Governing elites manipulate minds with rhetoric of nationalism, religion, patriotism for wars

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak

War is an easily available strategic tool used by both ruling and non-ruling elites to subjugate the masses—not only by inciting them to kill one another indiscriminately, but also by eroding reason itself through the militarisation of the mind. Scientific and technological advancements have made it easy to kill in seconds. It is increasingly difficult to distinguish modern theatres of war from war-themed video games. In the modern slaughterhouse of war, all that is required is the ability to press a button—to annihilate hundreds, thousands, even millions of people in an instant. Such suicidal missions, carried out by professional killing machines for the governing elites, are not acts of bravery but the result of manipulated minds—conditioned by the rhetoric of nationalism, religion, and patriotism. 

After the wars, when the guns fall silent in the trenches, the submarines are sunbathing, and the skies are free of fighter jets—if only briefly before the next conflict—it is important to ask: who truly benefits from these wars? There are clear winners in war, but they are not the brave generals or idealistic soldiers who fight on the front lines. The true beneficiaries are the governing elites and their corporate cronies—especially those who manufacture weapons—who profit immensely without ever setting foot on the battlefield. These elites perpetuate hegemonic, imperialist political cultures that breed wars and conflicts, all in service of protecting the interests of the capitalist class.

Imperialist, capitalist, chauvinistic, cultural and religious wars do not liberate people from hunger and homelessness. These wars do not end gender inequality, or the class, caste, and race-based exploitation. They do not free people from ignorance, blind beliefs, or illiteracy. In fact, imperialist, capitalist, chauvinistic, and religious wars serve to reinforce all forms of discrimination, inequality, exploitation, and ignorance. Wars destroy scientific consciousness by militarising the minds of the masses. As a project, war is antithetical to the idea of human liberation from the conditions of slavery. Wars not only marginalise the masses but also strengthen all forms of reactionary forces that continue to domesticate the people, forcing them to serve the governing classes.

Death and destitution are the twin outcomes of war, whereas liberation struggles empower the masses with revolutionary and scientific consciousness to ensure liberty, equality, and justice for all. Wars kill reason by subjecting the masses to shock therapies of fear, while liberation struggles enhance the creative abilities of the people. Wars destroy democracy, whereas liberation struggles create the conditions for deepening democracy and expanding egalitarian citizenship rights.

The history of wars and liberation struggles shows that wars are fought quickly, but liberation takes time to cultivate. It challenges the hegemony of the governing elites and empowers the people. Liberation empowers people to dismantle all conditions that breed inequality, exploitation, and slavery. Libération struggles promote peace, prosperity, and fraternity. They stimulate the growth of science, secularism, and solidarity between humanity and nature. Therefore, liberation takes time to develop and spread radical consciousness rooted in reason, organising people around a collective understanding of life to launch struggles for the emancipation of humankind from all forms of bondage that undermine human qualities, intelligence, and the social nature of human beings.

There is no bravery in death and destitution. Wars are barbaric and result in the pointless sacrifice of brave and idealistic youth. It is an act of cowardice to kill in the name of nationalistic wars. Human liberation from all forms of bourgeois wars and conflicts is central to creating a peaceful society that ensures the growth of the creative potential of all people, free from any form of discrimination, toward the development of an egalitarian society. Therefore, it is our responsibility to mobilise the masses against all forms of imperialist, capitalist, chauvinistic, and religious wars to secure world peace and a brighter future for our youth. Our collective future depends on an indefinite, uninterrupted, and invincible struggle for world peace.