The Victim Mentality And Learned Helplessness

Politicians have learned that it is easy for them and highly effective to portray policy positions in ways that make you feel victimized by someone. You blame that someone. You catastrophize the situation. You demonize the supposed villain. You look to the politician and political party for salvation. You attack the opposition. Our political process is polarized. We lose civility. The cycle repeats.

You can choose to reject the victim framework used by many politicians. Few political issues are simply black and white with clear villains and heroes. Most ongoing political issues remain because well-meaning people hold conflicting or non-aligned views. Politicians promote the victim framework and extreme positions because they are easy to communicate, they trigger emotions, and they can be linked to form a simple political platform. Red or blue. Liberal or conservative. Republican or Democrat.

An increasing number of Americans identify as “independents”, not strongly aligned with either party. You probably have strong opinions on some issues and weaker ones on others. You probably hold some combination of liberal, conservative and moderate views on various issues. Many politicians and political parties invest in creating “victim” language for policy areas. Once you become aware of these tricks, you can better choose your own policy views, avoid the victim game and hold politicians accountable for doing their jobs: representing all of their constituents and solving problems.

1. Populists in both parties claim that the US economy is controlled by bankers, large corporations and Wall Street. Democrats used to monopolize this view, but the rise of the Tea Party made it a Republican favorite too. There is no denying that powerful economic firms try to use their power to extract returns from customers, suppliers, employees, the government and politicians. Don’t be a victim. Economic competitors, customers, suppliers, unions, regulators, courts, financial market and politicians have countervailing powers. Be a wise consumer. Buy local. Support reasonable regulations and anti-trust results. Promote competition. Hold politicians accountable for taking practical steps to maintain a reasonable balance in this area. Consider more than just simplistic “free market” or government owned firms approaches.
2. Politicians claim that taxpayers are overburdened by wasteful government spending. All firms are imperfect. Modern firms have invested in process engineering, automation and planning systems to reduce waste of all kinds. Governments are not subject to the pressure of competitive markets to reduce waste. The best firms have to decide how much to invest in removing waste each year. Firms outsource functions. These projects are not free. They don’t always work. Don’t buy into the view that “government waste” is a large percentage of spending. Don’t believe that it can be removed simply, without investments, projects and collateral costs. Every government program has someone that supports it because they benefit. Urge politicians to take bipartisan steps to make governments more effective. Independent financial agencies. Sunset laws. Cost reduction targets. Improvement commissions. Simplification laws. Competitive outsourcing.
3. Politicians claim that “foreign competition” is unfair. Other countries abuse their labor forces, abuse their environments, steal technology, extract skills and money from firms, negotiate better deals, use non-tariff tools to cheat, etc. This is an area that was mostly argued by the Democratic party until the last decade or so. The post WWII progress on reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers was mostly achieved at the global level with strong bipartisan US support. The US did not optimize its country-to-country results because it rightly saw that it could get better overall results through global negotiations. This “free trade” approach was used to rebuild Europe and integrate the US and global economies, to reduce the risk of war and allow the US to project its hard and soft power more cheaply and effectively than by using the discredited colonial/imperial approach. Global progress remains possible if the US, EU and China choose to make it happen. When this is not politically feasible, the second-best approach is to reduce trade barriers within larger blocks of countries. The US can choose to invest more resources in negotiating better trade deals. They are not simple. The US is not a powerful enough force on the global economic stage to simply enforce its will. None of us should see the US as a victim of foreign competition. The US has thrived in a 75-year period of freer trade. In a world of services, the US is well positioned to benefit from further investments in free trade.
4. Politicians highlight the threats of communist or socialist states or policies. They contrast them with the American way of capitalism, democracy and personal liberty. They emphasize that any moves in this direction are one-way streets to permanent and total loss of liberty. The threat of a totalitarian state is real. Politicians improperly comingle totalitarianism and socialism/communism. No American is supporting communism. Very few support true utopian socialism. The US political system of “checks and balances” is designed to prevent a slide into dictatorship. Russia no longer seeks to export Marxism. China appears to believe in “socialism with Chinese characteristics”, but shows no interest in promoting this system in the West.
5. Politicians and conspiracy theorists have long described a global cabal of bankers and secret societies managing the world. The Catholic church, Jews, Arabs, Muslims, bankers, traders, Masons, Jesuits, universities, defense contractors and others have been implicated at various times. This view has been promoted by politicians on both sides from time to time. There are individuals, groups and organizations with significant global economic, social, political, legal, military and religious influence. The 5-fold growth in the scale of the global economy and the change in leading nation states and alliances since WWII make these conspiracy claims even more unlikely than they were in the world war times.
6. Politicians also play on fears of insiders and traitors undermining nation states. Hitler used this to discredit the German leaders after WW I. Senator Joe McCarthy used these kinds of baseless claims to attack President Eisenhower, the State Department and both political parties. Modern politicians who favor more assertive foreign and military policies often criticize their more moderate opponents as doves or pacifists who are insufficiently committed to the nation state and unwittingly supporting the nation’s opponents. The US has strong bipartisan military, intelligence, university and foreign service institutions. They have served the country very well for more than 2 centuries.
7. Politicians contrast national patriotism with the alleged evil intentions of global institutions such as the United Nations. These “globalist” organizations are seen promoting the goals of other states, developing countries, communist countries, non-Western countries, utopian socialists, greens, global elites and bureaucrats. They are also said to infringe on the inalienable rights of the USA and its citizens. Global institutions and agreements do limit the options for America. Historically the US has used these organizations to promote its interests cost effectively, reducing the risk to the US of wars, disease and trade wars. As with many of these “victim” areas, the politicians take a valid concern and turn it into an existential threat wielded by enemies. The US, as the leading global power, is well-positioned to use these tools to its benefit and to not use them if and when they turn out to not be in our interest.
8. Politicians claim that “others”, foreign nations, nationals and immigrants are threats to the US. They don’t think, look, act, feel, believe, eat, sing or speak like us. They are to be feared. Nationality, race, religion and culture are all used to define threatening groups. The US has been the leading nation of the world in welcoming and assimilating a wide variety of groups for almost 3 centuries. The country has generally opened its shores to immigrants and restricted entry at other times. Xenophobia seems to be a natural human condition as it is seen in all countries and times. Experts have documented that immigrant groups have a net positive impact on the US. These groups contain a wide variety of individuals who show the same range of social and anti-social behaviors as any other group. Restricting access to the US and “protecting our borders” are valid political topics. Demonizing “others” is an evil tool used by self-interested politicians.
9. Politicians of both parties offer up “the deep state” as another group of traitorous individuals to be feared. They allege that small groups of career bureaucrats in key agencies such as defense, intelligence, foreign service, FBI, justice and treasury control the information, models, scenarios, options and implementation of public policy. They are alleged to be self-interested and aligned with dark forces of the left, the right, banking, corporations, commissions, churches, etc. There are career employees in key positions in the federal government, universities, churches, media and not for profits who do wield significant formal power and influence over policymaking, politicians and communications. The US federal government allows presidents and political parties to fill the top roles in all government agencies. We have alternated ruling political parties for 75 years. We maintain freedom of speech, religion and assembly.
10. Politicians allege that “unelected federal bureaucrats and judges” improperly enforce national laws, policies and regulations that should be left to the states. This has mostly been a Republican claim since the enforcement of civil rights after WWII. Some Democratic states are now finding that federal laws and regulations can restrict their options as well. The US has a federal system where state and national rights and responsibilities are divided, contested and adjudicated by the courts. This is an unavoidable conflict, not a usurpation of power.
11. Politicians take the libertarian view that nearly all government actions are improper. Only a bare minimum of police, property, contract and defense roles are properly held by the state (at any level). In the “tug of war” between laissez faire, free market capitalism and restrictions and regulations, the government is portrayed as fundamentally illegitimate whenever it acts outside the libertarian approved kernel of necessary functions. These actions are said to be improper because they infringe on individual liberty which cannot be given up to the government. Hence, government, politicians, bureaucrats, judges, programs, laws, rules and regulations are bad, evil and self-serving. The US government is at the individual, liberty protecting, capitalism supporting end of the spectrum among developed, Western nations. It has grown in the last 75 years as a share of the economy but not significantly. This fundamental dimension of politics is one where well-meaning people take opposing or differing views.
12. Politicians portray their opponents as extremists, far-left, far-right, Pinkos, nut jobs, wing nuts, socialists, anarchists, liberals, reactionaries, communists, fascists, doves, racists, globalists, isolationists … This straw-man approach is used to paint them as the opposite, to avoid finding common ground, to simplify, to fear, to build emotion, to catastrophize, to demonize, to disregard, to vilify … This is a highly effective technique. Modern individuals have disagreed about politics, religion, capitalism, philosophy and other nations at all times. We hold different political and moral views. The progress of Western civilization has come from finding ways to set aside these differences in law, commerce, political structures, contracts, science and common understanding. Stand up to the political communicators. Support your political beliefs and agents. Avoid needless, senseless, harmful polarization.
13. Politicians of both parties routinely campaign against “Washington”. The government, departments, bureaucrats, judges, institutions, lobbyists, lawyers, contractors, advisors, consultants and politicians are all tainted as part of “the system”. Washington allegedly works against the interests of the common man, the Real America, the moral majority, the people. Every nation requires a political system. Ours could certainly be more effective, less wasteful, more responsive and wiser. Running against Washington accomplishes nothing. It is an effective political tool only because we allow it to be and do not hold individual politicians accountable for their actions in making real improvements and establishing structures that hold governments and politician more accountable.
14. Politicians craft the image of welfare cheats, frauds and queens to reduce or eliminate social safety net programs. They play on our desire for fairness and proportionality and our hatred of waste. They focus on “others”, who are not like us, who are unworthy of support and who don’t even comply with our laws. We are distracted from objectively crafting more effective programs or debating levels of support. We should simply eliminate all such spending! This is another straw-man technique, creating an image so extreme that it must be opposed by any reasonable person. Welfare fraud can be controlled to any desired degree by investing in preventive, detective and corrective processes. All organizations face risks from fraud and theft. Governments are no different. Given that governments spend taxpayer dollars on programs that are not supported by everyone, the level of controls should be high, world class, best practices.
15. Politicians accuse their opponents of voting fraud. This happens through voting registration rules, voting processes, voting regulations, technology, district boundaries, voting methods, and collusion. The evidence for a significant amount of individual fraud is non-existent. Evidence for voting results being shaped by the legal voting framework is strong. An increasing number of states have turned to independent redistricting commissions, open primaries and ranked choice voting. Courts have placed some limits on politically advantageous redistricting and laws. Until voters demand a neutral framework for voting we will have biased results.
16. Politicians claim that the economy, culture, institutions and politics are controlled by “elites”, who are not like the common man and who do not consider their interests. This was a populist Democratic ploy for the first three-quarters of the twentieth century, but Republican have increasingly embraced it for the last 50 years. Democrats focused on the “top 1%”, the capitalists, bankers, the military industrial complex, WASPs and the power elite. Republicans focused on thought leaders, universities, media, intellectuals, government leaders, not for profit leaders, the highly educated professional class. The US has a long history of supporting the small farmer and the self-made man, opposing the claims of the city, the traders, and the national bank. In a meritocracy with more at stake and broader potential access to top positions, it is not surprising that politicians appeal to our deep sense of unfairness that someone else has succeeded improperly and using their power to take advantage of others. This is another distraction. We should be reviewing and addressing the fairness of our political, social and economic systems. Railing at “the elites” does not help anyone.
17. Politicians claim that their opponents and the government want to take away their personal rights to self-defense, religion, health and family. This is most evident in debates about gun control, gun rights and gun regulations. The “slippery slope” argument is used to oppose any regulations. The constitutional right to “bear arms” is proclaimed. This right is elevated above any conflicting objections. The US holds more guns than any other country. It leads the developed world in gun deaths. The NRA prevents reasonable or compromise laws because it benefits from maintaining polarized political views which maximize its fundraising potential. There is an opportunity to clarify gun rights by revising the constitution.
18. Politicians exaggerate the level, impact, trends and responsibility for crime, especially violent crime. They propose tougher laws, more police, greater police tools, and meaner prisons. They demonize the poor, young men, racial minorities and immigrants. The US has more crime than other developed nations. Experts disagree on root causes, solutions and best practices. Our decentralized political system allows states and local governments to make their own decisions. Federal level crime policies should be changed only when strong evidence is provided.
19. Politicians promote the “culture wars” because it helps them to define and distinguish their personal brands and because they are unhappy that they cannot control culture directly as they control the political and economic systems. When our cultural institutions were mostly shaped by the Western civilization/Christian experience, politicians of both parties could support the “separation of church and state”, independent media, cultural and educational institutions. But today, in “a secular age” where citizens have very different views on culture, there is a political opportunity to embrace either the traditional culture or the emerging more secular culture. The US political system was built to ensure that religious groups could not control the government. This system has been very effective, especially in the last 75 years when different cultural and religious views are held. Traditional cultural views are allowed and supported today, but they are not promoted by the government. Traditionalists should embrace this approach to ensure that the “secular” groups cannot use the state to impose their religious, philosophical, cultural and political views.
20. Politicians have brought the public education system into the “culture wars”. Darwin’s theory of education, separation of church and state, morality, school choice, DEI, bathroom access, wokeness, privilege, racial history, sex education and library books have been raised into political topics. Once again, politicians are creating “wedge issues” that had been managed effectively at the local level for more than a century. Public schools should be held accountable for following laws, being sensitive to varied perspectives and not imposing contentious moral, religious or political views. Protecting minority rights is a firmly established principle of American government. Educators have always been assigned the difficult task of creating citizens in a world where groups hold differing views. The challenges are unavoidable. We can use this heightened awareness to help schools to become more effective, not more political.
21. Politicians have determined that majority groups can be threatened by minority groups and have found ways to appeal to them. The white, working class, straight, Christian, native, small-town man is portrayed as a victim of racial minorities, elites, gays, secularists, immigrants, women and coastal elites. All instances of affirmative action education or steps are claimed to be an affront to true “equal opportunity”. The politicians claim that the majority groups are discriminated against. All Americans deserve protection from formal or informal discrimination. Most Americans accept that people are imperfect, and we cannot expect to ever reach perfection in this area, even as we continue to strive to improve.
22. Politicians claim that religious individuals and churches are not provided with “freedom of religion”. Their views on “culture war” issues are not fully supported by the government in public education, higher education, government or the media. They are sometimes required to follow or accept laws that they disagree with. Their “minority views” are not respected by the courts. Their “freedom of speech” is restricted by the tax laws. Their religious views are disrespected by much of the mass media and entertainment industry. Their deeply held views on life/abortion are not enforced by law. As the nation moves into “a secular age” these conflicts are unavoidable, but our existing institutions are capable of handling them. Wise politicians can find compromise laws and regulations that balance conflicting forces. We must all reject politicians who use religious views to divide us.
23. Politicians promote fundamentalist Christian religious views and criticize all others. They link such views to their political party. They criticize liberal Christians, Jews, secularists, Muslims, spiritualists and others. They promote the insertion of one religious perspective into law. This political approach has not helped its intended beneficiaries. It has harmed other groups. It should be rejected by all citizens as divisive and anti-religious.
24. Politicians undermine science, objective truth, rationality, public health, mainstream media and conventional wisdom. They elevate religious or political belief above conflicting voices. They elevate personal liberty above the common good on policies like vaccinations. This began with the debates over Darwin’s theory of evolution. It has expanded to embrace a deeply skeptical, subjective world view where “truth” is not subject to debate or discussion. Western civilization, Christianity, the Enlightenment and the American political system are all based upon a belief in objective reality and truth. This elevation of politics, personal belief or personal religious belief above everything else is a threat to our political and social system. We must reject politicians who undercut this basis for our civilization.
25. Politicians claim that all non-traditional or socially sanctioned sexual activity is evil and unlawful. They oppose gay marriage and activities. They misrepresent transgender issues. They conflate differing activities with deviancy. They employ the “slippery slope” argument. They claim that opponents support pedophiles and sex trafficking. They oppose sex education and contraception. Sex is a powerful trigger for human emotions. Individuals in our society hold very different views on legal and moral sexual behavior. We believe in “the separation of church and state”. We should change laws in this area only when there is a compelling need and widespread public support.

Summary

Politicians create issues to effectively define their positions and beliefs. They prefer “wedge issues” because they are most effective in separating individuals into opposing groups. They prefer “victim” issues because those who feel they are victims both oppose the other party and bond with the politician and his party. These distinctive, emotional issues are the most effective tools for politicians. As citizens, we must be aware of these attempts to oversimplify, to conflate, to polarize, to misrepresent, to motivate, to distract, to anger, to demonize and ultimately to disappoint.

There are “differences of opinion” on each item above. Some are honest, perhaps irreconcilable differences. Others are merely fabricated differences. Making a mountain out of a molehill. We have a personal and civic responsibility to be engaged, thoughtful participants in politics. We have allowed politicians to take misleading, divisive short cuts for much too long.

Don’t Be a Political Victim (Left)