“The sheep will spend its entire life fearing the wolf only to be eaten by the shepherd.” 

• Some proverb

Now, you know, we as humans really love to divide ourselves into all sorts of interesting categories. It comes so naturally to us – oh, he’s a vegetarian, she’s an artist, those guys hate cold weather, they’re republican, but I’m democratic – et cetera et cetera. Is it some sort of narcissistic complex that we have, separating ourselves and thinking we’re better, stronger, and smarter if we’re in a specific group? Probably. 

But it’s this weaponisation of division – you see, this anger we see everywhere, all the polarisation and separation, very well being one of the most clever strategies one could use in order to control the people. It was Dostoyevsky who said that the best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he’s in prison (I hope I sound very clever by mentioning him). This entire left versus right battle, or, simply, everything that splits us up, is crafted, ever so carefully, to isolate ourselves. The goal is simple: to hate a caricature, not a real person. They don’t show you an actual neighbour, you know, someone working three jobs that so happens to vote differently. No – instead, they blast your screen 24/7 with the absolute fringe, the screaming protester with purple hair, the rednecked conspiracy guy with like 500 kids or something. The point is, the media relentlessly shows you the loudest, most cartoonish extremist they can find.

It’s outrageous, as most of these things are, but by creating this chaotic, cruel us-versus-them identity, you’ve trapped people into a very specific, rigid mindset. And how they use these horribly simple textbook tactics – it’s the same colonial handbook used to pit groups against each other so a distant power can maintain control. It’s this puppeting of ethnic and religious differences in history that are just being reflected back to us, subtly or not. 

Million-dollar question: Who’s the engineer behind all of this? Who is genuinely, truly profiting from having societies constantly battling amongst themselves? It certainly isn’t ordinary people. It certainly isn’t us, but I’d like to add that our privilege (y’know, going to a world-class Swiss private school) definitely helps. I have no idea who it is – I’m not going to pretend that there are cartoon villains here, some sort of covert elite that allegedly profits from the chaos, funding both sides. I haven’t researched enough evidence, which I can cleverly bring out and tell you that – Oooh look at these media conglomerates and evil politicians who fund both sides, they stay in power whilst the poor get poorer – but, I can tell you that the polarisation of people is very well what destroys us. We tear ourselves apart by separating ourselves. 

It’s all very instigated, of course. Don’t agree with that side, cut them off from your life. And make sure that you reach for that fake-dopamine-fueled chunk of metal in your pocket – feed yourself with the endless diet of stuff that makes you even MORE angry. Social media, yes, I will be going that way, have literally designed their algorithms to maximise your engagement, dear user, so any hint of outrage is just striking it richer. 

Oh, and don’t dare to forget – every single issue is either right or wrong. Forget open debate, welcome suppression! There is no grey area, only black and white. Violence also must take the place of conversation. No you’re not right, I am! It’s a horrible brain stew(any green-day fans?) of constant outrage, of righteous and tribal superiority. 

So, can you win this fight? Or have I just been writing a really depressing article about political oppression? Well, I thought and thought and thought, and then I did some research. And I’ve reached a wonderful conclusion. I’m really very proud of it. At the end of the day, what do we all want? Most of us, hopefully, want as constructed beautifully by Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, the basic things of food, shelter, our family to be safe, and a job that doesn’t crush our souls. And, oh no! – you fundamentally have way more in common with your supposed opponent than you do with any distant media executives or billionaire donors who are pretending to speak for your side.

I feel quite hypocritical telling you what to do, but I shall do it nevertheless. The outrage machine has a fatal weakness, which is our participation. It needs our hatred, our shares and clicks and anger –  to survive. The moment we choose to starve it of that fuel, it dies. 

I think we have a conscious choice to refuse to let others tell you who to hate. It’s almost holding on the ability to disagree with someone without lashing out – a commitment to reject the normalisation of political violence, that the answer to division isn’t more division but to simply reject it. Switch off your phone every now and then. Talk things out. Listen to other perspectives even if you really, really don’t want to. You’re allowed to be a little hypocritical. Don’t let the media get to you – which is a little ironic since…you’re reading my words. Think for yourself, starting with this.

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If one wishes to control people, the best way to do so is have them fight amongst themselves. After all, THEY can never defeat US if they are too busy fighting amongst themselves. Division of people – the polarisation of people, is very well what destroys us all. This is how social division is being used against us. Why do you think there is a spectrum, only one right or left side? We love to separate ourselves, but why?It’s a war between ourselves. It’s US vs THEM. 

After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box.  

it’s a cultural divide i’mma get it on the floor

Are you really about to do it? 

40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music

Kendrick