repeatedly employed the term to justify the extermination of political adversaries. While white supremacists and ethno-nationalists believe that societies should be forcefully separated on the basis of race and ethnicity and minorities excluded or expelled, communists believe “class enemies” and nonconformists must be eliminated or “reeducated” to construct a just society.

The political Right is no less guilty when it uncritically labels its Democratic opponents as radical socialists or communists, regardless of their positions on issues such as free markets, private property, individual liberty, and democratic institutions. Attempts to turn “liberal” into a politically crippling term evidently failed to generate sufficient fear and hostility. Hence, a stronger vocabulary was needed to stoke prejudice, fear, and animosity.

The point here is that political stereotypes promote scapegoating and endanger free speech, dialogue, and social co-existence. They undermine national unity and the pursuit of policies that serve the interests of everyone. They project simplified views of the world that are reproduced and disseminated on social networks. Instead of creating a more informed and intelligent society, one of the byproducts of the internet has been to cultivate ignorance and segregation. Current political discourse is often reduced to slogans and asinine phrases. In the digital age, village gossip and all its conspiracy myths are now global and viral, and the more outrageous the allegation, the more followers one is likely to recruit. Entertainment is easier to digest than knowledge, and shock value can be more appealing than facts.

No one should be surprised that QAnon has gained such popularity. If one can brand a political rival as a communist regardless of their actual political views, why not go one step further and label them a cannibal or satanist? An ultra-leftist version of QAnon would most probably label Republicans as necrophiliacs and slave owners, and a substantial portion of citizens would likely believe it.

Unless deceitful political stereotypes and the destructive behavior that they engender are rejected, dialogue across partisan lines will dissipate, and society will become increasingly ungovernable. It is surely in the interest of both Democrats and Republicans to uphold the existence of a single country in which diverse political positions can be expressed without the threat of censorship, exclusion, and even violence. Verifiable political militants espousing anti-democratic policies are still in the minority. Nonetheless, if they dominate the public narrative because the media and educational system cannot explain the perils of leftist and rightist extremism, then a broader society may be mobilized into outright conflict.

Janusz Bugajski is a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington, D.C. His recent book, “Eurasian Disunion: Russia’s Vulnerable Flanks,“ is co-authored with Margarita Assenova. His upcoming book is titled “Failed State: Planning for Russia’s Rupture.”