The Fallacy in the Handmaid's Tale (show)
Don't bother calling out hypocrisy of Republicans (Conservatives)- it's their signal of power
Hypocrisy is when you claim to have standards, beliefs, rules or principles that your own behavior does not conform to. It involves a disconnect between what a person publicly professes and how they privately act.
I have not read Margaret Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale. For those unfamiliar with it, it is a dystopian story about a society ruled by a theocracy called the Republic of Gilead in what was once the United States. I’m not sure how closely the show follows the book. The show is well done, a well developed but sometimes slow moving plot, solid characters, with mostly very good acting and directing.
Something unusual about the story is that the leadership of Gilead work hard to live their lives in accord with the rules that they impose on the people of Gilead. The leaders mostly lack hypocrisy, and if one of their leaders breaks the rules, they are punished - even severely. I find this aspect of the story may be overlooked or underdeveloped, and very interesting because I think it is not normal. Throughout history, the norm of the ruling class is hypocrisy. Covert hypocrisy is the norm. Behind closed doors, the ruling class does what it wants, and in the public eye, they are very careful to project a life lived by the values they put forth as good.
There are glimpses of hypocrisy in The Handmaid’s Tale: Commanders sneak away to Jezebel’s (the prostitution house with a bar and perhaps drugs), Serena promoted the ideology that ultimately oppressed her, and some Commanders engage in affairs or extra judicial rape of their Handmaids, but overall, they operates with a high degree of ideological consistency. But, historically, theocracies and dictatorships have been rampantly hypocritical. Today is no exception, the most oppressive countries have leaders who enjoy freedoms they deny to their citizens.
Here are just 9 examples of hypocrisy in history - but there is an endless list:
French Revolution Leaders – Advocated for "liberty, equality, fraternity" while executing political opponents in the Reign of Terror.
Thomas Jefferson – Wrote about freedom and equality while owning enslaved people.
Catholic Church (Renaissance Era) – Preached chastity and piety while popes and clergy engaged in corruption, nepotism, and indulgence sales.
Soviet Communist Party – Promoted classless society while elite officials lived in luxury (dachas, special stores, privileges).
American Prohibition Politicians – Many who supported banning alcohol (1920-1933) were caught drinking in secret.
Victorian Era Morality – Strict public morals while many elite men frequented brothels and maintained mistresses.
Jim Crow Politicians – Promoted racial segregation while secretly benefiting from Black labor and economic contributions.
Nazi Leadership – Enforced strict racial purity laws while some had Jewish ancestry or engaged in forbidden activities with Jewish men and women.
Iranian Revolution Leaders (1979-Present) – Condemn Western decadence while enjoying Western medical care, education, and luxuries.
This problem in The Handmaid’s Tale creates creates some disappointment in me when I watch it. I think by making Gilead’s leaders ideologically pure by demonstrating an far less hypocrisy than we know would otherwise exist given the lessons of history across all time and all cultures, The Handmaid’s Tale gives them a kind of integrity that real-world tyrants rarely possess, and this inadvertently makes them somewhat respectable, even if they’re monstrous, because at least they’re not hypocrites.
We live in a time when Conservatives seems to wear their Hypocrisy as a badge of honor. In fact, Republicans in-your-face hypocrisy is a strong message to us all, that the rules don’t apply to them, they can do what they want. They rule by the limits of power not by principle, and their goal is unlimited power.
Hypocrisy is almost a defining feature of authoritarian and theocratic regimes. The elite usually justify their indulgences with loopholes, divine rights, or special dispensations while keeping the general population in line through fear and moral rhetoric. A recent example of hypocrisy is Donald Trump avoiding the draft in Vietnam with a doctor’s note for “bone spurs,” and making fun of John McCain and Goldstar families, while at the same time being Commander in Chief of the US Military, praising the dedication and bravery of soldiers. Some call this political expediency, but it’s hypocrisy. A great or even good leader is never above doing anything that they would ask you to do.
Another example of hypocrisy is the Republican party’s anti-immigration stance with grandiose plans to deport millions of legal and undocumented immigrants, yet Trump and Musk want to maintain H1B immigrants for their businesses. A good leader will be consistent and non-biased in their enforcement of rules. Of course there are exceptions to rules, but when those exceptions are made for self-dealing and self-interest, then that is hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy is a fundamental mechanism of power. Hypocrisy is a form of privilege, it IS how ruling elites like Donald Trump, Elon Musk, RFK, Jr, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and nearly all Republican leaders and Conservatives differentiate themselves from the people they rule.
I think Atwood, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale, included hypocrisy in her story, but not the degree and flavor that it exists in real life. It is hypocrisy that often becomes the Achilles heel of autocracies, and it may just be one of several for Donald Trump and Republicans if they are unable to continue to successfully blame Democrats for the negative impact that their policies will have on Working and Middle Class Americans.
Here are 10 examples of hypocrisy in the Republican (Conservative) party:
Family Values vs. Scandals – Many Republican politicians have campaigned on "family values" while being caught in extramarital affairs (e.g., Newt Gingrich, Mark Sanford).
Anti-Government Spending vs. Overspending – Republicans often criticize government spending but have approved massive deficits under GOP administrations (e.g., tax cuts under Reagan, Bush, and Trump leading to higher deficits).
Law and Order vs. Jan 6th – Many Republicans strongly support "law and order" but downplayed or excused the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Anti-Elitism vs. Billionaire Influence – GOP politicians criticize "coastal elites" but are often funded by billionaire donors and corporate interests (e.g., Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson).
States' Rights vs. Federal Overreach – They often advocate for states’ rights but push for federal bans on issues like abortion or marijuana when it suits their agenda.
Free Market vs. Corporate Bailouts – Preach small government and free-market capitalism but support corporate bailouts (e.g., 2008 bank bailouts, Trump’s farmer subsidies during trade war).
Pro-Military vs. Avoiding Service – Many pro-military GOP leaders never served in the military while criticizing others (e.g., Trump avoiding the draft, Dick Cheney's "five deferments").
Religious Morality vs. Trump’s Behavior – Evangelical Republicans claim to uphold Christian values but overwhelmingly supported Trump despite his affairs, crude behavior, and lack of religiosity.
Big Government Overreach vs. Personal Freedom – Claim to oppose government interference but push restrictive policies on LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, and book bans.
Election Integrity vs. Gerrymandering/Voter Suppression – Argue against election fraud but push for restrictive voting laws, gerrymandering, and efforts to overturn legitimate results (e.g., 2020 election challenges).
Scott, all your posts are so novel and well-researched. I have read the novel, the Handmaid's tale, but haven't watched the show. Is it on Amazon Prime?