“Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state.” —Noam Chomsky
Many of us just go through our day and don’t give much thought to power. We go to work, eat lunch, go home, and play with the kids and the dog (well, I don’t) and think about dinner.
One sees fighter jets. That’s power. One sees gleaming corporate skyscrapers. That’s power. But, that’s the power you can see. I’m talking about the power you cannot.
Why do we think in terms of the polarity of liberal/conservative? Why are there two political parties? Why does neither party represent your interests? We know very well what Americans want. Yet, Capitol Hill treats those preferences with contempt. They are considered “leftist.” The population is leftist? I rather doubt it.
And why when a politician comes along who gets close to the population’s wants, they are treated with scorn (Bernie) or just ignored (Elizabeth Warren). CNN and Fox News set the agenda. Why do two major news outlets decide what’s best for Americans. Why do Americans not make that decision for themselves?
It sounds dramatic, but this is thought control. Not the kind you see in science fiction, yet it’s still thought control. The individual citizen (you) doesn’t think his or her own thoughts. You go to the polls and you leave your thoughts at home. You adopt a framework of thinking that is not yours.
Furthermore, I routinely hear Americans express this thinking like it’s their own. “Universal healthcare? We can’t afford it! It would never work!” Or: “Capitalism is the best system!” In many of conversations for decades, I have learned that precious few even know what capitalism is. And the common assumption is that the only other system on offer is Soviet communism—which wasn’t communism. So, they don’t know what that is either.
Many will not allow themselves to think that just maybe the United States and the West have something to do with the agony that is being visited upon the Ukraine. Evil Vladimir Putin just woke up one morning and decided on a course of belligerence. No thought is given to diplomacy, no thought is given to Western provocation. It’s us versus them. White hat, black hat. Liberal, conservative. This is polarized thinking. And it’s not yours.
Americans are working more hours and making less money. The middle class is falling further and further behind. “People are lazy and need to pull themselves up by their boot straps!” We blame ourselves for the faults of the system. “If you want to be rich, work harder!” This thinking is drilled into the population’s head—often by the population. The message is that it’s your fault. Elon Musk is a billionaire because he works hard and is really smart. So, if you’re not a billionaire, you’re obviously not working hard enough and you’re obviously not very bright.
Government spending is also something that is not approached analytically. If federal spending benefits power, money falls from heaven. There is no budget. If spending improves the lives of people who do not matter (you), we need to look at the numbers. The budget is tight. We need to tighten the belt. Lockheed Martin? They matter. The woman who cleans houses and also tends to the elderly at a nursing home? She can drop dead. Loser. If she was a quality human being, she would be on the board of directors at Lockheed Martin.
We have been encouraged to view the population with disdain. And to flatter power and wealth. The rich get free money all the time, but I don’t hear a peep about it. However, the Republican Party can’t reduce social programs that help women and the working poor fast enough. Their position is, we need to fund other priorities. Like what? The priorities of the people lobbying your office? Why are those interests the priorities?
And why do the American people have such a loose grasp of what is going on in the Middle East? Why are we given such an antiseptic view of Israel’s brutality toward the Palestinians? This is a kind of thought control. The United States has a foreign-policy agenda in that part of the world. It is not a coincidence that Americans are fuzzy on the details. This is because the details are thoroughly unpleasant and if Americans were presented with a high-definition view of what we’re doing there, they would not stand for it.
So, the New York Times does something less than journalism on the subject. If it did actual journalism, it would perturb the State Department and the luxury brands that advertise in the paper. The former want compliance and the latter prefer stability. The Times knows the rules, so they comply and insure stability. They do not rock the boat. Therefore, the population does not get informed.
The question is always: Who benefits? My guess: it’s not you.
