Karnage on Nostr: I used to think that propaganda was this minor thing that happened once in a while ...
I used to think that propaganda was this minor thing that happened once in a while when some powerful entity wanted to spin things to promote a narrative.
Then I learned that each political party has a vast network of publications who do their bidding to destroy whatever they seek to destroy. The left has a far superior network - by my last count at least 20-30 major publications that work in tandem to promote a narrative. This is very hard to notice but becomes very clear in political coverage. You quickly realize it’s not left vs. right, but left vs. whatever left opposes - even its own people. This network of evil will stop at nothing to do as much harm as possible to anyone who they see as a threat. I also believe whoever pulls the strings also works with the political polling entities (usually universities) to frame things in a certain way that biases favorably towards certain candidates. For example, Biden was last in favorability polls in the primaries, but then magically rose through the ranks of far more favorable candidates. If you looked at the surveys, they were phrased as such to give Biden more prominence than he actually deserved. Combined with the mainstream coverage focusing entirely on the least favorable candidate, it becomes difficult to not acknowledge that there is something seriously fishy going on. If you were to tell me all of this 5 years ago, I would have laughed it off as a “ok dude… I’ll have what you’re on”. But now, I see it clear as day. The media is actively spinning narratives on all sorts of issues, not just political ones. They do this non-stop to shape social dialogue. I don’t think it’s always aimed with the help of some agency steering the editorial function. To make something effective is to make it believable by creating some other fluff that sounds fine. You also have the fact that drama sells so it’s in their interest to provoke the most angry response possible - get people rallied up and spread their brand free of charge. This is marketing.
A lot of times, the journalists don’t even know this is happening. They investigate one thing and come up with some stuff, but the editors tell them to write it in a certain way that wasn’t their original intention. At that point the journo can’t even say no because their livelihood is on the line. Lose this one job and you’ll have a hard time getting another. I have no idea if this lady falls into that category, kinda doubt it, but there’s that.
The natural human response to rage is to complain about the rage. Or to discuss it as I am discussing it now. I am actually helping these assholes by writing this. I know it, and I hate it, but I am. The only way to actually make them powerless is by ignoring them entirely. The smart thing to do is to ignore all of it and move on as if nothing happened. Despite it happening, starving any publication of attention is their worst fear. If no one reads it, then who cares? This is mostly why I unplugged from most of the media. If you give them attention, they have influence over your thoughts whether you know it or not.
Ironically, Jack said it well most recently by saying you are what you pay attention to. I believe he meant that your personal agency depends on how you see the world and what you allow to enter your consciousness. If you choose not to throw fuel at rage fire, that fire will subside. Nothing we say will make BI or any other propaganda organization any more ethical. But silence will drive them mad. The more they are ignored, the less power they hold over anyone.
Then I learned that each political party has a vast network of publications who do their bidding to destroy whatever they seek to destroy. The left has a far superior network - by my last count at least 20-30 major publications that work in tandem to promote a narrative. This is very hard to notice but becomes very clear in political coverage. You quickly realize it’s not left vs. right, but left vs. whatever left opposes - even its own people. This network of evil will stop at nothing to do as much harm as possible to anyone who they see as a threat. I also believe whoever pulls the strings also works with the political polling entities (usually universities) to frame things in a certain way that biases favorably towards certain candidates. For example, Biden was last in favorability polls in the primaries, but then magically rose through the ranks of far more favorable candidates. If you looked at the surveys, they were phrased as such to give Biden more prominence than he actually deserved. Combined with the mainstream coverage focusing entirely on the least favorable candidate, it becomes difficult to not acknowledge that there is something seriously fishy going on. If you were to tell me all of this 5 years ago, I would have laughed it off as a “ok dude… I’ll have what you’re on”. But now, I see it clear as day. The media is actively spinning narratives on all sorts of issues, not just political ones. They do this non-stop to shape social dialogue. I don’t think it’s always aimed with the help of some agency steering the editorial function. To make something effective is to make it believable by creating some other fluff that sounds fine. You also have the fact that drama sells so it’s in their interest to provoke the most angry response possible - get people rallied up and spread their brand free of charge. This is marketing.
A lot of times, the journalists don’t even know this is happening. They investigate one thing and come up with some stuff, but the editors tell them to write it in a certain way that wasn’t their original intention. At that point the journo can’t even say no because their livelihood is on the line. Lose this one job and you’ll have a hard time getting another. I have no idea if this lady falls into that category, kinda doubt it, but there’s that.
The natural human response to rage is to complain about the rage. Or to discuss it as I am discussing it now. I am actually helping these assholes by writing this. I know it, and I hate it, but I am. The only way to actually make them powerless is by ignoring them entirely. The smart thing to do is to ignore all of it and move on as if nothing happened. Despite it happening, starving any publication of attention is their worst fear. If no one reads it, then who cares? This is mostly why I unplugged from most of the media. If you give them attention, they have influence over your thoughts whether you know it or not.
Ironically, Jack said it well most recently by saying you are what you pay attention to. I believe he meant that your personal agency depends on how you see the world and what you allow to enter your consciousness. If you choose not to throw fuel at rage fire, that fire will subside. Nothing we say will make BI or any other propaganda organization any more ethical. But silence will drive them mad. The more they are ignored, the less power they hold over anyone.