Federalist Radio Hour: ’You’re Wrong’ With Mollie Hemingway And David Harsanyi, Ep. 195: ‘Manufacturing Delusion’

In this episode of 'You're Wrong' with Molly Hemingway and David Harsanyi, guest Buck Sexton discusses his new book, 'Manufacturing Delusion,' which explores how mass delusions are systematically created through psychological manipulation, propaganda, and coercion—drawing parallels from totalitarian regimes like the Soviet Union and North Korea to modern phenomena such as pandemic responses, social media radicalization, and ideological extremism on both the left and right. Sexton, a former CIA operative who worked on jihadism in Nigeria, argues that techniques like isolation, menticide, thought reform, and the 'firehose of falsehood' are not relics of history but are actively used today to reshape reality and control behavior. He warns that AI, deepfakes, and digital propaganda have amplified these tactics, making it harder to distinguish truth from manufactured narrative. The hosts and guest also examine how both political sides are vulnerable to delusion—highlighting the absurdity of conspiracy theories on the right (like the Epstein cabal or the Charlie Kirk assassination) and the left’s use of identity politics and forced conformity. The episode concludes with a call to resist manipulation through critical thinking, strong family bonds, and sustained reading of substantive books as bulwarks against a post-literate, ideologically driven society.