Memes by Themes #4: Propaganda
“The modern state, among other things, is an engine of propaganda, alternately manufacturing crises and claiming to be the only instrument that can effectively deal with them. This propaganda, in order to be successful, demands the cooperation of writers, teachers, and artists not as paid propagandists or state-censored time-servers but as ‘free’ intellectuals capable of policing their own jurisdictions and of enforcing acceptable standards of responsibility within the various intellectual professions.”
—Christopher Lasch, The Agony of the American Left
It was the topic of propaganda that launched my Substack over two years ago:
A Primer for the Propagandized
“Totalitarianism, if not fought against, could triumph anywhere.” —George Orwell The noose is dangling gently around our necks. Every day, they cinch it tighter. By the time we realize it’s strangling us, it will be too late. Those who gradually and gleefully sacrifice their freedoms, their autonomy, their individuality, their livelihoods, and their relati…
Propaganda remains a central theme of my writing because it is the primary apparatus by which tyranny advances. Without propaganda, people would not have been menticided, fallen prey to the Obedience-Prison-Conformity experiment, accepted totalitarianism, and volunteered for democide. Propaganda is the tool of tyrants, the PR arm of philanthropaths, the platform for “experts,” and the microphone for colluders.
Before diving into the memes, I will share some informative diagrams along with a couple of particularly valuable links related to propaganda and its intimate companion, censorship.
Enjoy!
Margaret Anna
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