scapegoating through the ages

Throughout time, Politicians, and people in power have been scapegoating and lying about people. With the purpose to create an enemy and benefit themselves. This has happened from as far back as the Puritan times, as The Crucible represents. people in power, church members. These people in Power create an enemy, witches, to promote fear and keep citizens in line. "-and there was goody good...and goody Osburn... I saw Sarah good with the devil! I saw goody osburn with the devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the devil!... I saw george Jacobs with the Devil! I saw goody Howe with the devil!... I saw Martha Bellows with the devil.. I saw Goody Sibber with the devil!..." (Crucible act 3, iii). Various people scapegoated these people as witches. Claiming that they were working with the devil because they were the lower of society. People were ok with having them be the witches and condemned. Condemning these people as witches keeps the people in power by creating the common enemy of these people. The creation of an enemy keeps citizens in line and keep a society in which the people in power stay in power. hundreds of years later this occurs again, as McCarthyism represents in the 1950's. McCarthy spreads a fear of communism and scapegoats people to benefit himself and keep his power.
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Scapegoating to keep power exists in many time periods, including modern day America. Its easy to point fingers at the past and other cultures but it exists just as much in the present day. America scapegoats the Muslim people. This scapegoat gave a excuse to listen into phone calls in prevention of terrorism. violating the privacy of people. "The NSA's deputy director, wrote that the agency has 'contributed to keeping the U.S. and it's allies safe from 54 terrorist plots."... Asked for clarification of the surveillance programs' record, the NSA declined to comment." (1. Claim on Attacks thwarted.). The decline to give evidence is an abuse of power, used to benefit the government. They use this to create an enemy, to manipulate the American people. scapegoating and lying about people, creating enemies is a tactic used through time. Used to benefit those in power, and possibly hider those without power.


Throughout the centuries humans have experienced mass fear, and developed methods to eradicate it. From as early as the puritan times people had a mass fear of something. And took extreme methods to destroy it, with published works to help with this goal. As noted in the crucible "Paris: Mr. Hale! Oh! its good to see you again! (taking some books) my they're heavy!/ Hale: they must be; they are weighted with authority./ Paris: Well you do come prepared!" (1, iii. Crucible). Mr. Hale's books are the books written on how to spot a witch. Witched were the evil of the time, and there were books written on how to spot one and get rid of them. This is to calm the fear people had of witched at the time. Once again in the 1950's there was a great fear, this time of communism. They created methods to get rid of the Communists.
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This trend continues all the way through into Modern society. Modern day America has a huge fear of terrorists. To relieve this fear and create the feeling of safety, America takes drastic measures to prevent it. "Terrorism is not only a very real threat abroad, but also right here at home. Anyone can become a victim of terrorism." (Recognizing 8 signs of terrorism). This video is itself a source of how to protect oneself from the threats of terrorism. There is such a great fear of terrorism that there are whole organizations with the purpose to prevent it. Drastic measures exist in daily lives. With security in every government building and airplanes. Just to prevent the possibility of a terrorist. With mass fear humans have created many methods to eradicate to source of the fear. People have done this through time.