Some Scribbles Concerning “Us and Them”

Power, Pronouns, and Persuasion

It’s a cool afternoon out here in East Tennessee, and I find myself enjoying a shot in the dark and listening to The Dark Side of the Moon. Pink Floyd’s “Us and Them” is a sincere and understated piece concerning war. One of the aspects of the song that always resonates with me is the subtle use of pronouns to dehumanize one’s enemy. “Us and Them” shows us how easy it is to unperson those we don’t like, or those we are told not to like.

The line “…It’s a battle of words?” shows the audience that pronouns are used to dehumanize and to unify. By using words such as us, them, you, and me it is easy to dehumanize the opposition, but these same words can also be used to create unity, a collective spirit, for those on the opposite side. Propaganda runs deep through the song showing it’s easy (so easy it’s kind of scary) to convince people to march and die at the whims of generals, politicians, or for anybody who holds a position of power or importance.

Politicians, personalities, influencers, and talking heads that populate the media revel in throwing around accusations, recriminations, and labels these days. Before you step inside to chat with the “man with the gun,” ask yourself who they are and who you are (more importantly who you want to be and if they want you to be somebody different)?