The Deadly Power of Ridicule and Inuendo Rampant in the Media War
- © Michele Toomey, PhD • August 11, 2004

We pretend that politics is motivating the war of destructive speech, but I contend that it is a pattern of fear that motivates this abuse of verbal power. We are waging a war of words that mirrors the war of, and on, terrorists. The former war is designed to kill and physically destroy the enemy. The latter is a war that is intended to kill and destroy the credibility of the enemy. Both wars are directed at the enemy, wounding and killing combatants and innocents. Both wars are intended to harm. One is fought with weapons that physically maim and destroy, the other is fought with words used as weapons to psychologically maim and destroy.

Intentional destruction has become a way of life for us in these United States. If it isn't with our enemies abroad it is with our enemies at home. Verbal warfare isn't limited to just the politicians and their handlers, it isn't just the far right and the radical left, and it isn't just the conservative talk show hosts who are maligning those they consider enemies. It is all those who are participating in the media war, consumers and media folk alike. It is the majority of those who are monopolizing the air waves. Even Imus, whom I used to enjoy watching and listening to in the morning, has taken to interspersing his blustering tirades with cutting vicious remarks intended to destroy the target person's credibility. To make matters worse, he and his on camera guys laugh at their own destructively demeaning remarks. Somehow it has become not only acceptable to viciously tear another apart, but it has become humorous as well.

To become an enemy one need only have some media attention and credibility, and have an opinion that is different from the one whose program or column is being watched, listened to or read. Anyone who might influence the direction of the country is fair game, and if their direction is feared, then so are they, and their credibility must be attacked. The name of this game is to destroy their credibility as soon as possible. It is a war that must be won and there can be no prisoners taken.

Personally, I find this war appalling. It frightens me as much as terrorism. Judge Judy has taken to stripping naked those who come to her courtroom, by bullying them into a state of exposed stupidity. Is it any wonder that prisoners in Iraq were bullied, tortured and humiliated? That is just the norm these days. It is becoming the American way.

They talk about a dirty campaign and whether Kerry can win without attacking Bush. We know he can't. They refer to the delegates at the Democratic Convention "Needing some red meat", and not getting excited by any other approach to political rhetoric. The convention was panned as boring because it wasn't more attacking and war like. Again, the American Way, as described in our media, divides everything into undesirably weak and intellectual or desirably strong and drawing blood. For Kerry to win he must prove he can draw blood, thus the emphasis on Vietnam heroism.

In this dawning of the new millennium, we thought computers would be our downfall and we prepared for food and fuel shortages. Computers did not disrupt a single thing. It was all fear and hype. Now we ignore what is not only disrupting our lives, but destroying our way of life, fear and more fear of differing opinions. Fueled by ridicule, lies and vicious demeaning commentaries, this atmosphere of hostility and destuction is dividing us into warring armies that are fighting each other as if our lives depended on it. As a result, our life of free speech and a United States is being threatened. Let us not lose sight of this threat as we focus attention on Homeland security and the threat of terrorists. There is an enemy within that is eroding our basic freedoms and we are not even paying attention to its destructive effects.

Without any faith in our media to provide us with the facts, we are left to search for each other on the internet and try to find the truth amidst the lies. It is not just Michael Moore's job to alert us to this frightening condition. It is ours. We must wake up and speak up, demanding from the media an end to this destructive war of verbal assassination. It is aiding and abetting the real enemy, terrorists, who have a better chance at successfully attacking us when we are busy attacking each other.