We publish this excerpt for its face value in identifying techniques of manipulation that have enabled people to proceed with unspeakable acts of violence against others or to justify acts of theft and vandalism.

May 3, 2010
On Sunday night, George Noory was joined by David Kupelian, managing editor of WorldNetDaily, who discussed how the human psyche is exploited by criminals, terrorists, politicians and marketers, as well as why some celebrities go haywire. The basic building block of evil is the lie or deception, which can be used to fuel genocide, he explained, citing how in Africa, the Hutus were told by their leaders that the Tutsis "were not human, they are cockroaches and snakes." And further, Radio Rwanda repeatedly broadcast that the Tutsis were about to attack the Hutus. "These two big lies opened the floodgates for all out genocide-- almost a million people were slashed with machetes and clubs," he said.

Victims are portrayed as a threat as well as dehumanized, and this is a common thread in all cases of genocide, he continued. Such big lies cause people to emotionally react, become upset and irrational. Hitler bragged that he "always kept the masses emotionalized," Kupelian noted. Politicians often tell lies, assuring voters with what they want to hear, and preying on people's tendency to want to believe, he added.

The mind is vulnerable to various kinds of manipulation. He spoke about cases of "Stockholm Syndrome" where a hostage begins sympathizing with their captors, like with Patty Hearst, as well as how fame has corrupted the minds of a number of celebrities, who are worshiped by their fans. Kupelian also suggested that antidepressants were being over-prescribed, pushed by pharmaceutical advertisements, and that many people had lost the ability to deal with their problems without taking a pill.