If We Are Brainwashed, How Would We Know?
I've been looking for an answer to this question for over a year now. I think I might have found it.
Diane, another good friend, suggested listening to an interview with Mark Crispin Miller, who is a Professor of Media, Culture and Communication at New York University and specializes in "propaganda".
The interview can be found here: https://rumble.com/v1hdf31-full-episode-44-the-pandemic-of-propaganda.html (It starts at the 21 minute mark.)
[33:45] The fact is that we naturally believe something if it is the only thing we hear.
[34:20] Naturally you are going to believe something if you never hear anything contradicting it.
Propaganda heavily relies on uniformity of messaging.
And then it hit me… The answer to the question is another topic I have been thinking about for a while now as well… but had never put 2 and 2 together. (Ah… the invisible wall inside our mind that keeps ideas from colliding… finally crumbled. Yay!)
The answer lies in whether we are able to perform a “risk-benefit” analysis or not!
That’s it.
It’s that simple.
Don’t let the simplicity of this statement fool you. Ask anyone who is “brainwashed” to do a “risk-benefit” analysis or a “pros and cons” analysis of their beliefs and they will stare at you blankly.
If they are brainwashed to hate someone. Ask them to say something positive about that person. They won’t be able to. (The same applies if they are brainwashed to only think good things about a person. They won’t be able to find anything negative to say. about them.)
Please do try and report back.
From my experience, the people I talk to refuse to go there, and if you catch them by surprise and spring the question on them they will be dumbfounded.
This explains so much.
Risk-benefit analyses and all forms of public debates surrounding COVID measures were completely supressed (and still are).
The reason is obvious. We have been subjected to pure unabashed propaganda. We have been incessantly brainwashed.
Hope
This observation fills me with hope as it also provides a possible solution to break the “spell”.
Ask people to do a basic risk-benefit analysis or a “pros and cons” analysis on a non confrontational topic, then gradually move onto more contentious topics and notice where the “analysis” breaks down.
Working through the questions listed at the bottom of the “Risk-Benefit Analysis and Newton's Third Law of Motion” might help.
I wonder if it will eventually dawn on them that their inability to perform a proper analysis is the problem and that it will ultimately open their eyes.
They have never really considered opposing views, alternative solutions or thought about the consequences.
Perhaps we should discuss and write articles about alternative solutions that will resonate with our audience.
The message needs to be tailored to the audience, but imagine what could have been achieved if we had spent the money to improve education, healthcare, eradicate poverty, or fix climate change ;-), instead?
(If climate change can actually be used for something positive for once, why not? Use propaganda against propaganda :-). If that is what it will take for them to stop and “think”, why not?)
Once people have a choice, the tug-of-war between ideas in their minds will be inevitable. The reign of the “uniform idea” will dissolve quickly.
Identifying Propaganda
Uniformity of messaging is the corner stone of propaganda and can be used to identify it.
This needs to be taught in schools.
Everyone must be made aware of this.
Combating Propaganda
Prof. Miller mentioned the following points in order to fight back against propaganda:
[1:35:00] The two most dangerous things one can do [to fight against propaganda] ….
Tell the truth to contradict the prevailing narrative
Forge alliances… reach across differences
Rather than debating with people about the various COVID measures, perhaps we should be asking them to provide us with, and talk through their “risk-benefit” analysis for each measure.
They won’t be able to do it.
The problem is that they are incapable of seeing any risk, or any benefit, depending on how they are brainwashed. They need to understand, that IS the problem. If they are incapable of identifying the risk or the benefit they are blinded. Hopefully once they realize that, they can break the spell.
We need to help them get there.
I like this and will keep it in mind. I've been struggling with the question of how do think I know what I think I know. How do I know I'm not just another guy that's been down too many rabbit holes on YouTube? The best I came up with is to try to be humble in how much conviction I put into what I think I know. And try to be as transparent about how I've gotten to where I've gotten. This simple exercise of doing a risk benefit on if I'm right or wrong will be handy.
I have a great example of this. I was speaking to someone who's completely on the opposite side of this, and is convinced that the covid vaccines have saved millions of lives.
He agreed to subscribe to my Substack, and had to unsubscribe after 2 articles bc his blood pressure got too high from reading them. I asked him one question - i said, do you think there's ANY chance, no matter how slight, that my information might be correct?
His knee jerk, instantaneous response was "0%". Honestly, that told me that this person isn't open to any information that comes from sources other than his main feeds, and unfortunately there's no point in further discussion.