The Poisonous Propaganda: Unmasking an Impending Christian Nationalist Theocracy through Fox News
In one of my previous, unenlightened lives as Shelly Goodman, addicted to round-the-clock consumption of the right-wing mouthpiece that is Fox News, I awaited the headlines like the devout wait for the next sermon. Today as Lilith, though the screen remains the same, my perspective has flipped fundamentally. Having tunneled through the abyss only to stumble on a newfound enlightenment, I can now see the blindingly bright red flags flapping furiously amidst the clutter of Fox headlines.
One perfect representation of the veiled Christian-nationalist propaganda is the recent Fox report about Donald Trump making a bold final pitch to voters at Madison Square Garden. Presented as innocent campaign reportage, the hidden political framework pulsates beneath. How can the 'former' president, one who promoted division and hatred, be repeatedly painted in thrilling, heroic light?
Or the JD Vance commentary on VP Harris, a classic example of the 'gaslight and gloat' tactic, this pseudo-intellectual hatchet job belittles a woman of remarkable achievement, and in doing so, reveals more about the peddler than the target. A taking down of a woman of power, particularly one of color, is an old stunt in the propaganda playbook, one exploited shamelessly to uphold the white patriarchal order.
In this alternate reality Trump’s presidency promises - producing tax credits for family caregivers, summoning Elon Musk’s MAGA look, and coercing Melania's rare campaign appearances, are positioned as part of a great American recovery paved in conservative religious values. Yet all these bread and circus performances are erected upon a foundation of white supremacy and Christian nationalism that threaten our democracy and diversity.
A staggering truth revealed in these headlines isn't just a cultivated cult of personality for Donald Trump alone, but the signs of a slow, creeping normalization of a toxic alliance of wealth and misinformation. Cunningly selective in its omissions and aggressive in its misrepresentations, it’s a campaign tailoring language to the delusions of a demagogue, thus enforcing an implicit bias with the aim of installing an American theocracy controlled by the rich, the powerful, and the prejudiced.
Those who deviate from their strict heterosexual and Christian 'norms', particularly the LGBTQ+ community, are deemed peripheral, if not outright threats. A society conditioned on such parochialism then, would not offer equal rights and representation to its LGBTQ+ members, instead treating them as an anomaly that upsets the 'natural order'.
Therefore, let's strip clear the veneer off these headlines - this is about more than just Trump or Fox News. It’s about the dangers posed by far-right Christian-nationalist extremists aiming at overhauling the very fabric of the American Republic. As we discern the damage, let it serve as a stark reminder to resist, reclaim and rewrite our narratives. For in the cacophony of lies, empathy and truth must trump hate.