Gaslighting is a term that has relatively been recently come into common usage to describe a particular form of behaviour. It can refer to a particular, and pernicious, form of behaviour within the workplace, but it can also be sued within the political sphere. As noted by Theresa Avila recently:
The increased popularity of the term is undoubtedly linked to the political climate we live in, where anything and everything leaves you questioning what's true or false. Talking heads and political pundits routinely comment that we're being “gaslit” by politicians who do the wrong thing, but claim we're in the wrong.
Of course, you could just also call it doublespeak. And we're suffering it, badly right now.
Two recent outstanding articles refer to it. Both concern Johnson (of course) but because both concern the state of play in recent negotiations on Northern Ireland both also refer to gaslighting by the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. One is by Prof Chris Grey. As he says:
During the Cold War, the Stasi perfected techniques of psychological warfare known as Zersetzung, sometimes translated as ‘disintegration'. Targeted at individuals and dissident groups, it involved “a systematic degradation of reputation, image, and prestige on the basis of true, verifiable and discrediting information together with untrue, credible, irrefutable, and thus also discrediting information; a systematic engineering of social and professional failures to undermine the self-confidence of individuals; ... engendering of doubts regarding future prospects; engendering of mistrust and mutual suspicion within groups …”.
I'm extremely wary of invoking comparisons between Brexit and totalitarianism, because they almost invariably exaggerate what is happening with Brexit, whilst insultingly and irresponsibly downplaying the horrors of totalitarianism. Even so, it's not entirely fanciful to draw at least metaphorical parallels between Zersetzung and the gaslighting which characterises the government's approach to Brexit. In particular, there is a comparison in the way that it is becoming almost impossible to separate out what is true from what is false, what is intended from what is accidental, what is incompetent from what is malevolent.
Take the remarks made last Friday by the new Northern Ireland Secretary, Brandon Lewis, saying that there will be no Irish Sea border, despite the fact that this is precisely what the government signed up to in the Withdrawal Agreement.
This last point, on which Grey is absolutely correct and Lewis is absolutely wrong, as is Johnson when talking on the same issue, is a perfect example of the fact that gaslighting is going on: claims are being made that are very obviously false with the obvious and deliberate intention of making people doubt both what is actually going on and what the truth is.
Sean Danaher made the same point in a tour de force on the state of play in Ireland on Progressive Pulse which I cannot recommend enough. As he put it, the situation is so absurd that:
the Brexiters may believe that they can persuade Ireland back into the UK's orbit – an insane delusion. Ireland sees Britain as a Jekyll and Hyde country. It likes Jekyll (the “Remain” side of the UK) but loathes the Hyde side of Britain, currently firmly in charge. The minuscule chance that Ireland would ever rejoin the UK evaporated long ago. Nevertheless, the Brexiters have never let reality get in their way and their knowledge of Ireland is so flawed that some may believe Ireland will join their Titanic voyage.
Fantasy is now the plaything of those in power when it comes to British politics in a way that is wholly new.
This has massive ramifications. First, for our national well being, Second, for our prospects of any meaningful relationship with countries where sanity still prevails. But most, for our stability because the quite deliberate intent of this policy is the creation of instability, both internally and externally, from which those pursuing it somehow think they can gain. They can't. They really are very deeply deluded, but the time might come when their Hyde does consume their Jekyll. That's why I worry.
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This “gaslighting” permeates everything stated by the government…. 40 NEW hospitals, 50000 new nurses, new “immigration” policy, down to holidays in Mustique. My overactive mind thinks that this is all part of Boris’ King of the World fantasy from when he was in short trousers. And now he sees and is seizing the opportunity in the UK. With the seeming disintegration of the monarchy, it may be the start of a nightmare…
Should we have confidence that this government is taking ownership and control following Brexit?
The Government (in the shape of Priti Patel) says the immigration changes will pave the way for a ‘high skill, high wage’ economy. Perhaps she should talk to Gavin Williamson, education minister ,who is currently presiding over a school system that is teetering on an economic cliff edge according to a report.
“Funding pressure has resulted in the curriculum being cut. Heads said the subjects which have suffered most are computing, music, design and technology, art, languages and citizenship.”
https://inews.co.uk/news/education/school-debt-crisis-ofsted-exclusive-knackered-teachers-funding-gap-1887537
A high skill high wage economy with such a hiatus in the production of potential trainees for the industries involved? Unlikely but not to worry the government say the report is unrepresentative.
The new ‘British’ passports are to be produced in France but that’s OK no personal information will be released. Unless, that is, it leaks out through the Chinese element of our telecoms system.
The east coast rail system cost £100m to rescue from private ownership only to return it (debts absolved) sometime later. Northern Rail (and the south west?)appears to be on a similar trajectory. Public subsidy is twice what it was but, after all, shareholders surely deserve a return for the ‘risk’ they are taking.
Failing Grayling managed to squander £500m on privatising the Probation Service and the Prison Service is also creaking. We would be wrong, we are told, to see the complete and utter failure of G4S in Birmingham as anything other than a ‘blip’. The prison inspectorate called Oakwood prison an “impressive institution” with “courageous leadership”.
Sajid Javid, prior to his departure from office, said Freeports will aid the economy by removing tariffs and regulatory friction but Mr Gove says more regulation will be inevitable following Brexit. The statements are contradictory but since Javid was shown the door perhaps its reasonable to conclude Gove was correct.
There are plenty more similar problems, floods, NHS, social care, housing, where Government says one thing to deflect awkward questions from the hoi polloi and acts in a contrary way when developing/ policy. Personally I wouldn’t trust this bunch of dishonest snake oil salesmen to organise a festive occasion in a brewery. If you want an honest government why put Bojo in charge?
If the Conservatives genuinely believed in a “high skill, high wage” economy, then they ought to lead by example. Instead, since Cameron took power in 2010, they have cut civil service pay, not just in real terms, but also in actual terms. And they have systematically starved all areas of the public sector of the funds needed not just to efficiently deliver the essential services they provide, but also to ensure those who work so hard to do so are fairly remunerated. Didn’t Cameron say the UK was going to have to “compete” in salary terms?
Ms Patel’s wish to rid herself of a Permanent Secretary she believes isn’t on the same page as her politically (and frankly, just who is?) is no more than a predictable cameo from a senior member of a party that appears to believe it has a divine right to rule us; and it is symptomatic of the contempt they have for all who are beneath them.
To get back to the essence of this topic, yes, there is now a really worrying trend not just to deny reality, but to assert the exact opposite, with the objective of making the gullible blame the victims rather than the perpetrators. It’s not spin, it’s a lot more pernicious than that. Much more Josef Goebbels than Alastair Campbell.
“Michael Gove says…..”……! What makes you think he’s any more believable than any of the rest of them..? I wouldn’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth…!
They are ALL in it for only one thing…. self-aggrandisement, power and money..!
“The new ‘British’ passports are to be produced in France ” french have outsrouced the printing to the Poles.
Uk, increasingly regarded by the EU as little better than a leper colony.
Lying is a tactic to get your own way. Authoritarian governments of the extreme left and right do it. It stems from poor parenting including the failure to teach inclusive valuing, the balancing of meeting your needs as well as those of others.
Richard – you have raised a very important topic / issue and are right to be worried – as we all should be. Political gaslighting needs much wider exposure. Gaslighting has been called ‘the narcissist’s favourite tool of manipulation’ and, as in its traditional social meaning, is extremely difficult to deal with.
Back in 2008, psychologist-attorney Dr. Bryant Welch published a book entitled: ‘State of Confusion: Political Manipulation and the Assault on the American Mind’ prompted (I believe) by the gaslighting of the American public following the Iraq War and 9/11. He writes: “To say gaslighting was started by the Bushes, Lee Atwater, Karl Rove, Fox News, or any other extant group is not simply wrong, it also misses an important point. Gaslighting comes directly from blending modern communications, marketing, and advertising techniques with long-standing methods of propaganda. They were simply waiting to be discovered by those with sufficient ambition and psychological makeup to use them.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting#In_politics)
For anyone interested here’s a short-ish interview he gave last year with political pundit David Pakman : ‘Psychologist: Trump’s Gaslighting Is Dangerous’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CG4Bn04wZk.
The fear now must be that political gaslighting of the public has become a formalised, psychological tactic of those in power – as intimated by you & Sean. And, just as in its original manifestation at individual level, there doesn’t seem to be a simple clinical remedy. It’s a very troubling & dangerous development, which you are absolutely right to raise and it should be as widely messaged as possible. Social media could play an important role.
All that aside, it was a great movie, wasn’t it! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ToLfQU2xmg).
Thanks
This phenomenon doesn’t just apply to the UK. There appears to be puppet masters orchestrating this whole debacle and it has been planned for a long time. Our
Politics has been slowly overturned. Another thing, why has there been no publicity or outcry regarding IDOX? An electoral count company set up in 2002 by the then Conservative MP Peter Lilley. This company now holds the contracts for all the UK elections and referenda. When did it become right to allow anyone with a political affiliation access to a voting system??
The only other reference I have seen to IDOX is coincidentally on this Blog titled The Daily Gaslamp!
https://dailygaslamp.com/author/dailygaslamp/
Someone has gone to quite a bit of trouble to collate links referencing gaslighting during the recent election, but there is no indication as to who they are or where they are going with it.
But it certainly gives some depth to what is being described here in Richard’s post.
Yes, I agree and also read Chris’s well-crafted blog that puts things in perspective.
@Howard, the disintegration of the monarchy is a bad thing? Not in my book. Queeny won’t save us for sure.
I still say that Brexit is just a milestone on the way to something else. These so-called ‘policies’ coming out on a daily basis is something you can find at source in The Daily Telegraph comments.
The idea is to test the limits of our constitution to see how far they can go, already seen with the proroguing of parliament, non-issue of the Russia report, Johnson acting like a clown, hiding in a fridge and many many more examples of the government ignoring both convention and law and yet somehow managing to land a stonking majority. (The reason for that is either Cumings is a master of reading the public mood and skill in working on the marginal constituencies or something more sinister)
So when we end up with chaos, queues to the ports, shortages, price rises, etc it will be an ideal opportunity to change things at a basic level.
They go round looking like fools but they ran a successful election campaign despite breaking the norms of electioneering, so what we are seeing is not the underlying structure.
Yes, I too hope it will all collapse but with the feeble checks and balances we have, I see no way of countering this.
No slight intended on this forum which has informed me of many interesting viewpoints, but posting on the internet just soaks up our fury when we should be mobilising a coherent force.
Are the two things inconsistent?
“Are the two things inconsistent?”
It depends… We’ve signed petitions, marched, written to our MPs and it’s not made one jot of difference. The Extinction rebellion went one step further and had some impact. We could argue that their aims are even more urgent than our daily governance concerns but without a sensible administration in power, climate change will be ignored (and it is demonstrably is being ignored). We are also up against the pernicious power of the press as well, so how to counter that I have no solution unfortunately.
Maybe people should rethink what sacrifices they are prepared to make in order to right these wrongs and collaboration using the internet is obviously the way to do it. Though I would have thought some way of keeping that security would be important.
So yes, we can use these forums to understand see a way of fixing these problems but that in and of itself will not (with all due respect) not change anything.
Richard -You say “the quite deliberate intent of this policy is the creation of instability, both internally and externally, from which those pursuing it somehow think they can gain. They can’t. They really are very deeply deluded”
I am not so sure of this. They may or may not be deluded, but they can and do certainly gain. Hedge funds and billionaires, for example, thrive on instability. And where does the Tories’ support come from?
I guess all that can be done is to feed truths for journalists to pick up – helpful, simple clear truths – especially in areas that are interesting but not in the public domain. The Scotland to Ireland bridges was perhaps not one to call out, since plenty of people will do that.
It does no good to name call those who we disagree with (although it is very tempting…), but perhaps, making connections with what e.g. Daphne Caruana Galizia was reporting on in Malta and what is happening in London could be useful?
Why call it gas-lighting? Why not give it its proper, simple name … They are lies, nothing less.
Fir the reason I noted…
I think, whilst all the hyperbole and posturing takes place on the national/global stage, the only way we’re going to change the game is from grass roots up. We need to start doing the do at local level, and be seen to be delivering. We need to get councillors elected who’ll actually stand up for the things that the local people want, like no more unaffordable development on water meadows; finding new ways of funding local services; getting social care at the top of the agenda etc etc. We have to be insidious and invasive but in a good way – being where we need to be, hands-on, sleeves rolled up, and making the change.
I’m a member of the Labour party and am afraid have made little effort to engage with the local group, because it feels too much like a church service on Sunday – preaching to the converted in a controlled space where none of the people who actually need our help are sitting. And I also get tired of the constant barrage of emails from Labour asking for money, as if somehow money is the thing that’s going to turn the tide. Well it isn’t. Because it hasn’t. And so it puts me off getting involved.
I want to find a way to turn up, do something worthwhile, and, without preaching or shouting slogans, make it clear to all around me what my beliefs are and where I stand. And if we all did that, then I think the tide would turn. But at the moment, we’re no better than Cnut and equally as deluded I fear….
FYI – the play and movies from which the term is “gaslighting” is derived are from the 1930s and forties.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslight_(1944_film)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslight_(1940_film)
https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/1/21/14315372/what-is-gaslighting-gaslight-movie-ingrid-bergman