The bigger the liar, the more the believers

n Adolf Hitler’s 99-year-old Mein Kampf, he claimed that a lie, if told convincingly and repeatedly, can be accepted as truth. The man who would later orchestrate the murder of six million Jews and wage war against 1.6 billion people believed that effective propaganda must be simple, emotional, and repetitive to manipulate public perception and achieve political goals. The Big Lie was born.

Hitler wrote: “In the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility… the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily… in the primitive simplicity of their minds, they more readily fall victim to the big lie than the small lie.”

In short, the bigger the lie, the likelier it is to be believed.

Donald Trump invoked this same tactic in a baseless claim during his presidential debate with Kamala Harris, when he accused Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, of consuming dogs, cats, and geese. This outrageous fabrication is emblematic of the deep-seated racism that continues to plague American society. Trump’s running mate JD Vance compounded this lie by claiming Haitians are a source of communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. This slur, eerily similar to the racist lies spread 40 years ago blaming Haitians for AIDS, mirrors Nazi-driven hatred. Some German physicians falsely blamed Jews for the spread of typhus, illustrating the dangerous consequences of using fear to stigmatise entire communities.

Despite these inflammatory statements, local health officials have reported that communicable diseases in the county are at their lowest rate since 2016, even though Springfield’s Haitian population has grown by about 20 000. The lies spread by Trump and Vance go beyond ignorance; they are part of a broader strategy to perpetuate harmful stereotypes about historically marginalised communities of colour, particularly those from the Caribbean.

This is not the first time we’ve seen such rhetoric. Trump previously described Haiti and other Black and brown nations as “s***hole countries.” The source of this latest poison is not a misguided conservative ideologue but a neo-Nazi group called Blood Tribe, with support from far-right Trump associate and failed congressional candidate Laura Loomer.

Trump’s lies are more than hateful rhetoric targeting lawful residents seeking refuge from violence and chaos under the US government’s temporary protected status. The Haitian population in Springfield did not descend on the town unbidden; they were invited to fill labour shortages. The Haitian community has proven to be industrious, thrifty, and orderly, displaying virtues common to immigrant groups of all races. However, after a fatal accident involving a Haitian driver and a school bus, the incident was exploited to amplify racist attacks against the entire community. By all accounts, the Haitians of Springfield are decent, hardworking people, yet they are now subjected to a rising tide of racism.

The hate spread by Trump and his associates has had serious consequences. Springfield has seen death threats, bomb scares, and the temporary closure of schools and City Hall. Haitian residents describe an atmosphere of fear and hostility, with their safety endangered by baseless lies. This unjust vilification not only affects the Haitian community but casts a shadow over all Caribbean-Americans, reinforcing harmful stereotypes and deepening social divisions.

Indeed, the Haitian residents of Springfield have already been confronted by curious Americans asking whether they eat pets. Such questions reflect the ignorance many West Indians have encountered in the US, such as being asked how long it takes to drive from Jamaica to Barbados, or if people live in coconut trees. This is the soft bigotry of profound cultural and geographical ignorance.

There is a broader pattern of anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States, deeply rooted in anti-Black racism. The notion that immigrants pose a threat to society is a recurring theme, historically manifesting in policies and attitudes that dehumanise people based on nationality or skin colour. The portrayal of Haitian immigrants as “the other” fuels a narrative of alienation and isolation, overlooking their positive contributions to American society and the economy.

As Mark Twain observed, history rhymes. The mythology of the United States as a beacon of liberty has long stood in contrast to its exclusionary practices based on race and nationality. Immigrant groups have consistently faced prejudice. From 1882 to 1917, laws excluded Chinese immigrants. One hundred years ago, national origin quotas were established to restrict immigration from non-Western European regions.Trump’s presidential travel ban on individuals from Muslim-majority countries further entrenched patterns of discrimination.

We fear the long-term impact of racialised stereotypes against the people of Haiti, a fellow CARICOM member. These portrayals undermine the rich cultural heritage and resilience of Haitians, who continue to contribute meaningfully to their communities despite immense challenges. These harmful stereotypes are not isolated incidents but are part of a broader system of oppression aimed at marginalising people of colour and undermining their dignity.

These facts should not go unnoticed by the approximately 4.4 million Caribbean immigrants living in the United States, nearly two-thirds of whom are naturalised citizens. With a naturalisation rate higher than the general foreign-born population, at about 49 per cent, Caribbean-Americans hold significant political power. Confronting racism and xenophobia in daily life, at the ballot box, in the workplace, and in communities, is essential.

It is also significant that Kamala Harris, the woman seeking to lead all Americans, is herself the daughter of a Jamaican father and Indian mother. Since entering the presidential race, she has been the target of racist attacks. Her opponent’s reluctance to condemn such hatred is a clear attempt to appeal to white supremacists in an era marked by extremism and disinformation. This strategy not only seeks to rally white voters but also aims to stoke unrest should he lose.

The dangers of the Big Lie cannot be overstated. The impact of such tactics, exacerbated by voter apathy, is unpredictable and potentially devastating. The fight against racism and the manipulation of truth is one we cannot afford to ignore.