Fabricating Reality and Manufacturing Enmity: Hate Speech and the Construction of War Discourse

Abstract

The escalation from interpersonal clashes to systemic state violence is a reality skillfully constructed through language. In today's digital world, the line between free expression and deliberate verbal aggression or hate speech has become dangerously blurred, allowing political leaders and media outlets to fuel war-mongering discourse through multimodal means. Therefore, this article explores the complex mechanisms of hate speech and its ability to manipulate public opinion and fabricate consent for hostility. Using discourse analysis (including narrative analysis, critical discourse analysis, and multimodal analysis) as the primary methodology, the study identifies manifestations of hate speech that frame opponents as existential threats through systemic bias and manipulation. The findings suggest that linguistic brainwashing provides moral justification for aggression and emphasize that understanding the nature of provocative language is a vital societal defense. In an era where social media dictates the boundaries of truth, decoding military discourse is essential to countering polarization and preserving a shared objective reality.