Name: How to tell when a government is scapegoating?
Uploaded: 2026-02-04T15:20:03.000Z
Duration: 59 s
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How to tell when a government is scapegoating.

Adverbs of manner

Governments are likely scapegoating when they consistently blame a specific group for complex problems without proportional evidence.

Warning signs include vague accusations, emotional language, and

slogans that simplify economic or social failures into a single cause.

Watch for selective statistics, sudden moral panics, or claims that critics are unpatriotic.

Scapegoating often coincides with policy failures, elections, or CR shifting attention away from leadership accountability.

Another indicator is collective punishment, restricting rights, surveillance, or collective guilt applied to a broad group rather than individuals.

Finally, ask whether proposed solutions address root causes or merely target the blamed group.

If removing the group wouldn't plausibly solve the problem, and

if power holders benefit politically, scapegoating is likely to occur.