Good Enemies

The best way to bring folks together, is to give them a really good enemy.

- The Wizard

How many good enemies will be created before November 2026? How many before November 2028?

This phrase spoken by The Wizard in the musical/film Wicked has been running through my mind all week. There is so much truth in this one little line. I must confess that I haven’t read the book because I’m more of a musical person, but some quick searches show that this line was written by Winnie Holzman who penned the script for the musical. It would be fascinating to know what specific example ran through her mind as she wrote that famous dialogue.

It has been running through my mind because I’ve watched a new/old enemy emerge in the media and on social networks. According to politicians searching for culture war sound bites, Dr. Anthony Fauci is both responsible for millions of lives lost during the COVID pandemic and for the overreaction with precautionary guidelines for a virus that was just a common flu. Amazingly, both narratives have been shared on the same media outlets. What in the name of cognitive dissonance is going on here?

Enter The Wizard. “The best way to bring folks together, is to give them a really good enemy.”

We—the public—should not have access to Dr. Fauci’s personal diary. So, let’s put all those cringeworthy articles and quotes about his supposed narcissism aside. How one can make that argument with a straight face in the midst of this current administration is beyond me. Let’s just look at the power play.

Every script and political narrative needs an enemy/villain. We, the people, must use some better discernment in the days ahead to decide whether the villain is manufactured or real. It feels like the majority of Americans are finally recognizing that our immigrant neighbors are not the enemies they’ve been portrayed to be. It feels like bashing popular ideas like universal healthcare just doesn’t have the communist weight it used to carry. It feels like many Americans are waking up to see that our transgender family and friends are not the boogeyman, and are simply people worthy of love like the rest of us.

There will need to be more enemies to keep distracting from the real enemies and problems that are benefiting the powerful few. And, you best believe that more manufactured enemies are on the way in a midterm election cycle. In the coming days, I want to encourage you to pay attention to the enemies and ask yourself some questions.

Is this person or group really a good manufactured enemy?

Who benefits from this person or group being an enemy either from political distraction or financial gain?

Why should this person or a group be an enemy for me? (In the Christian tradition, the love of enemy talk is intended to remove the category for that person completely.)

Let’s be on the lookout for good enemies. Cheers!