We tend to underappreciate the power of propaganda and conspiracy theories

[LSD-Rumi]

It is just mindblowing and terrifying when you contemplate the point of view of a normie who is subjected to propaganda. I was contemplating the point of view of a typical Russian citizen who is subjected to Russian propaganda about how evil the west is and how all these claims of hackers attacks and poisoning candidates are actually western propaganda, And I as this imaginary "Russian citizen" was unable to think otherwise. The West became the devil and the Russian state is the savior, And As I tried to open my mind to the other possibility of that me being subjected to Russian propaganda, I was unable to do so as every part of me was resisting this and I was unable to take that possibility seriously. This is the perfect prison, the one that you don't see as a prison but rather as a home.
And then I was experiencing the same thing with conspiracy theories. They tend to make you more aggressive and paranoid as a person. They fill you with rage, confusion and paranoia. And I came to realize that propaganda and conspiracy theories are two faces of the same coin. 

[Ulax]

I think even the term, 'propaganda' is a propaganda term. Its just marketing at the end of the day.

But it doesn't serve the interests of many powerful group for 'marketing' to become a dirty word.

[Blackhawk]

@LSD-Rumi Indeed.

[vizual]

It’s all about power. As long as the government can make you believe they will keep you safe from “the enemy”, they will stay in power. Regardless if its actually in the best interest of the citizens (probably not). As long as the government has an enemy it can point to, it can divert the attention away from its own failings.

i see the same thing happening with the rona pandemic. Governments suddenly granting themselves unlimited power because “the need of the many outweigh the needs of the few”, or something along those lines. 

[Yarco]

On 2/18/2022 at 5:42 AM, Ulax said:

I think even the term, 'propaganda' is a propaganda term. Its just marketing at the end of the day.

But it doesn't serve the interests of many powerful group for 'marketing' to become a dirty word.

I agree. Propaganda is just marketing and promotion of ideas, instead of things. Since it's not tangible it doesn't feel as real to us. But all the marketing terms like conversion rates, etc still apply.

I've mentioned on the forum before how serious even memes are. They're an effective form of propaganda and they accomplish a goal. Lots of things that you think are inocuous entertainment are actually propaganda. Far more than you realize... movies, songs, all of it.

On a more spiritual level, many of the concepts spread through propaganda or conspiracies are mind viruses. Like a physical virus gives you physical symptoms, a mental virus gives you symptoms like rage, confusion and paranoia that keep the virus in you longer, and helps spread the virus to others. I'm basically talking pseudoscience at this point but maybe it'll be accepted in the future.

[Twenty]

What is a government? I was quite surprised to know(as of last year) that to many , my country doesn't have a government. 

And they are "creating a government" . 

[Guru Peter Jordanson]

"It is just mindblowing and terrifying when you contemplate the point of view of a normie who is subjected to propaganda. I was contemplating the point of view of a typical Western citizen who is subjected to Western propaganda about how evil Russia is and how all these claims of Ukraine wanting to be a Nato member state and that Biden has memory problems are actually Russian propaganda, And I as this imaginary "Western citizen" was unable to think otherwise. Russia became the devil and the Western states are the saviors, And As I tried to open my mind to the other possibility of that me being subjected to Western propaganda, I was unable to do so as every part of me was resisting this and I was unable to take that possibility seriously. This is the perfect prison, the one that you don't see as a prison but rather as a home."

Propaganda is everywhere!

Throw your TV out the window.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Guru Peter Jordanson