Seth’s Blog: Intolerance and xenophobia as a (short-term) marketing strategy
A very short but insightful piece by Seth Godin. It seems he’s basically described the modern GOP.
Possibly the oldest human worldview is fear of strangers. And right next to that is anger as a byproduct of fear.
If a candidate wants to gain attention and possibly votes, then, it makes short-term sense to stir up fear of strangers and turn it into anger. It might even work (once). But it makes it virtually impossible to govern. It’s a short-term strategy that eats itself, because sooner or later, everyone is a stranger, and fear is no foundation for work that matters.
It seems as though we’re entering a season in which it’s easy to ostracize or become righteously indignant over someone’s national origin, skin color, religion or sexual orientation.
If this is the best a politician can do to organize and lead, then we all lose.