This comment illustrates exactly what I'm talking about, Mr. Rogers.
The surface propaganda might have fallen apart, and there may have been much internal criticism - but we're still in Iraq. And Syria, and Lebanon, Yemen, etc.
Those trillions of dollars are still owed. BY US. It doesn't matter how much we protested - we're still on the hook for the bill.
Those millions of victims are still dead.
Those black sites are still open.
The people who did that are walking around free, not even remotely affected.
Snowden is still exiled. Assange is still held in Belmarsh.
The Patriot Act is still renewed, even by Dem elites. A lot of the population is still convinced there were WMDs, that Assange was a Russian agent, that Biden and Obama tried to end this stuff (they expanded it). Shit, Obama sold tens of billions of dollars of weapons to Saudi Arabia.
A terrifying percentage of the population is actively rooting for nuclear apocalypse. Even more believe that climate scientists are lying to us for money. The Dem resistance to that consists of fighting progressives (?!).
Americans will sit there with a straight face, and maximum earnestness, telling you that it's actually great that they pay so much for housing, healthcare, and education. They think it's fantastic that US billionaires have so much money; and that if children are hungry it's their parents fault. "Best system in the world" - "at least we're not socialist", etc.
Americans view of other countries is incredibly distorted.
You think the regime changes every four / eight years - but that's because you're so thoroughly inured in propaganda that you don't even feel it. It's a wrestling show; it's kayfabe. They're all friends behind the scenes. They argue on camera, then go on yacht trips together. Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch are buddies. Clinton and Trump were friends for decades. The birther conspiracy was started by Hilary's campaign. W gives Melania candy, and the TV tells you it's cute.
Even Dems argue that America's military actions are normal or justified - Propaganda. You think Dems aren't in on it? Propaganda. If you think opinion of the poorest 92% has a non-zero effect on policy? Propaganda.
It's not normal for the wealthiest country on Earth to have millions of starving children, millions of homeless people, an out of control drug problem, medical bankruptcy, a world record prison population. But people accept it. Propaganda, propaganda, propaganda.
Dems think it's all Republicans fault - propaganda. They think all this is inevitable; this is how people are - propaganda.
This probably sounds ranty, and I'm not arsed sourcing everything here. Apologies.
I do hope you can read this without your reflexes immediately rejecting it - but experience shows that to be extraordinarily rare... Propaganda.
The surface propaganda might have fallen apart, and there may have been much internal criticism - but we're still in Iraq. And Syria, and Lebanon, Yemen, etc.
Those trillions of dollars are still owed. BY US. It doesn't matter how much we protested - we're still on the hook for the bill.
Those millions of victims are still dead.
Those black sites are still open.
The people who did that are walking around free, not even remotely affected.
Snowden is still exiled. Assange is still held in Belmarsh.
The Patriot Act is still renewed, even by Dem elites. A lot of the population is still convinced there were WMDs, that Assange was a Russian agent, that Biden and Obama tried to end this stuff (they expanded it). Shit, Obama sold tens of billions of dollars of weapons to Saudi Arabia.
A terrifying percentage of the population is actively rooting for nuclear apocalypse. Even more believe that climate scientists are lying to us for money. The Dem resistance to that consists of fighting progressives (?!).
Americans will sit there with a straight face, and maximum earnestness, telling you that it's actually great that they pay so much for housing, healthcare, and education. They think it's fantastic that US billionaires have so much money; and that if children are hungry it's their parents fault. "Best system in the world" - "at least we're not socialist", etc.
Americans view of other countries is incredibly distorted.
You think the regime changes every four / eight years - but that's because you're so thoroughly inured in propaganda that you don't even feel it. It's a wrestling show; it's kayfabe. They're all friends behind the scenes. They argue on camera, then go on yacht trips together. Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch are buddies. Clinton and Trump were friends for decades. The birther conspiracy was started by Hilary's campaign. W gives Melania candy, and the TV tells you it's cute.
Even Dems argue that America's military actions are normal or justified - Propaganda. You think Dems aren't in on it? Propaganda. If you think opinion of the poorest 92% has a non-zero effect on policy? Propaganda.
It's not normal for the wealthiest country on Earth to have millions of starving children, millions of homeless people, an out of control drug problem, medical bankruptcy, a world record prison population. But people accept it. Propaganda, propaganda, propaganda.
Dems think it's all Republicans fault - propaganda. They think all this is inevitable; this is how people are - propaganda.
This probably sounds ranty, and I'm not arsed sourcing everything here. Apologies.
I do hope you can read this without your reflexes immediately rejecting it - but experience shows that to be extraordinarily rare... Propaganda.