Another widely used technique is the opposition of interests, employed within the strategy of “Divide and rule.” In this case, manipulators attempt to suggest that the interests and rights of a given individual or group conflict with the interests of another group, and that the interests of the latter are far more significant—without this necessarily being true, or even without there being any real conflict at all. This is typically done when unpopular policies or actions toward someone (or some group) need to be justified—actions that would otherwise not enjoy public approval and could even compromise those carrying them out.

When such manipulation is carried out by those in power or by behind-the-scenes circles, the underlying presumption is that people live in a society where different interests intertwine, and that in order to avoid chaos, there must be someone who decides everything—even if this exceeds their authority, and even if it sometimes contradicts the letter of the law. In such cases, law and morality are presented as obstacles to the realization of the power ambitions and goals of these circles, or even of the official authorities themselves.

Manipulators will try to present certain immoral or even illegal actions as a “necessary evil” or “the lesser evil,” attempting to “prove” that someone’s position, rights, or interests harm many people or even society as a whole. This technique is often applied persistently and methodically, as part of the Overton Window strategy for gradually imposing certain unpopular ideas on society—a strategy discussed in previous chapters.

Manipulators will also try to prevent or reduce any sympathy or compassion toward the victim, attempting to redirect public attention toward imaginary or real inconveniences allegedly suffered by the group opposed to the victim—conveniently blaming the victim for these inconveniences. Moreover, if such inconveniences actually exist, they will be exaggerated to the maximum extent.

The phrases commonly used in this type of manipulation include:

• “One person gains, everyone else loses.”
• “This is better for everyone.”
• “It’s in the interest of the common good.”
• “The public interest must take precedence.”
• “We sacrifice one to save many.”
• “A leader must be able to make unpopular decisions.”
• “Enough with this misguided democracy!”
• “There must be order!”
• “Because of you, everyone is suffering!”

As with all other forms of manipulation, the primary means of resistance are logic and reason. Nothing should be taken on faith, regardless of how it is presented. Instead, every claim must be subjected to logical and impartial analysis. In this way, if there are suggestions of an artificial conflict, they can be exposed as tendentious and groundless.

Let us not forget that the most frequently used strategy of social control by oligarchies is precisely “Divide and rule,” whose goal is to prevent the population from ever uniting into a civil society aware of its shared and collective interests—one capable of winning, asserting, and defending them.