Republicans aren’t the problem. The media is the problem.

[Cyrano]

The early 20th century journalist, H. L. Mencken, said “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.”

In other words, America has far too many know-nothings/bigots/and people who are too damn stupid to know that they’re aiding and abetting their own destruction.

And there’s one simple reason for this – the media. Virtually everything these people see on TV “news,” and virtually everything they read, is propaganda. It’s propaganda that’s being fed to them by the owners -- those who own the media, own the politicians and, in effect, own all of us.

All the sit-ins, marches, occupying Wall Street, lttes, petitions to representatives, and everything else we do isn’t enough to force change. Nothing will change until we rip the means of mass communications from the bloody hands of those who control it.

In every revolution, since the age of mass communications began, the first target of the revolutionaries has always been the radio and TV stations. It’s because those who control the message control everything else.

The web has some influence, but it’s not reaching those who can’t, wont, or don’t pay attention. Watching five minutes of Fox “News” in some waiting room somewhere has more influence on them than every sane word ever spoken or printed on the internet.

So here’s my question. How do we get through to the masses that have let themselves get screwed their entire lives and just don’t get it? How do we overcome the billions of dollars that are being spent to keep them in ignorance and servitude?

[pintobean]

1. 'Americans are sooo stupid' posts never get old.

:eyes:

[Cyrano]

3. The truth can't be repeated often enough

[Skidmore]

2. Corporations own both the Rs and the media.

[Scuba]

9. Bingo.

[Odin2005]

4. Capitalism is the problem.

[Cyrano]

6. Unregulated capitalism is the problem

It worked fairly well between the end of WWII and 1980 because there were rules, regulations, and watchdogs to enforce them. Then St. Ronnie came along and began the destruction of oversight.

The result is, capitalism, as it exists today, leaves us sheep in a jungle of predators who hire the shepards.

[TBF]

7. Exactly. There's no way to regulate or contain it. It's a system that is inherently unequal and

barbaric. It has to go.

[Cyrano]

8. And replace it with ... what?

Yes, unregulated capitalism sucks as much as any fascist system.

But here's the problem. If we had the power to totally destroy capitalism, we'd require a theory of how to organize a fair and equitable society/community. And as far as I know, we don't have one.

So that would leave us with anarchy. Do you really want something like a "Mad Max" society?

[Jack Sprat]

10. A mixed economy

that regulates limits of capitalism and permits enough Socialism to provide full employment, healthcare, and social security. That's what we had prior to 1980 when Reaganism began stripping all the socialist elements of our economy. A good economy that would make no promises of individual wealth, but shared prosperity for the majority. In my town while growing up in the 1950s, the business owners lived in the same neighborhoods as the business employees and went to the same schools. The social fabric broke down when attaining wealth became the goal of judging personal success.

At some point, we need to concede that socialism has provided the foundation of middle class growth that made America #1 across the world; until Reagan made it and government the enemy of the people instead.

[Scruffy1]

13. It owuld be better than today but there was a lot of bad history before 1980.

We had poverty rates of over 15% in the "Golden Age" of capitalism McCarthism and the history of dead labor is enough to make a grown person cry. Regulating capitalism is like riding a tiger. It ain't easy and your always in danger of being eaten.

[TBF]

11. Socialism

you can read about it yourself - I'm not doing your work for you.

[Boojatta]

5. Start small, and build an audience.

The initial goal cannot realistically be to be a competitive threat to Fox. That's a good thing. What seems small and unimportant flies under the radar.

Think big, but start small. What is small but real eventually triumphs over what is big but phony.

[saras]

12. No, the assertion that the two are different is the problem

Face it, there's no such thing as progressive propaganda, because the process of giving up thinking for more primitive processes - the way propaganda works - simply isn't a progressive thing to do. It NECESSARILY leads to stupider solutions to problems.

The only useful soundbite is "thinking in soundbites is the problem."

Once we have people who can think about, and talk about, problems and solutions, then we can talk about the problems.

If I were organizing the Dem's PR on a national level, I'd do a series of thirty-second educational spots. One graph of the economy, one point explained in plain language, and a repeated message "thoughtful, committed people can solve problems. Soundbites can't." Followed by one of many images of ranting teabaggers with meaningless, stupid slogans.

[Cyrano]

14. Changing human nature is harder than turning lead into gold

[libinnyandia]

15. American voters

I have fantasies about a place where voting machines are programmed so that before a person could cast their votes, they would have to campare their views on the issues with those of the candidates. Working class voters in Paul Ryan's district would actually ahve to know his views on the issues before they could push the buttons. Ignorance would no longer be an excuse.

[gulliver]

16. You can't propagandize a willing soul.

Most people want to be propagandized. They are in on it, and they probably have reasons they think are good. People want their opinions confirmed, not just because it makes them feel good, but because they probably sense it strengthens their numbers. Many are plain fools and will go full tilt with what they take to be their personal viewpoint, ignoring all feedback until there is a catastrophe. That's what happened with the economy under Bush and the Republicans.

After that, they needed to make themselves angry to provide the psychic fuel necessary to create absurd rationalizations and "other blaming" strategies. Now they want to drive the card at high speed toward the ravine again. Maybe it won't crash this time.

"Maybe we were right all along! Yeah! That's right! WE JUST WEREN'T GOING FAST ENOUGH!"

Confirmation bias meets extinction burst.

[libinnyandia]

17. Free Press

The problem is that the Press aren't free anymore. Yjey are bought and sold by the major corporations. At least I can watch MSNBC and see alittle of the truth. If we watch them, Comcast makes money and maybe enough people will gat a clue.