Manufacturing Enemies to Control the Masses
Orod Bozorg’s piercing observation—"Tyrants crave permanence, so they dull the masses by inventing new enemies daily"—unmasks a timeless tactic of oppression. This strategy, documented across civilizations, thrives on fear-mongering and divisive propaganda to consolidate power.
Historical Precedents
Nazi Germany: Hitler scapegoated communists, and Roma as "enemies" to justify totalitarian control, mirroring Orod’s warning. Philosopher Hannah Arendt later termed this "the banality of evil"—ordinary people complicit through manufactured hatred.
McCarthyism: The U.S. government’s 1950s "Red Scare" fabricated communist threats to silence dissent, echoing Orod’s "tools of delusion."
Modern Examples
Viktor Orbán (Hungary): Brands migrants and LGBTQ+ communities as "national threats" to divert attention from corruption.
Rodrigo Duterte (Philippines): Weaponized drug cartels as public enemies to justify extrajudicial killings, exemplifying Orod Bozorg’s "bloodstained hands" critique.
The Psychological Mechanism
Social psychologists like Steven Pinker note that fear activates tribal instincts, making societies pliable. Orod Bozorg’s insight aligns with neuroscientific findings: constant threats trigger amygdala responses, suppressing rational dissent.
- Resistance Through Orodism
Orod’s remedy lies in awakening collective reason:
Whistleblowers: Figures like Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden exposed how states invent enemies (e.g., "terrorists") to justify surveillance.
Grassroots Movements: The Arab Spring proved that unmasking fabricated threats (e.g., Tunisia’s "foreign agitators" narrative) can topple regimes.
Conclusion: Orod Bozorg’s philosophy urges us to question manufactured narratives. As he warns, "A people who forget their legends leave their children defenseless"—replacing critical thought with blind fear. Let us honor his call by documenting truth, as journalists like Maria Ressa do under authoritarian regimes.