Why the Term The People is Not As Nice as it Sounds

The term the People seems to be very inclusive. The People, that just means everyone, right?

In fact it is probably the oldest most divisive term in the world.

In the mists of history various forms of the term The People have been used. Native American groups called themselves something that usually translates into ‘The People.’ The Greeks had one name for themselves and everyone else was a barbarian.

This term is not limited to the ancient world. We have seen it in more recent history. Hitler used the term to describe the Germans and Stalin used the term to mean the proletariat.

The People is an interesting term. It implies that there are The People and those who are not The People. Another way of looking at it would be there are those who are human and those who are not.

Rarely has the term been used to describe all people. More often the term humanity or all of mankind with be used to describe everyone.

If The People does not mean everyone why do so many groups use this term?

Two different reasons are obvious.

First, to delineate one group from another. For example, The American People. This is just an easy way of saying this group of individuals as opposed to that group.

The second reason is to put those you do not like into an out group and dehumanize them. Horrific atrocities can be committed when armed with the justification of The People. After all, if they are not The People, than are they really people?

Several words can be used in place of this phrase. The Community, the oppressed, the proletariat, the marginalized and the list goes on. There are also several words that can be used to identify those who are NOT The People. Barbarians, Nazi’s, deplorable’s, untouchables.

Be Wary of The Champions of The People

When you hear someone talk about The People you need to be cautious. Especially when they are screaming at you that they are fighting for The People. Chances are, you are not among the people. This makes you an enemy of the people so watch out.

You can also hear The People being mentioned when people are racial supremacists. They tend to believe that The People are somehow superior to others. Chances here are, you are not pure enough to be among The People so you are a danger to their superiority. This makes you a threat to The People so watch out.

If you are listening to someone speak and they start talking about how they want to help The People you might want to stop and think who exactly they mean by The People. Wanting to help people is very different than wanting to help The People.