Despite living in a world where words are infinite, coming from mouths, feeds, searches, speeches, videos and even artificial intelligence, they no longer possess meaning. They are as common and never-ending as the photons that make them up on your screen.
In this country, rhetoric has been weaponized and wielded as liberally as a billionaire’s wallet. But this comes as no surprise. We’re coming up on a decade of this behavior. Luckily, we are able to understand it based on what we’ve seen before.
“Never believe that anti-Semites are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies,” writes Jean-Paul Sartre in his book, “Anti-Semite and Jew.” “They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words…. If you press them too closely, they will abruptly fall silent, loftily indicating by some phrase that the time for argument is past.”
We too live in a society beyond words.
Humans as a species predate language, which has led to theories as to why our unconscious minds dream in interpretive symbols rather than logical conversation. Our primitive brains, often at odds with our newer prefrontal cortex of reason, are under threat from those who prey on them.
During his speech at President Donald Trump’s inaugural parade, Elon Musk performed a Nazi salute. If it was just a strange, ambiguous gesture as Musk has eluded to, then why did he not apologize after it was accepted and celebrated by the multiplicity of neo-Nazis and other hate groups?
Victor Klemperer, a German-Jewish academic alive during the rise of Hitler and his party, observed firsthand how radio technology, then novel and fascinating, was able to creep below society’s radar to plug the insidious messaging of its right-wing pundits. It was the new style, as he noted in his diary, of oral delivery that was more primitive and appealing.
New technology enabled the Nazi Party to spread its ideas and access a part of human psychology that other mediums, for being too technical or disconnected from the aspects of everyday sensory experience, could not.
In propaganda circles across social media platforms, words are blasted constantly and consistently. Every day, Americans wander around with earplugs and smartphones, consuming content through infinite scrolls on social media apps like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. In 2024, Americans spent five hours a day on average on their cell phones alone. Alarm bells should be going off, not ringtones.
This technology is very new. The smartphone, and all the apps and services for it have been developing over the past 15 years. Instead of just oral delivery championing over the written word, there’s visual delivery too. This new delivery comes from the convenience of one’s own pocket, with content tailor-picked for each individual.
Right-wing political players are harnessing these mediums to push their agendas. Using fourth-grade level language, one of the barest, simplest forms of English, President Donald Trump is able to overwhelm the bulwark of literacy for which modern civilization depends upon.
The English language has become one big Pavlovian-saturated semantic satiation. We are linguistically outgunned by the mob of simplicity. We are losing the fight against primitive psychology.
What does it mean to live in a society beyond words? It means knowing that no matter what someone says, it won’t make any difference to those who actively choose not to listen. It means that, even if one puts forth the most persuasive argument, it will get rejected by the brain of the listener like a foreign body and labeled as fake news, propaganda, the elitist agenda, brainwashing or a mind virus. Through recent efforts by Minnesota legislators, it might be called Trump Derangement Syndrome.
As George Orwell wrote in his book, “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
Actions speak louder than words. Actions are the ultimate appeal to base psychology, affecting in practical terms the consequences in one’s own life. In a society beyond words, actions are the universal language. Actions are irrefutable, exposing those who deny words to the root of the argument.
Take action this week. Meet with friends or join in a protest. Contribute to a local mutual aid group or bake something for your neighbor. Fight back against disinformation by informing yourself from trusted news outlets and nonprofit organizations. Don’t give into apathy, despair or lies. Don’t bend the knee.
Charles Townsend can be reached at [email protected]
