Understanding the dark side of foreign relations requires the ability to recognize when the principle of "Political Satanism" is being applied. This principle underlay the relationship between enemies since the time when the first primitive social groups were formed. The "In Group" requires an "Out Group" for its very existence-- for its own definition. Differences between the groups are emphasized and each group recognizes its own members because they are "unlike" the members of the other group. This principle is the active basis behind prejudice, which can culminate in war.
Leaders of countries or of regional political groups always employ Political Satanism to some degree. A country is strengthened internally when confronted by an enemy-- any enemy, be he real or imagined. Leaders expand their powers and become national heroes by confronting this enemy.
Fictions, or at least exaggerations about the enemy, soon become incorporated into the social culture. We say citizens are "prejudiced" when they behave toward the Out Group members as if these fictions about them were true. The politicians, abetted by the journalists, exaggerate the virtues of their own people and demonize the enemy. It is great politics. Look at how the weak support for President Bush at the polls skyrocketed after he declared the "War on Terrorism."
The saying "Power corrupts." is an acknowledgement that he, who has power, will do anything necessary to rally internal support, and at the same time crush the enemy. This is only another way of viewing the Satanist Principle. The patriotic slogans-- Rally 'round the flag, boys!" and "United we stand, divided we fall." become the clichés of those playing the game of Political Satanism.
We older citizens have seen the "enemy" come and go. Germans and Japanese were the Out Groups for several decades. Then, the USSR became the enemy. Now we are trying to put aside the prejudices of those earlier years and accept our former enemies as friends. Our political leadership must create a new Boogey Man when yesterday's enemy is no longer seen as a threat. The application of Political Satanism requires a new enemy when you make friends with the old. Our national leadership has cast around a bit and fought a few skirmishes with weak nations (Panama, Grenada) but the former President Bush finally decided to make Iraq the major Satan.
The newspapers unwittingly become the tool of the national leadership. They adopt a rather uniform, accusatory view of the enemy, as a way of bolstering support for their country. Why do the journalists fall in with the party line so readily? Are they bought off? No, not in the usual sense. But they are professionals, who earn their living by producing material that the public will consume eagerly.
It is not good business to question the actions of your own government. Citizens identify with their own country and don't like to be told that their leadership is wrong. There is no end to potential source material about the enemy and the public eagerly gobbles up sensational stories about them. One can take the simplest piece of everyday factual information and present it in an accusatory manner to create an exciting story. Most readers are uncritical and require few facts. They depend upon journalists to tell them what to think.
People are always happy to have a chance to pat themselves on the back, especially, if they can point a finger at others at the same time. Political Satanism helps the politicians strengthen their country. It encourages the journalists to continue to grind out articles that boost the general morale by making the readers feel good about their country's superiority. It is easy to see that the down side to all this is WAR. Of course, a moralistic public won't support even a "cold war" unless the enemy is satanized.
The political process begins by vilifying the leader of the enemy. He is represented as a villain, a fool, or even a mad man. Justifications for his actions always are ignored. Those of us, who lived through much of the 20th century saw these unflattering portrayals of Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini and later, Stalin. More recently, lesser leaders have been vilified-- Castro, Lumumba, Allende, Noriega, Qadafi, Nasser, Mosadegh, Khomeini, and last but not least-- Saddam Hussein. Isn't it hard to believe that all these leaders were "crazy?" Yet, the uncritical public believes what they were told, and still does.
Now, the two Presidents Bush have marked Iraq as a major enemy. "Yeah-sayers" and puppet governments have rallied around the American leadership and there has been an unrelenting attack on everything Iraqi. Unfair accusations against Iraq are either suppositional or are a slanted view of matters common to all other nations but singled out to be viewed negatively.
The phrase "Weapons of Mass Destruction" calls down an indictment against Iraq. What country doesn't want to own at least some offensive weapons so terrible that its enemies will be dissuaded from attack? Iraq has been largely sanitized by nine years of war with Iran, and latter, by the United States. Continual harassments by the United States through inspections and sanctions have kept Iraq helpless even against its enemies.
The possibility that a country will use weapons of mass destruction in the future can be made against almost any other country with better justification. Even President Bush has acknowledged that he might be forced to order the limited use of nuclear weapons. Does the press harp on the weapons of mass destruction that Israel possesses? If China or Pakistan becomes targeted as the "New Enemy" then the press will come forth with a deluge of articles discussing the offensive capabilities of the unfriendly nation. Their leader suddenly will become a mad man and the world will be in immediate danger! Fearful citizens do bad things.
President Bush, senior decided upon Iraq as a target of hostility-- the new Out Group. When he did that he placed, not only the United States, but also the world in jeopardy because he struck at part of the Nation of Islam. The rest of the billion Muslims in the world will not ignore this destruction of one of their nations. The Satanist Principle carried out by the Bushes has led the United States, if not the world, to the brink of disaster. Reckless application of the Satanist Principle by a demagogue ultimately destroys the nation he should be strengthening.
It is basically immoral for political leaders to seek to make enemies around the world, instead of friends. Bad actions often lead to bad consequences. Over-eager application of Political Satanism results in the leader's country making war on the enemy. War always brings destruction but in these days of nuclear weapons, it may lead to annihilation of millions of people.
The chosen enemy may be weak and unable to retaliate strongly against military attack, as with Afghanistan. Hopefully, the enemy will not be strong enough to kill too many of your own people while you are annihilating his troops. Patriotism does not permit acknowledging that the death of the enemy is as important as the death of one's own people, but humanism and religion does. The strong leader frequently gets carried along in the game to the point where he sanctions the destruction of the enemy nation, its military, infrastructure, and people. Then, unless there is total genocide, invaluable world resources will have to be spent to rebuild that country.
War testifies to the evils of depending excessively upon Political Satanism. However, the collateral damage inherent in the squabbling before the full outbreak of hostilities is much less obvious. The political and social environments of both parties to the conflict change for the worse. Embargoes lead to shortages in food and medicine. Old people and infants are the first casualties of international sanctions.
Individual freedoms are sacrificed to strengthen the government. Even constructive criticism of the government becomes treason in time of war. Limitations on individual freedoms are proportional to the weakness of the government. Americans can permit its citizens to express dissenting views about the conflict with Iraq because American militarily is strong. But Iraq is so weak that any whisper of dissent by its citizens threatens the nation's very survival.
When the larger nation keeps up a strong diplomatic offensive and trade embargos along with the threat of military action, an undesired backlash occurs. The larger nation usually accuses the enemy leader of restricting the individual liberties of his people and preventing them from manifesting their wishes in the electoral process. Their evil leader is a "Dictator" and the people are "Enslaved."
The process is self-fulfilling. The more the outside pressure, the less individual freedom can be tolerated within the embattled smaller nation. The leadership in the smaller enemy nation is actually strengthened by these outside pressures and its regime is driven to totalitarianism so that the nation will be able to survive these threats. These consequences are the exact opposite of those presumably desired by the larger nation. This pressure from outside leads to more and more restrictions on the citizens and can ultimately lead to a revolt of the people but only after years of suffering under a repressive regime.
The people to be rescued from oppression will have been morally destroyed by the time the leadership changes. They will have learned to lie and steal in order to obtain the necessities of life. Religion and morality will have become luxuries that none can afford when struggling to stay alive. The educated and upper class citizens will have deserted their country and only the poor will remain.
Informers and collaborators with the enemy are created out of the need to survive in the embattled country. People who would normally be proud of their country are taught that their treason is good and patriotism is bad. The secret police expand and the paid informers are everywhere. Brother turns against brother. Families are split asunder and Refugees are created.
While religious and ethnic minority groups within the country may never have been integrated completely, they now find themselves total outsiders. They seriously threaten the law and order that the regime is trying to maintain. They desperately seek support from any source and become seduced into betraying the country of their birth. Their country's enemies become their friends. Citizens, who support their mother country, become their enemies. It is little wonder that, in their confusion, minorities become "the enemy within" and subject to persecution by the state. No people escape unscathed by this destructive process. Meager human resources will be left, with which, to rebuild a weakened nation.
In closing, listen to the words attributed to an expert politician-- Julius Caesar
"Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind is closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done."