8 Tactics of Fascist Propaganda Trump is Using Right Now
This video, presented by Lucas Bean, explores eight psychological tactics of fascist propaganda that he argues are currently being employed by the Trump administration. Drawing on historical psychological profiles of Adolf Hitler created by the OSS in 1943, the video links these historical methods to modern psychological research to explain their effectiveness.
The Eight Tactics of Propaganda:
Never allow the public to cool off (0:40-1:56): Keeping the population in a state of constant crisis prevents critical thinking by overloading the amygdala.
Never admit fault (1:57-3:06): Refusing to apologize protects the leader's image and keeps the followers' identity, which is fused with the leader, intact.
Infraumanization (3:07-4:26): Stripping opponents of their humanity makes it easier to justify mistreatment and eliminates empathy.
Never leave room for alternatives (4:27-5:44): Presenting oneself as the sole solution appeals to those who require cognitive closure and cannot handle uncertainty.
Never accept blame (5:45-6:44): By externalizing all failures, the leader avoids personal responsibility and maintains an image of perfection.
Concentrate on one enemy (6:45-7:58): Targeting a single scapegoat provides followers with a sense of purpose and a simplified explanation for complex life problems.
The Big Lie (7:59-9:32): Large, repeated fabrications become an "operating system" for followers, making them resistant to factual correction.
Repetition (9:33-11:31): Constantly repeating slogans and phrases (e.g., "fake news") uses "thought-stopping" techniques to shut down critical inquiry.
This is not unplanned chaos. It is strategy.
