Rage, rage, against the lying of the right

Government by gaslighting is very much in vogue at the moment.

Perhaps alternative facts were always a tool of government. In 1604, Sir Henry Wotton defined a government official like this, with a wonderful intentional double entendre in the use of the word ‘lie’:

An ambassador is an honest gentleman sent to lie abroad for the good of his country.

The difference in government now is that men and women, gentle or otherwise, are lying to their own people. That is, they are lying to us.

I am hypnotised by the sheer awfulness of Donald Trump. I read about him only-very-slightly obsessively, and watch aghast at his briefings, rallies, press conferences. He seems to have a remarkable ability to present alternative facts and to change them at will on a daily basis. He is all assertion without benefit of evidence, and he has the most remarkable ability to deny saying things which have been recorded on video.

His unhinged approach to the corona virus pandemic encapsulates his strategy: say whatever is politically and personally expedient, deny the actual facts, repeat alternative facts often, create confusion, refuse to answer questions (usually by attacking the questioner or the questions themselves, which he has taken to describing as ‘snarky’ or ‘nasty’.)

His habitual strategy is to create distractions, and attack dissenters. He makes no effort to win the argument except by cowing the opposition, or firing them if possible.

And of course, his unconcealed obsession with his numbers, his popularity, his electoral success is both disturbing and abnormally detached from reality.

Dr Stephanie Sarkis has helpfully identified key indicators of gaslighting. People who gaslight are described as emotionally manipulative and abusive and they characteristically

·         tell blatant lies
·         deny they ever said something, even though you have proof
·         use what is near and dear to you as ammunition
·         wear you down over time
·         do not match their actions to their words
·         throw in positive reinforcement to confuse you
·         know confusion weakens people
·        project
·         try to align people against you
·         tell you or others that you are crazy
·         tell you everyone else is a liar

It’s worth thinking about Trump in these terms. Read the list again. Does his behaviour match any of the above indicators ?

My fear is that Trump simply makes explicit and overt what is happening here also. Sure, we might live in a post-truth society, but it is disturbing when governments are elected on the basis of cynical untruths, and then go on to govern by gaslighting.

Boris Johnson was elected on the basis of a campaign fabricated from alternative facts and soundbites. He studiously avoided scrutiny, and still does. It is understandable that he would want to avoid close and intelligent questioning. Quite good enough that he was elected and gained five years of power.

Right now, this week, the government, through Dominic Raab, Matt Hancock and others, is insisting that:

There is sufficient protective equipment for NHS staff if only they use it correctly. This is clearly not the case, as is evidenced by continuing protests from NHS staff themselves. Some NHS protesters have died, and a lack of protective equipment may have been a contributory factor 

The NHS has the ventilators it needs. This is also clearly not the case, with reports that hospital TV shows have contributed working ventilators from their sets 

There is a plan, albeit undisclosed, to end the lock-down 

Medical advice suggests that passengers arriving by plane from overseas are in no need of testing or quarantine when they enter. They are able to bring in new infection without any obstacle. 

The government is on target to test 100 000 people a day at the end of April. This is considerably more than have been tested so far, and, even if reached, this number would mean that that it would take 600 days to test the whole population. The government is adamant that testing is under control.

As I write, we are all locked down, advised to stay home, save lives, and save the NHS. Keeping us at home appears to be the sole strategy the government has, and there is no hint of an admission that the NHS might have been better able to cope had successive governments paid more attention to equipping the NHS instead of systematically starving it of resources over very many years.

This feels like gaslighting to me. Read the list of indicators and map the government’s position and statements on corona-virus. As I wrote this last sentence, the BBC reported that there is overwhelming public support for the government. The government says so.

Well, I am so relieved.

The corona virus is a lens through which we can see what governments – including our government – do routinely. Think about Jack Straw’s notorious affected ignorance about extraordinary rendition. Think about Blair’s WMD in Iraq, all primed and ready to go. Think about the whole Brexit saga.

Gaslighting is manipulative and abusive behaviour. And you and I are the abused.