Stars and Stripes of Corruption
109
Out in space! Bigger cars! Movie star president and his gorgeous wife! Kaboom!
The balance tilts. And it tilted slowly, but where are we now?” (2).
In part, the protest lyrics of Dead Kennedys argue that the Reagan
administration created an environment of hate for those with oppositional beliefs
and ideas, as well as an environment of hate for those who found themselves on
the economically lowest rungs of the capitalist ladder. This position reflects Haig
Bosmajian’s (1983) notion that the rhetoric of hate has historically been used to
subjugate those in society who lack power or position. Bosmajian points out that
the Nazis defined Jews as “bacilli,” “parasites,” “a disease,” “demons,” and “a
plague” (6). Similarly, the language of white racism has been used to keep people
of color in their place, while sexist language has allowed men F