Dangerous Demagogues and Weaponized Communication
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Date
2019-06-11
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Rhetoric Society Quarterly
Abstract
This essay argues that we can usefully separate “heroic demagogues” from “dangerous demagogues” by whether or not the demagogue allows themselves to be held accountable for their words and actions. “Dangerous demagoguery” can be thought of as “weaponized communication” that uses words as weapons to achieve the dangerous demagogue’s strategic goals. The essay examines several recent examples of dangerous demagogues using weaponized communication strategies, including conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, President Donald Trump, and Neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin. Weaponized communication is a danger in any democracy as it corresponds with democratic erosion.
Description
Keywords
authoritarianism, dangerous demagogue, demagoguery, democracy, heroic demagogue, weaponized communication
Citation
Jennifer R. Mercieca (2019) Dangerous Demagogues and Weaponized Communication, Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 49:3, 264-279, DOI: 10.1080/02773945.2019.1610640