In the United States (U.S.), politics has now been dominated by cultural conflicts that make citizens fight against one another over issues like gun rights, abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and immigration. These issues exist among both the rich and the poor and they have caused emotional responses that have stolen the attention from other more important concerns. Interestingly, not all that glitters can be referred to as gold. Under all of these issues, the truth is that these culture wars are not happening by accident but are deliberately stirred up by the political and economic elite.
…and why are they even doing this? To distract the masses, divide the working class, and maintain a status quo that gives more benefits to the rich.
The elite has become very good at exploiting ongoing social divisions to cover up problems going on in the system like wealth inequality, greed in the corporate sector, and unstable public services. During elections, they champion moral causes involving lifestyle and identity and eventually distract voters from uniting over the economic struggles of the country. This strategy ensures that political candidates, whether Republican or Democrat, push policies that protect corporate profits, reduce taxes on the wealthy, and undermine regulations, all at the expense of the average American.
Consider the case of former President Donald Trump. He ran on a populist platform during the campaign period. He also promised to give attention to the forgotten working class, speaking against economic elites and trade deals that “sold out” American workers. However, his administration lowered taxes significantly for corporations and the rich, but wages remained the same and millions of people could not afford healthcare. The policy called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was made law in 2017. (Bivens et al., 2018) Calculations revealed that by 2025, the rich would benefit from a tax cut of about $61,000 while the low and middle class are left to manage a tax cut of about $500. (Srikant, 2024) Apparently, the policy’s medium-term effect was to make more money available to corporations which will in turn make more money available to invest in equipment, factories, and the like. Eventually, this leads to increased wages for the workman. However, some economists thought that it wouldn’t work due to failed attempts in the past, and true to the predictions, it did not work out. (Center for American Progress, 2019) Instead of addressing these issues, during the campaign, he promised he would build a wall on the southern border to protect American citizens from crime, unauthorized immigrants, and drug cartels. (The Washington Post, 2015) This pattern is not unique to one administration or party. Democrats also champion cultural ideologies but fail to provide solutions to economic issues.
Eventually, the lower class fights among themselves over cultural identity, leaving the rich to move policies in their favor. To make it worse, the media is now owned by these elites. They make these cultural ideas extremely amplified, especially in social media causing a distraction from the actual economic issues on the ground. Voters continue to align with politicians who worsen their economic struggles, all because they share cultural values on issues like religion or gun rights.
The Role of Cultural Wars in Modern Politics
Historical Context
The roots of these cultural issues mentioned earlier in American politics can be traced as far back as the 1960s and 1970s, but their real political force developed through strategic shifts in party platforms and ideologies in the latter half of the 20th century.
The Southern Strategy
The Southern strategy was one of the earliest and most significant political strategies used by the Republicans to take advantage of the cultural issues going on in the ’60s. It involved the plot to gather white voters by approving the segregation of blacks and disenfranchisement of black voters. The Democrats had been ruling for the longest time, throughout the 30s and 40s. Due to how solid the Democrats’ hold on the South was, largely because they supported the South’s traditional racist policies, the Republicans thought that supporting black segregation would be a good way to gain back power. In 1968, Nixon used this strategy during the campaign period. Nixon’s campaign was majorly about the white working-class voters’ fears of social change. The Republican Party began to position itself as the protector of traditional, conservative values, opposing the racial and social reforms pushed by the Democratic Party. (Baugh, 2024)
The Reagan Revolution In the 80s
President Ronald Reagan made the Southern strategy a bigger deal, tagging it “law and order” and making it about state rights. He promoted Black people as being unworthy of government assistance and the derogatory term “welfare queen”, which means people who misuse the welfare system. Reagan’s appeal to social conservatives helped solidify the alliance between the Republican Party and evangelical Christians, marking the beginning of what we now know as the “religious right.” (Baugh, 2024) During his administration, cultural values were closely tied to economic policies that eventually favored the rich. By framing moral conservatism as a fight to preserve American values, Reagan helped gather the middle and working class to vote in favor of policies that were, in many ways, against their economic interests. (Phillips, 2022)
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Trump’s regime intensified the Southern strategy In 2016, the Republican party had control over almost every seat in the South. During Donald Trump’s campaign, he took advantage of the divisions caused by the Southern strategy and won the entire South, a large portion of the West, and, by a slim margin, a number of Midwestern states. During his time as president, he stopped immigration from Mexico and other Muslim countries. Since then, Trump has successfully deepened the political and cultural issues caused by the Southern strategy. (Baugh, 2024)
The Role of the Elite in the Ongoing Cultural Wars
Abortion: A Manufactured Moral Crusade
This issue is one of the most argued about. Conservative politicians and the media project this issue so much and gather voters under the guise of “protecting life”. This has distracted people from addressing the main issues concerning maternal health and social welfare. The rich people are not really affected by these abortion laws because if they need to do anything, they can afford to travel abroad or access private healthcare. This shows that abortion restrictions harm poor and working-class women who cannot afford alternatives. (Center for American Progress, 2022) Politicians who campaign on “pro-life” platforms often vote against policies that would genuinely improve family and child welfare, such as paid maternity leave, childcare subsidies, or healthcare access. The fact that it is put under a moral or religious guise makes politicians divert attention from more important issues. A study done by Jones et al (Jones and Jerman 2017) found that about half of all abortion patients had a family income at or below the federal poverty level.
Immigration: The “Boogeyman” Strategy Immigration
This has been a long-term issue, especially during Trump’s tenure. Immigrants are always blamed for the country’s economic instability but these problems are originally from corporate exploitation and bad economic policies. A lot of employers who hire undocumented workers do not get caught by authorities. They get cheap labor that increases their profit margin. (Segarra, 2024) Politicians prefer to build tall walls than address the actual cause of illegal immigration. Meanwhile, working-class voters who demand immigration restrictions often unknowingly align with policies that protect exploitative business practices.
The LGBT issue
Through the media, politicians dedicate a large amount of time to topics like gender-neutral bathrooms or drag shows. They secure votes from conservatives who are angered by this moral issue. (Smyth, 2024)
Gun Rights
Politicians exploit fears of losing freedoms and personal safety, making gun ownership look like a method of self-defense. This emotional appeal overrides discussions about systemic issues like healthcare, poverty, and mental health access, which are major drivers of gun violence. This has pulled conservative voters because of the promises of protecting gun rights, however, these politicians often support policies like cutting rural healthcare funding, underfunding schools, or eliminating agricultural subsidies, directly harming the very communities they claim to represent.
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The Psychological Mechanisms Behind Cultural Manipulation
Cultural wars are not an accidental feature of American politics; they are deliberately used to leverage human psychology to divide and manipulate the public.
Fear as a motivator
Fear is one of the most powerful human emotions, and it disrupts rational thinking. When politicians cause people to be afraid, whether it’s fear of “others” (e.g., immigrants, marginalized groups) or fear of moral decline, it triggers the brain’s amygdala, which processes emotions and activates the “fight or flight” response. Voters focus more on the cultural threats they perceive at the moment than their economic self-interest. As mentioned earlier, the portrayal of immigrants as “job stealers” and threats to security distracts from the reality that corporations just want to get cheap labor for profit. (Tannenbaum et al., 2015)
Social Identity Theory
Also, people have a natural tendency to categorize themselves into groups (“us” vs. “them”). This division is amplified in cultural wars, where one’s political affiliation becomes central to their identity. The politicians use this to their advantage and make these issues look like threats to either group. (McLeod, 2023)
Availability of the media as an amplification tool
Tools like social media have been used to project certain issues making it registered in people’s brains. One rich person can keep funding a specific ad on Facebook making it more seen. For example, the media may spend weeks covering a single controversial incident related to gender-neutral bathrooms but devote little time to tax policy changes that directly benefit corporations and the wealthy. (Rutgers University, 2020) A study (Moore, 2003) reports that In the U.S., more than ninety percent of media outlets are controlled by six major corporations; AT&T, Viacom, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), Disney, News Corp, and Comcast, giving these entities significant power to shape narratives. Interestingly, these six corporations are practically one, the study reports that Disney, Viacom, and Time Warner have forty-five members in common. The study found that there were 45 of the same members on the boards of directors of Time Warner (a controlling conglomerate at the time now owned by AT&T), Viacom, and Disney. Additionally, the main conglomerates share 141 joint ventures, such as Hulu, which is owned by both Disney and Comcast. This means that these companies can create an echo chamber, projecting the same ideas and working together to advance mutual interests. (The Dangers of the Concentration of Media Ownership, n.d.)
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Moral Foundations Theory
The rich take advantage of the different moral frameworks like liberals and conservatives to create divisions between the left and right. This makes sure that neither side unites against their economic dominance. (Is There a Culture War?, 2024)
Emotional resonance vs. rational thinking
Research shows that appealing to people’s emotions is far more effective in political messaging than rational arguments. Anger, fear, and moral outrage are very effective because they arouse immediate action (e.g., voting) while avoiding critical thinking. Politicians on both sides use emotionally charged language to exaggerate cultural issues, distracting voters from policies that favor rich people. (Webster & Albertson, 2022)
Why don’t facts break through?
When people are faced with controversial information, they first experience what is called “cognitive dissonance”, which is a psychological discomfort caused by beliefs that are conflicting.
To make things easier for them, they would prefer to double down on their existing beliefs than change their thought process. Just like the tax cut problem, even though wages are not increasing, they prefer to support that anyway because it is a good cause. (Webster & Albertson, 2022)
Breaking the Cycle: Solutions for an Informed Electorate
The issue of discourse has run so deep and will not be easily undone. However, some strategies can help uncover the eyes of the masses.
Political education
Many Americans are not able to critically assess political messages which is why they are vulnerable to psychological manipulation. Also, media outlets owned by rich people are notorious for sidelining important issues and consistently projecting stories that protect the interests of the elite. (Grossman et al., 2022) A paper by Daniel Chomsky (Chomsky, 2018) shows that cultural issues gain more coverage than tax policies or the issues of wealth inequality. Empowering voters with some thinking skills can go a long way. If voters are able to recognize and apply some emotional intelligence when receiving information, they can avoid being hit squarely in the face. Voters can also learn how to question political ads that associate opponents with a threat to safety or value. Tools like fact-checking websites (e.g., PolitiFact, FactCheck.org) and browser extensions that flag misinformation can help reduce the spread of unimportant information.
Grassroots movement
Creating a safe space for both parties to talk things through via town halls can help voters achieve a common ground. Movements like this can also mobilize voters on the grounds of systemic issues instead of getting occupied by corporate-funded campaigns. Also, getting involved in local politics can give voters confidence.
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Encouraging real populism
This involves the ability to differentiate between real and manufactured movements and hold leaders accountable. Real populists prioritize issues like income inequality, affordable healthcare, and workers’ rights over polarizing cultural topics. Also, corporate ties are a red flag because genuine populists do not rely on corporate donors who shape policies to favor the elite. The sources of an aspirant’s funding reveal their true priorities. Funding from the public and grassroots donations signal a commitment to the people rather than corporations. Look for candidates with actionable plans rather than vague promises. For example, a populist advocating for universal healthcare should have detailed proposals for funding, implementation, and cost-saving measures. Another way is to assess a politician’s past actions and voting record. Genuine populists have a track record of advocating for policies that challenge corporate power and improve economic conditions for the masses.
Restructuring media ownership
The media has played a huge role in fuelling the ongoing culture wars. Antitrust laws and limitations of cross-ownership can be used to decrease the market power of these corporations and stop corporations from owning multiple types of media in the same market. Also, local media outlets should be encouraged, this can give a voice to community interests. The world has become a digital place, and independent media outlets that operate online can be supported.
Conclusion
The cultural wars that are at the heart of American politics are not accidental; they are a deliberate strategy used by the billionaire class to get the upper hand and get benefits from society. By sparking divisions over issues like abortion, LGBT rights, immigration, and the rest, they make sure that the poor and middle class remain at each other’s throats rather than united in their shared economic struggles. This division allows the rich to shape policies that favor corporate interests.
Psychologically, this strategy uses fear and moral outrage to prevent people from thinking rationally and spark emotional responses. Media outlets, often controlled by the wealthy, make sure that these cultural wars are all up in people’s faces all the time, distracting them from actual life-shaping issues. The result is a political system where voters subconsciously make decisions that eventually benefit the elite.
Just as was mentioned earlier, it’s hard to break this cycle but it’s doable. People have to consciously recognize these strategies and intentionally shift their focus to things that matter. Taking charge of what people consume on different media outlets will go a long way.
Personally, I think the time has come for voters to breach the gap when it comes to left-right divides. By the time they do this, they will discover that they share so much in common. Until then, rich people will continue to exploit cultural wars to maintain their grip on power, and ordinary Americans will always pay the price.
FAQs
How does the billionaire class manipulate the Supreme Court?
Wealthy donors fund campaigns to appoint justices who favor corporate interests. This ensures that they have long-term legal support.
What other ways are needed to limit billionaire influence on politics?
Implement stricter donation caps and transparency in political funding.
References
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