The Fox's Siren Song: Propaganda, Lies, and the Threat of a Christian Nationalist America
As I sit here in my old recliner chair, Gus, my yappy mutt, gnawing on the remnants of a chewed-up remote adjacent to me, I cannot help but reflect upon the headlines streaming across my once-beloved and now loathed Fox News. Blaring messages of fear, hatred, and division, I am struck with a gnawing dread not unfamiliar to my heart.
Primary among these missives of misinformation is this pronouncement: "Lawmaker details ‘horrendous’ impact as Haitian migrants flood Ohio city: ‘Don’t understand laws’." Ah, the dog whistle of xenophobia, an old and sour tune. Two things strike me immediately about this headline, dear readers. The first is the blatant dehumanizing rhetoric, painting our Haitian neighbors as an unruly, lawless horde, invoking irrational fears to solidify division. The second, the implications of xenophobic nationalism that sit at the heart of Fox News' narrative. Where once I might have nodded along with this tune, now I am horrified at my past compliance.
Another headline: "Trump pledges to end taxation on tips, Social Security benefits — and now another type of pay." Can it get more misleading? The trumpeting of pseudo-economic relief is designed to lull the underprivileged into a false sense of security, making them instruments in the orchestration of their own economic oppression. Yet they conveniently omit the disastrous economic impact of Trump's past policies and disregard his record in favor of this populist, wealth-preserving pledge.
The Fox is indeed a sly creature, full of deception and misrepresentation. The far-right christo-fascist propaganda rings loud and clear for those who can see through the fog of lies and misdirections: "New York City passes slavery reparations program in ‘crucial step towards justice’." The narrative, of course, will spin this in such a way as to inflame, rather than to discuss, to divide rather than unite.
The call for a theocracy, an American nation under the cruel rule of an archaic and hateful interpretation of Christendom, lurks beneath these headlines. A theocracy where the rich get richer and the poor remain trapped in a cycle of poverty. A grotesque realm where my darling Roxanne, and those like her, would be in peril simply for existing. A dystopia where tolerance, compassion, and plurality are faded relics of a once vibrant democracy.
We must remain vigilant against this slow crawl toward unconstitutional Christian dominionism. The American project was always meant to be one of continuous growth and improvement, not a devolution into fear, intolerance, and spiritual tyranny.
We must continue to deconstruct the deceptive tactics of outlets like Fox News, and speak the truth with vigor. Notions of empathy, compassion, and respect for the rich tapestry of human existence must be defended. As a former Christian- nationalist extremist turned Satanist, I am proof that change and growth can emerge from deeply entrenched bigotry.
Let us continue the fight to keep theocracy out of our politics. As a nation, our strength lies in unity, not disunity — a unity that respects individual freedoms, cultural diversity, and the strength found in pluralism. Gus has already chewed up the remote, let us not let Fox News chew up the fabric of our nation. Be vigilant, be kind, be inclusive, and remember, we’re all in this together.