Religious and political ideologies continue to be at the center of mankind’s struggles with his fellow man, both within and across national borders.
In an article in the May/June 2024 issue of Foreign Affairs, entitled No Substitute for Victory, the authors, Matt Pottinger and Mike Gallagher, highlighted two quotes from Chinese leaders that get to the heart of what today’s ideologies are really all about.
First, from Xi Jinping, the Premier of China, “The battle for mind control happens on a smokeless battlefield. It happens inside the domain of ideology. Whoever controls this battlefield can win hearts…When it comes to combat in the ideology domain, we don’t have any room for compromise or retreat. We must achieve total victory.”
Second, from Yuan Peng, the Vice Minister of State Security, “What is truth and what is a lie is already unimportant; what is important is who controls discourse power.”
These quotes represent a remarkably frank and frightening recounting of what ideologies are and what their true purpose is, not just in China, but around the world. First, as Xi makes clear, the ideological battlefield is a real battlefield. It is a contest of ideas that generates true conflict as opponents vie to become the dominant and exclusive mode of thought. Such clashes are bitter struggles that can persist for a long time. For people on either side of an ideological issue, it is a war, a war for control of the individual’s mind. These are typically winner-take-all fights in which the winners go home with the spoils--the complete control of the society for their exclusive benefit. The losers, on the other hand, are likely to be cast aside, or worse, eliminated. As a consequence, both sides instinctively believe that the only acceptable outcome is a total victory.
Second, as Yuan Peng claims, it no longer seems to matter whether the ideologies people spread are true or false, whether they are logical and supported by facts, or whether they are consistent with objective reality. It only matters that they have the power to control, to persuade, and manipulate people into accepting a narrative. Leaders today, especially autocratic leaders, know and understand this reality. Most of the rest of us do not. As a result, ideologies are easily used against us. Our blindness to their true meaning and purpose is allowing them to grow in power and influence.
Today, it is urgent that we develop an in-depth understanding of what we are up against, as we are continuously being inundated by the ideological narratives being sold by our leaders. It is crucial that we recognize that political and religious ideologies are among the most popular forms of human thought ever developed, often attracting hundreds of millions, and even billions, of supporters worldwide and retaining them for long periods of time. Their ideas always seem very appealing and benevolent because they are cleverly positioned to address our most heartfelt needs, fears, anxieties, hopes, and desires. We can’t help but accept them.
But don’t be deceived. Just because they appear to address important needs and fears does not mean they are benign and beneficial. They do not serve the average person’s true interests; and their consequences can be horrific. They have triggered and rationalized the mass murder of millions. They have prolonged violent human conflict. They have justified brutal oppression. They continue to block human progress and development. They obscure people's ability to think rationally and objectively. They polarize societies so they are unable to function. And what’s very concerning is that they are highly flawed, containing errors, deliberate deception, and misleading appeals.
The battle for ideological dominance is a struggle in which all people must make very good choices to protect themselves. We cannot listen to conspiracy theories or emotional appeals that prey upon our fears and hatreds. We cannot accept other people’s personal visions about the world that masquerade as reality. We cannot believe the false claims made by political and religious leaders and media personalities, or anyone who makes a living peddling narratives about how the world works.
Instead, we must think very clearly and make sure we carefully gather facts and data to make certain our views are consistent with objective reality. We must be prepared to challenge the veracity of everything we hear. Otherwise, we risk being dangerously manipulated by those with malign intentions and easily persuaded to make bad choices that can seriously affect our own future and that of our countries and communities.