Hillary Clinton’s recent article at The Atlantic curiously bears exactly the same title as my own recent book, “The Weaponization of Loneliness.” Her piece has generated much criticism from conservatives—and deservedly so. But what neither Clinton nor her critics explain is what it actually means to weaponize loneliness and how such a process operates within us as well as in society at large.
Those who critique Clinton’s article tend to focus almost entirely on her demonization of her political opponents. This is completely understandable. Indeed, she pulls out all her usual suspects, including everything “right-wing,” white men, “incels,” Rush Limbaugh, MAGA, QAnon, Steve Bannon, parents concerned about the indoctrination of their young children at school, and more.
In addition, Hillary resurrects her old theme of a “vast right-wing conspiracy” to claim that those responsible for our crisis of loneliness have created and exploited a growing sense of alienation through “right-wing propaganda and misinformation, malign foreign interference in our elections, and the vociferous backlash against social progress.”
She uses smears like “alt-right” and “conspiracy theorist” dozens of times throughout the piece. Ironically, her language is precisely that of suppression and isolation. Such demonization is a staple of those who want to shut down conversation, isolate those who disagree, and enforce compliance with increasingly bizarre demands.
Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth, Americans are definitely suffering from an epidemic of loneliness and social isolation. This is not news. Our related tragedies—including spikes in deaths of despair and the adverse effects of social isolation
