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Throughout human history, world leaders and influential figures have shaped the opinions of the masses by promoting ideologies that foster self-pride while also sowing distrust and discord towards other groups. State institutions and religious figureheads have used this to great effect to rally public opinion and acquire buy-in toward heinous, inhuman acts of invasion, subjugation, and genocide. These methods work time and again because they tap into our primal psychology and need to feel important, valued, and significant. In this examination of regimes and authorities that have exploited ideologies to further their own personal gain, Kavanagh reveals the propaganda methods used to gloss over the atrocities and inequality that always follow in their wake so that his audience will not fall under the manipulative spell that justifies things that should never be done in good conscience.
Though it is impossible to avoid the global political implications of scrutinizing those who use ideologies to further their agendas, the author reaches out to readers in the introduction, describing his own experiences with the Catholic Church as a fallible institution that positions itself through ideology. That personal touch is bolstered by an extensive list of works cited, outlining the research conducted to prepare this book. There will be uncomfortable truths that virtually any reader will have to face about the damage done by those we may have felt proud to belong to, but the historical evidence presented here is undeniable. This is a chilling look at the reality of the world we live in and how the same tactics have been used for thousands of years to foster compliance and support for truly revolting actions. The fact that the dangerous examples of those empires and dictators remain relevant makes this book a necessary and sobering reminder for the modern world.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review