The oldest propaganda trick in the book

It was 1985. I was 15, a sophmore in high school and captain of the junior varsity cheerleading squad. Freshman year had been lonely and awkward. I’d moved from a town where Marlboro Reds and black leather jackets were cool. At my new school, lacrosse and Ralph Lauren were all the rage. It was a big adjustment.

I figured it out, but it took all my attention. I was fully engaged in my teenage life and didn’t think much about the world beyond my social circle. I could name the president: Reagan. I was familiar with the term Cold War. I knew that communism was bad and Russians didn’t value human life the way we Americans did. But frankly, I couldn’t have cared less.

Still, there was a song on the radio powerful enough to cut through my teenage brain fog. I remember staring blankly out the passenger-side window of our black Volvo 740 Turbo to avoid conversation with my mom. The new seat belt law made me feel even more trapped.

But when Sting sang, “I hope the Russians love their children too,” I was moved.

Of course the Russians love their children, I thought. Everyone loves their children.

I pictured the globe, with Russia all the way on the other side, a big country covered in snow. Of course they love their children too. They’re people. My 15-year-old self thought: something isn’t right with the news.

Whenever you hear the enemy du jour described as “animals” or “savages,” your emotions are being manipulated. When the other side is accused of “not valuing human life,” you are being lied to.

Dehumanizing the enemy is the oldest propaganda trick in the book. Don’t fall for it.

Originally published on Medium in 2023