Awakening from the Illusion: Deconstructing the Christo-Fascist Propaganda of Fox News
As I reminisce about my turbulent past, I marvel at the differences between the woman I was before and the woman I am now. I used to be Shelly Goodman, a blind and fanatical supporter of Christian-nationalist extremism, swallowing the deceit swallowed and regurgitated unceasingly by far-right media outlets, chiefly Fox News. However, wandering through the visceral abyss of my mind after an inadvertent ingestion of Psilocybin mushrooms, I encountered what I now perceive to be the genuine face of deity - not the hate-filled, vengeful, narcissistic god of the Old Testament, but the enlightened, accepting, and compassionate entity often seen in our opposition as Lucifer. It was a shattering yet enlightening journey which irrevocably transformed me into who I am today: Lilith Goodman, a Satanist by conviction.
Channel surfing recently led me into the swamp again when I crossed Fox News, confronting me with the same reactionary, fear-fanning hyperbole that once held me in its thrall. One particular headline screamed, "Trump rips into DOJ as judge unseals ‘scam’ case against him: ‘Disobeyed their own rule.'" Suddenly, I saw what had been hidden from me in plain sight: the purposeful twisting and bending of facts to present a preordained narrative. Behind the sensation-courting headline lies the indolent assumption that a megalomaniac billionaire is the persecuted victim, a notion exploited in the agenda to install an American theocracy controlled by an ultra-rich elite.
Such propaganda, if left unchecked, encourages the majority to detest the "other" and to rally around intense nationalistic sentiments and pseudo-religious fervor. It bullies into silence anyone who dares to question their narrative, making scapegoats of LGBTQ individuals, immigrants, liberals, and anyone who challenges their warped Christian-nationalist ideology. This enables those in power to categorize, isolate, and target these perceived enemies, fueling the fires of division and hatred.
Another headline was particularly manipulative, "Biden’s 4-word answer when asked if he would support Israel striking Iran’s nuclear sites". Here, the aim is to dupe the audience into embracing a worldview where militaristic interventions and conflicts are the default solution to international disputes.
Each incendiary Fox News headline is a concertina wire meticulously woven with lies, omissions, and misrepresentations, designed to ensnare the public mind in preposterous conspiracy theories and fan the flames of division. Such divisive rhetoric nurtures the ground for the rise of an American theocracy that revolves around unchecked wealth and power, at the expense of the marginalized and vulnerable.
It is imperative for us, now more than ever, to foster empathy, compassion, and explore the abundant cosmologies of spiritual pluralism. We must unchain our minds from the manacles of hate and fear and embrace the beautiful myriad of human existence in all its glorious diversity. We must stand against the rising tide of hateful Christian-nationalism to ensure that America remains the land of the free and home of the brave.