Check into Facebook and you'll see it all over the place. Even your good friends regurgitate the mantra thinking that it their own idea and no one has been chiding them into thinking it. But tell them they're a victim of propaganda and they'll think you're crazy. After all, propaganda is something that only happens during wars and even then, only in other, less-enlightened countries such as Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union.
So I thought for about a full minute of a list of other propaganda that's being dispensed around as gospel. I stopped at one minute because it was all coming to me so quickly that it was starting to upset me. But here is my short list of propaganda that I've noticed just recently. How many have you fallen for?
- Fiscal Cliff. Funny, to anyone even casually familiar with Austrian School economics has seen this \"cliff\" for a long time but all of the sudden the president's marketing team made this the latest buzzword and everyone is using it.
- We must protect our interests overseas. Ask anyone what this even means and you've already won the argument.
- Israel is our only friend in the Middle East. Question this at the risk of being labeled an anti-semite. Why this should even bother you in unknown.
- Red State/Blue State. This is a maneuver that is called \"framing the debate.\" If I can get you to select one of two options of MY choosing, that eliminates any free thinking. Which leads naturally to the next bullet point.
- We have a two-party system in America. Again, create an argument where you win either way and you can't lose.
- The president has a \"mandate.\" This is designed (quite effectively) to steer you away from thinking in terms of constitutionality and in favor of allowing the president broad, dictatorial powers.
- We live in a democracy. Again, the word \"republic\" has been stricken from the lexicon.
- Thank you, veterans. This is rooted purely in our emotions. Applying any rationality or asking how being in Afghanistan is keeping us safe only invites a punch in the mouth.
- Secession is racist. Nevermind that there s no way in hell that even an infinite amount of slaves can be more profitable that a few modern farm tools of today.
- Price gouging is awful and must be stopped. I asked many times if it is preferable to having no goods to buy and again I was met with blank stares. I usually don't get far enough to ask how price controls will bring needed goods to a disaster zone.
- 9/11 changed everything. Yes, it scared you so badly that you'll believe anything. Think I'm kidding? See for yourself.
Remember the elections? I made the mistake of telling a friend I wasn't going to vote. She totally flipped out and told me, "Your HAVE to vote!" I asked her why and she just stared back at me for a few awkward seconds before rolling her eyes and turning away. It got me thinking about how successful our government has been in drumming their version of patriotism into our heads… regardless of how we will never admit it.
Check into Facebook and you'll see it all over the place. Even your good friends regurgitate the mantra thinking that it their own idea and no one has been chiding them into thinking it. But tell them they're a victim of propaganda and they'll think you're crazy. After all, propaganda is something that only happens during wars and even then, only in other, less-enlightened countries such as Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union.
So I thought for about a full minute of a list of other propaganda that's being dispensed around as gospel. I stopped at one minute because it was all coming to me so quickly that it was starting to upset me. But here is my short list of propaganda that I've noticed just recently. How many have you fallen for?
- Fiscal Cliff. Funny, to anyone even casually familiar with Austrian School economics has seen this "cliff" for a long time but all of the sudden the president's marketing team made this the latest buzzword and everyone is using it.
- We must protect our interests overseas. Ask anyone what this even means and you've already won the argument.
- Israel is our only friend in the Middle East. Question this at the risk of being labeled an anti-semite. Why this should even bother you in unknown.
- Red State/Blue State. This is a maneuver that is called "framing the debate." If I can get you to select one of two options of MY choosing, that eliminates any free thinking. Which leads naturally to the next bullet point.
- We have a two-party system in America. Again, create an argument where you win either way and you can't lose.
- The president has a "mandate." This is designed (quite effectively) to steer you away from thinking in terms of constitutionality and in favor of allowing the president broad, dictatorial powers.
- We live in a democracy. Again, the word "republic" has been stricken from the lexicon.
- Thank you, veterans. This is rooted purely in our emotions. Applying any rationality or asking how being in Afghanistan is keeping us safe only invites a punch in the mouth.
- Secession is racist. Nevermind that there s no way in hell that even an infinite amount of slaves can be more profitable that a few modern farm tools of today.
- Price gouging is awful and must be stopped. I asked many times if it is preferable to having no goods to buy and again I was met with blank stares. I usually don't get far enough to ask how price controls will bring needed goods to a disaster zone.
- 9/11 changed everything. Yes, it scared you so badly that you'll believe anything. Think I'm kidding? See for yourself.
