By Gary D. Barnett
“The receptivity of the masses is very limited, their intelligence is small, but their power of forgetting is enormous. In consequence of these facts, all effective propaganda must be limited to a very few points and must harp on these in slogans until the last member of the public understands what you want him to understand by your slogan.” ~ Adolf Hitler
September 16, 2019 - In order for the powerful to control the masses, a compliant populace is required. Those who hold the real power over the political class and media have been successful in their efforts to gain this control. This has always been, and given the human condition, will most likely always be. If only it were not so easy to fool the crowd, all could be different. But then, any crowd is easy to please and easy to fool; that is the nature of the beast that is the mob.
Common people, generally speaking, believe what they want to believe, and most often choose the most comfortable path. Personal conflict due to the shattering of accepted norms is avoided at all costs, and any truth that can cause doubt is quickly rejected. So long as the lies fed to the crowd fit their belief system, and so long as the public can avoid emotional discomfort, it will accept most anything and forget almost everything. It all comes down to those in power knowingly taking advantage of the mental imperfections so obvious among the mob by stoking egos and alleviating fears. This manipulative coddling is all that is normally necessary to calm any question or stifle any dissent by the people.
Some might think this a cynical attitude to take, but they would be mistaken, as reality can never be classified as cynical for it is simply truth. If any were to honestly assess the condition of Amerika today, and the path traveled to get here, it would seem that the bulk of society has always been content being slaves to a voluntarily accepted tyrannical system.
The truth has become a lie, and lies have become truth. This could only happen in a land where logic and reason have been replaced by emotion and ignorance. This is a classic result in any society where the individual thinker is shunned in favor of the common collective. Since intelligence does not exist collectively, the masses are left with little more than confusion, gullibility and indifference.
The only way to reach a full understanding of our political predicament, especially regarding government as a whole and government controlled media, is to believe nothing and question everything. This advice should be taken literally, as anything less can lead only to confusion and a detachment from reality. Those who fail to question will be left in a state of bondage, and relegated to a life consumed by ignorance.
We now live in a world where fake news is an everyday occurrence, and given current and future technological capabilities, this phenomenon can only worsen from here. But lies and fakery are not new, and the atrocities committed by the ruling class in the name of its citizens have been continually allowed to happen due to the complicity and support of the people. There is nothing new about the lies used by those in power to brainwash and control the general population, but more frightening is the fact that the average Amerikan has apparently learned nothing throughout history about the deception of those in power. The masses continue to be fooled into not only sanctioning the evil and barbaric acts of the elites, but also at the same time reveling in the festivity of false “patriotism”.
Just in the past one hundred years, there were the lies that led to World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. None of these wars were legitimate, and all were based on lies and deceit, but still most of the Amerikan public supported these horrific events. The same is true in modern times of the entire so-called “War on Terror,” which has led to wars of aggression against Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and others. It has even led to a war against all Amerikans. All of these aggressions were based on lies, and supported by the masses.
Countless assassinations, military coups, false flag events, cover-ups, political corruption, economic manipulations, and illegitimate wars continue without pause, and the people rarely question the official narratives given to them by their masters about these government crimes. This is true even when the evidence against these narratives is overwhelming. Think about events in the past like Pearl Harbor, the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the so-called killing of Osama bin Laden, and many, many more.
As I write this, a drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields is being blamed on Iran, which could lead to more horrific war. Already the public is being prepared to accept $100 dollar a barrel oil, and possibly to back attacks against Iran. Regardless of all the mainstream news about this “attack,” nothing is known, and no factual evidence whatsoever has been presented in support of any accusations. None will likely be forthcoming. Is this the next big lie being sold to the public?
Deception by the government and media are ever present. Propaganda and lies are constant. Disinformation is the rule, and honesty is almost non-existent. The only way to combat this insanity is to believe nothing and question everything in order to find the truth. Most are conditioned to not question authority, to accept what they are told, and to go with the herd, but most are always wrong. To escape the chains of the mindless hoard and find the truth, one must walk alone. Only then will light replace the darkness, and the truth be exposed.
Gary D. Barnett is a retired investment professional living and writing in Lewistown, Montana.
