THE MOTIVATIONS OF THE PROPHETS OF DECEIT

I came across this quote from the Book of Jeremiah on the frontispiece of Prophets of Deceit, a book about the rabble-rousers of the 30s and 40s.

JEREMIAH 23:25-27 (American Standard Version)

25 I have heard what the prophets have said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. 26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart? 27 that think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgat my name for Baal.

I immediately thought of people like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Richard Land and James Dobson but it also applies to the prominent wingnuts, like Hannity and Krauthammer. Paul Krugman asks of these folks:

I mean, they’re not stupid — life would be a lot easier if they were. So they know they’re not telling the truth. But they obviously believe that their dishonesty serves a higher truth — one that is, in effect, told only to Inner Party members, while the Outer Party makes do with prolefeed.

The question is, what is that higher truth? What do these people really believe in?

I think F. A. Hayek gave a mostly correct answer back in 1961: They believe in Power. Mostly correct, because there are certainly other motivations, such as money, as commenter Stacy at Balloon Juice points out:

So for Limbaugh, he benefits from having the country go downhill. The shittier the county is, more bitter and pissed off people are, and they will be more likely to gravitate to someone that gives them an easy scapegoat for that anger. People like Rush and Glenn Beck provide that service. The more angry people, the more fans they get, more money.

Some undoubtedly have psychological problems that keep them trapped in paranoid delusions, like Michele Bachmann and the Census. Others naturally have an authoritarian personality and seek relief from Otherness in the "family values" movement.