Throughout history, powerful have systematically manufactured and weaponized hatred along lines of race, religion, and class to control populations and extract wealth. These aren't accidental prejudices but deliberate systems of divide-and-rule. By creating manufactured enemies, justifying resource extraction, and maintaining conflict, powerful have preserved dominance while the divided populations fight each other.
The age of manufactured hatred represents a sophisticated evolution in social control. Ancient forms relied on direct violence and explicit oppression. Modern systems use psychological manipulation, narrative framing, and institutional structures to achieve similar ends with different methods.
Race has been weaponized through narratives of racial superiority, historical grievances, and manufactured threats. Religion has been co-opted to justify holy wars, suppress dissent, and rally populations against manufactured enemies. Class divisions are maintained through economic structures that prevent upward mobility while creating resentment against those below.
These systems of control work through predictable mechanisms: create an "other" to fear, justify extraction from the "other" for protection or security, maintain conflict to prevent cooperation, and channel resulting wealth upward to those controlling the narrative. The brilliance lies in making those being controlled believe they're fighting for something noble rather than being exploited.
The most critical insight is that manufactured hatred serves specific power interests, not the populations that express it. The beneficiaries are rarely those doing the fighting or the hating—they're the ones extracting wealth, maintaining control, and selling the weapons of conflict. This creates a tragic dynamic where divided populations fight each other for reasons manufactured by those who profit from the division.
Another important perspective is that these systems persist because they're self-reinforcing. Each cycle of manufactured hatred justifies the next, creating a continuous stream of conflict and extraction. Breaking free requires recognizing this cycle and refusing to participate, which is challenging because the systems are designed to make participation feel like duty.
Investors and leaders should recognize that manufactured hatred affects everything from market stability to economic development. Regions divided by manufactured conflicts are less attractive for investment. Populations consumed by manufactured hatred have less capacity for productive economic activity. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for identifying opportunities and risks.
The most important principle is that authentic connection is the antidote to manufactured division. When people form real relationships across manufactured divisions, recognize common interests, and refuse to participate in cycles of hatred, the control systems lose their power. This requires conscious effort but is essential for breaking free from ancient systems of exploitation.
This Q&A is based on the comprehensive analysis: "The Age of Manufactured Hatred: How Racism, Religion, and Class Became Weapons of the Powerful" by Munawar Abadullah