The Myth of Evil
It’s nothing new that the bush administration, or even american politics, or even just politics and politicians in general, have been accused of using fear as their favourite weapon of choice. Painting up a false reality and a oversized threat, and then glorifying themselves as the savior with the solution.
But how far back does this kind of ‘politics of fear’ stretch?
Last week (or so) I read a review in Guardian Unlimited newspaper on the book ‘The Myth of Evil’ by Phillip Cole. The review was very short, but it touched upon the subject ‘politics of fear’ and where the fear strategy comes from.
Does evil really exist? No, thinks Phillip Cole, but it is extremely useful as a political myth. His varied and interesting cultural study of the idea begins by tracing the literary development of Satan…
…interlude for witch-hunting and the less familiar epidemics of vampires in 18th-century central Europe…
… Cole ends with an evocative analysis of current politics about “the terrorist and the migrant” in the terms ha has built on while discussing witches and monsters. “what we have here is a mythology of the evil enemy, such that that enemy possesses the demonic, supernatural power needed to destroy our communities.” Cole doesn’t intend it as such, naturally, but it’s almost like an instructional manual for the Daily Mail.
Satan. Witches. Vampires. Terrorist.
I haven’t read the book - just the review. But it truly seems to be an interesting read.
The choice of leading image to this post is simply because the review brought back memories of the brilliant film ‘Monty Python & the Quest for the Holy Grail’, and the scene where they want to burn a witch.
So, logically…, If… she.. weighs the same as a duck, she’s made of wood. And therefore? A witch! A witch!
Ohh! Ohh! Burn the witch! Burn the witch! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! Ahh! Ahh…
Whether evil is a myth or not, or if i will buy and read Phillip Coles book - I don’t know - but I will definitely see The Quest for the Holy Grail again ;)
Phil Cole was my lecturer at University and I have to say the Myth of Evil is well worth the read. It’s thought provoking and although I didn’t agree with everything written in it it is an excellent analysis of modern political rhetoric and the opinion manufacturing attempted by the media as a whole.