Afrasianet - In recent years, the U.S. political scene has been witnessing what some observers have described as "continuous phantom revolutions," with millions taking to the streets to protest symbolic issues, without making concrete demands or actually challenging power, according to author Kathleen Johnston in her analysis.
For example, the United States recently witnessed the "No Kings" protests, which aimed to protest the existence of a hypothetical political monarchy that does not exist. These events did not change anything from the current reality, but were more akin to motivational crowds for the Democratic Party, as participants carried symbolic banners and then moved on to their daily lives, while the same political and economic situation that contributed to the rise of President Donald Trump continued.
Johnston: The goal of this phenomenon is to direct growing popular discontent in politically secure directions, so that citizens believe they are participating in a "real revolution," while the powerful continue to retain their power and wealth.
Johnston emphasizes that this phenomenon is not limited to the liberal side, but also includes the Republican current, where the American right acts as if it is resisting an oppressive institution, while his party controls all branches of government. She pointed out that Trump has adopted a theatrical style similar to "WWE" wrestling in politics, which makes Republicans believe that they are embracing the role of a popular revolutionary, while the Democrats see it as an unprecedented threat to freedom and democracy, while in fact his policies maintain the status quo of the American empire.
Trump's policies, according to the analysis, included suppressing freedom of expression, implementing sophisticated surveillance systems, funding armed conflicts in places such as Iran, Yemen, and Ukraine, as well as supporting Israel's brutal war on Gaza. While the public believes that it is engaged in a battle against "power," the political and economic reality remains unchanged.
The aim of this phenomenon is to direct growing popular discontent in politically secure directions, so that citizens believe they are participating in a "real revolution," while the powerful continue to retain their power and wealth. Johnston explains that this process, despite its authoritarian and bloody nature, is a very clever political fraud, as it has managed to create the illusion of participating in change without compromising political reality.
The United States, despite its long history of being an oligarchic state , was very similar to the policies of other Western countries. Election campaigns were policy-focused, elections were held, and politicians spent their term preoccupied with corruption or pretending to be serious, without political participation becoming a constant representation of a fictitious revolution, as it is today.
With poverty rising and public services deteriorating, public discontent with the status quo is mounting, and the demand for real change is increasing, making managing this anger and turning it into "safe" protests an effective tool for the existing regime to maintain its power.
The analysis concludes that American politics today is based on a combination of political theatricality and the illusion of revolution, with participants thinking they are resisting power while the status quo remains cohesive and the powerful continue to control resources and wealth, in one of the smartest political disinformation operations of modern times.