demagogue

is one who creates a crisis mentality in his audience. The demagogue not only takes advantage of hates and fears, but will try to encourage and channel that discomfort into all out panic.

In order to gain broad popular support, the nominal demagogue will attemptto create a crisis mentality in his audience. This is not quite the same thing as the demagogue's taking advantage of people's hatreds and fears (as was discussed earlier). The difference is one of degree... people may experience hatred and fear ona daily basis and learn to live with it, but a crisis requires action. As Fisher put it, 'Dissonance creates discomfort... crisis can create panic, behavior not ordinarily considered rational' (108). It is this irrational behavior that the demagogue will tryto encourage and channel. Hitler did this in Weimar Germany. He had learned how to 'paint vividly the horrors' of impending doom and to persuade his audience that only the most drastic action could fend off destruction (Fishman 250).

Sterling Fishman

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