Category Archives: Propaganda

Neoliberalism — IT’S A COOKBOOK!!!

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“Market economics” was supposed to serve mankind. It didn’t. It really, really didn’t.

Neoliberalism – To Serve Mankind

In the early 80s people got sold on common sense kitchen-table economics. Taxes are theft. If you cut taxes government gets more money (but cutting taxes also starves the beast.) Market forces are natural law and consumers are better at making choices than government. Markets should set government policy. Government spending harms the economy. Individual choice is freedom. Big government and regulation interferes with markets. Government is the nanny state.

Reagan said, “Government isn’t the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Thatcher said, “There is no such thing as society. … no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first.”

So we got government out of the way. We cut taxes and unleashed the corporations.

And here we are. The transfer of wealth – and power – away from the public into the hands of a very few people is nearly complete.

It’s Sinking In

“When something becomes incredibly, mind-numbingly obvious, people eventually start to see it.” – Dave Johnson

What happened to us is sinking in. As wealth (and power) concentration accelerates it has become mainstream obvious that the world was tricked. Even people like UK PM Burnham and Texas Senate candidate Talarico are using the word “neoliberal” and describing the damage done.

But now we’re in debt trap. With a few in control of the formerly-public wealth (and power) governments are rigged to “borrow” FROM the wealthy just to get by, and then pay tribute (interest) TO the wealthy for that privilege. The amounts are staggering.

IT’S A COOKBOOK!!!

In the Twilight Zone episode most of the the passengers are already in the spaceship. Mr. Chambers is still on the ramp and hears the “cookbook” warning – but it’s too late. He screams as the door closes on him.

The doors of the “end-stage capitalism” debt trap are closing on us now.

But There’s Still Time

Of course, there’s still time to get the money FROM where the money WENT. Just stop the game. Reassert power. Tax the rich. Tax back the wealth they stole from us. Before neoliberalism the top income tax rate was 90+% to prevent the very accumulation that has brought us to this point. The corporate tax was 50%. Inheritance taxes were designed to prevent dynasties from collecting vast fortunes that threatened democracy.

It’s a choice and it’s time to choose.

How Did We Get Here?

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This post first appeared at Government Cheese – Chronicling the collapse of democracy.

Let’s just say the Iran situation calms down, Iran sets up the toll system and the US just … leaves. Then the world has to sit and wonder what Trump does next. It could be literally anything. Back to Greenland? Cuba? Canada? Take the UK?

How did this happen? The disppearance of rule of law, international law, norms … we are now all at the whim of one madman with incredible power. The entire world!

After WWII the world tried to set up some structures to prevent another catastrophe. The US set up the regulatory state to prevent another depression and make people’s lives better. It was all systematically dismantled, piece by piece, with the effort hidden behind a fog of propaganda called “free speech” and based on “making some money.” Now a few people have all of the power and most of the wealth.

Will the world recover and do better next time?

American Media Asymmetry

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There are things the American public just can’t be told. Here are a few examples.

Universal healthcare, like Medicare-for-All, would dramatically reduce American healthcare costs.

Cutting government spending usually just shifts costs onto the public or other government departments, and almost always increases those costs well beyond what was being spent before the cuts.

Immigrants are good for the economy — and also are human beings.

Taxing the rich to get money FROM the rich would mean the govt stops “borrowing” from the rich and forever after paying interest TO the rich. (It could also begin to address the problem of inequality if taxation levels are high enough.)

Renewables like wind and solar reduce energy costs while oil companies create life-threatening pollution and receive massive subsidies.

Joining a labor union brings tremendous benefits to workers. It increases their pay and benefits. It helps prevent mistreatment on the job.

These are just a few of the things you don’t hear in American “news” outlets.

The Era Of The Oligarchs

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We are seeing the dawning of the age of oligarchic control in the US and worldwide. It is a new form of feudalism emerging.

Billionaires

Let me tell you about the billionaires. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy whatever they want, and it does something to them. – F Scott Johnson

The neoliberalism propaganda scheme enabled the creation of a billionaire class. People don’t understand how much money a billion is. If, like most of us, you made a million dollars a year it would take you 1,000 years for that to add up to a billion.

Imagine becoming a billionaire. Imagine reaching the pinnacle of society! The dream. The ideal.

But also, imagine the disappointment. You’re still just a human being!

There’s a scene in The Borgias where Jeremy Irons is finally crowned Pope. They put the hat on his head, he waits, but doesn’t hear God’s voice! Imagine the disappointment. All that work, all that scheming, all those people left behind ruined or dead on the floor…

Imagine the disappointment of becoming a billionaire (or even only achieving $8 or 900,000,000) and NOTHING HAPPENS. (We’ve seen how the tech bros think they should be immortal and then use their money to try to get there.)

They really thought there’d be something more. Some award, some elevation.

One thing is for sure, though. They are better than regular people and they know it. It’s the entire point of society! They’ve reached the top. They’re smarter. They deserve what they have. And more than anything they deserve more.

Elevation. They deserve elevation.

When you are that special, why should regular people be able to tell you what they can and cannot do? Rules? We don’t need no stinkin’ RULES? Your puny nations aren’t going to constrain US. We can sacrifice 14-year-old virgins on our yachts and private islands any time we want and who are you to tell us we can’t!

Democracy? The herd? The mob? Laws? You’re going to tell US what to do? You can take your democracies … and we’re going to help get them out of our way!

They’re going to put a stop to that. And there’s a path. Modern politicians exist for one thing: money. The oligarchs have it. And so “politics” (can you even call it that anymore?) has morphed to being all about the billionaires – the oligarchs. Other donors (a measly million?) don’t even register when they’re writing checks for $125 million. (Or millions of pounds, pesos, whatever.)

The Plan

I can just picture the small, elite group gatherings. The servants bringing rare beverages and delicacies. The smirking consultants with their Powerpoint presentations about how to use social media to get people to do anything you want them to do. And if you own the information outlets, you TELL them what the “news” is. The people who count the votes control the outcome. You choose your voters. Etc.

Once you control the “news” outlets that “news” becomes about who to love, who to fear, and the latest “other” to hate. (Feeding them fear and giving them an “other” is as old as the hills.) And this year you’re telling them that their problem is migrants. (It works. It really works.)

Worldwide

The oligarch takeover is worldwide. This is Saudi money (that helped Musk buy Twitter) and Russian oligarch money (supplying strategy and the majority of the disinfo – and helped Musk buy Twitter) and Diddy/misogyny/pervert money (helped Musk buy Twitter) (and plenty of people in the Epstein and similar tapes) and Chinese billionaire money and tech bro billionaire money and … They already have Argentina and Hungary and Israel and new footholds in Austria and are adding so many others to their collection.

You’re With Us Or Against Us

There’s a powerful factor at work. You can see it. It is intimidation.

How many prominent Americans have you seen change their position from anti-Trump to pro-Trump in the last few years? People firmly against Trump and MAGA are suddenly supporters. Clearly they have been presented with a choice. “We’re going for it and we’re going to have the power and we’re going to use it. When that happens you either helped us or you are our enemy and you know what will happen to you and your family.” So you make a choice.

You can see it all around.

The Debate And The Election

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This post first appeared at Government Cheese (Chronicling the collapse of democracy)

The way I look at the election and in particular this debate is, “how the fuck is Trump even or ahead in the polls, and how does the voting public see things?” Not, “how do I see things?” How in the world does the voting public see their lives under Dems and Biden as worse than Trump?

So you look at the information environment that regular people are in. And you try to see what they see.

I know what the public saw in the first 15 minutes of the debate – which is all that matters. Impressions are set and no one cares after that.

I am of the belief that you have to vote for Biden anyway because of the existential threat of Trump or at this point any Republican. (I wavered because of Gaza but am still there.) And I was shaken by what I saw, wondering even if Biden can even stay alive until November, never mind another 4 years. And the brain was not functioning. I see no future in a Biden vote. No hope for more of what we saw that last four years, only a Harris ascension quite soon. But I still will vote Biden – only because of Trump.

Will the debate change things? The right-wing-dominated information environment regular people live in already had Biden as old and demented, so all that happened is that was confirmed. For people outside of that information environment, Trump is clearly understood as extremely dangerous, and that was confirmed if you could stomach even watching him which I could not and did not except for a bit.

Anyway what matters now is are the polls going to change? I think maybe not. I think enough people already had it in their mind that Biden is too old but Trump is too dangerous.

If we can change the information environment America could come back. At this point that means overcoming Murdoch, Sinclair, private equity, billionaires etc. Musk and his cohorts did not buy Twitter to make a profit.

Easier Than Governing

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This post originally appeared at Government Cheese: Chronicling the collapse of democracy

Modern society is complex, vast, complicated. Governing modern society is hard. Getting it right requires a lot of hard work doing the managing, measuring, forecasting, planning, consulting, regulating, making & enforcing rules and all that boring hippie crap. Getting the details right is difficult. All of it means attending endless meetings. The skills needed take decades to master. And it all requires dedication and commitment.

Instead Of Doing The Actual Work

US Republicans and UK Tories have found a way around doing the actual, difficult work: Just don’t do it! Problem solved!

“Conservatives” espouse “The magic of the market.” Instead of governing, why not simply “unleash” the “market” to do everything.

Kill off the rules and regulations. Fire the enforcers. Skip the planning. Cancel the meetings. Demonize the “experts.” Turn it all over to “the magic of the market.”

Above all else, nurture the “market.” Allow any entity calling itself a “corporation” to engage in any scheme that can be imagined.

So Many Good Things

Protect people from disease? The market will do that.
Protect people from fraud? The market will do that.
Make sure the food is safe? The market will do that.
Maintain and improve the standard of living? The market will do that.
Provide shelter? The market will do that.

The Invisible Hand Will Do The Work

After you have dismantled the entire governing process (“the Deep State”) you can just sit back and party while everything is taken care of by an invisible hand engaging in creative destruction. The Lord will work in mysterious ways. Disruption is the key.

It’s magic!

Cash Bonus

This approach comes with a huge bonus. “The Market” rewards those who “unleash” it.

And Here We Are

And here we are. Infrastructure falling apart. Health care systems in shambles. Education systems not educating. Etc. Etc. Etc. Everywhere you look everything in society is falling apart.

Don’t forget the big one: The planet’s climate is disintegrating and could very well wipe out society itself.

The Magic of the Market at work!

Capitalism And Privatization

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On the benefits of privatization – turning public assets over to the “private sector”:

Capitalism – “the private sector” – does not invest in the pubic interest. That is not what it is for. It exists to enrich the few “owners,” and even that only in the short term.

Everything else is propaganda to convince the public to let them get away with that.

Why I Don’t Have Time For Republicans – Any Of Them

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This morning Ann Coulter circulated a piece saying that the Britt fiasco was the result of Republicans using “DEI” to find a SOTU spokesperson, and this is what happens when you put a female there for quota reasons instead of a white male. Because OF COURSE no one would ever put anyone other than a white make anywhere important.

I’m just so sick of this vile stuff.

I have studied the “conservative movement” long enough to understand what it is about, and their goals. I have documented the backgrounds, training, methods and funding of right-wing operatives and how they develop their propaganda and for what purposes.

I do listen to them and read their stuff, to see what they’re up to. I used to have a gig with Media Matters where I’d do a roundup of what their outlets were saying, every morning, with an analysis of the reasons they were saying it, and how that furthered their objectives. That newsletter was circulated to progressive groups and elsewhere. I had to look at things like pictures of decapitated black kids, or drawings of big-nosed greedy Jews. That was a cesspit of the worst of humanity and it left me scarred.

So excuse me for avoiding them and not approving of giving them even wider platforms and bestowing legitimacy.

A Way To Understand What Went Wrong With The US

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Society wants cars/antibiotics/furniture/houses/etc but doesn’t want to make them ourselves through our government.

In order to accomplish functions like these that government wants accomplished but doesn’t want to do itself, government “contracts out” those functions. Corporations are those contracts. Corporations facilitate aggregation and manage of resources (huge sums, labor, etc) that are beyond the scope of individuals. We “contract out” through corporate charters to get these things done for us.

When You Look At It This Way

When you look at it this way — that government is the way all of society’s functions are managed(of course it is) and that corporations & the “private sector” are just “contracting out” some government functions — it gives people a way to take back the power in their own thinking. Who is the boss of who? How should corporations be regulated? Who should be regulating them? Etc.

Where Things Went Wrong

Here is where we went wrong. Executives at corporations are allowed to use corporate funds to influence society and pay politicians to allow things that enrich those executives personally.

Everything else we see happening flows from that.

A Game As Old As Wealth

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This post originated at Imagine Democracy. If you follow all the links, it pieces together.

Over at sister-site Government Cheese, a discussion of capitalism, propaganda and how a few wealthy people keep things under control

Capitalism literally means that the people with wealth make the investment decisions for society & get the return on investment, and the broad public don’t.

All the rest is just propaganda. Capitalism has nothing to do with “markets” or “freedom” or any of the rest.

It’s really so simple. It’s how a few people maintain control of society for their own benefit and it’s been this way for thousands of year, under different labels. It’s what a monarchy is. The King and his buddies control the wealth. “WE should have this and you should not and here’s why.”

It’s why the United States was such a breakthrough. WE THE PEOPLE will decide what’s best for us, not you. Government of, by and for THE PEOPLE. Not the elites, the wealthy, the aristocrats, the priesthood, the monarchy, the warlord, whatever label put on the ruling wealthy. A country run for the benefit of the people in the country. Whatever label we put on that – democracy, socialism, whatever.

That’s all. All the rest is just propaganda.

Read Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address in the context of the monarchies of Europe just salivating waiting for “the Union” – the experiment in democracy – fail so they can get the world back where they want it.

Capitalism Parts 1 and 2

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This post first appeared at Government Cheese – Chronicling the collapse of democracy.

Capitalism: Maintain a “reserve army of the unemployed” to keep wages low. Keep public services (the things government does to make people’s lives better) and taxes at the top down and keep the people from organizing (democracy) to protect themselves.

Capitalism part 2: As life gets worse, bathe the masses in propaganda and point them at “the other” for blame.

Austerity breeds fascism.

Mirror Propaganda

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Since forever I’ve had a category at Seeing the Forest named “The STF Rule.” “When right-wingers are accusing others of something it is usually a cover for something THEY are doing.” Republicans do what they accuse.

I just learned the name for this is “Mirror Propaganda.”

From the UK’S Open Democracy, ‘Anti-trans activists are using ‘mirror propaganda’. Here’s how to spot it‘,

There is a name for this mechanism of power: ‘mirror propaganda’. Mirror propaganda means doing to your enemies what you are falsely accusing them of doing to you.

[…]

The invention of mirror propaganda has been attributed to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, and so far the earliest identified deployments of it are by Goebbels and Himmler in 1940s Germany, targeting Jewish people.

More recently, Alison Des Forges and Jean-Pierre Cretien identified mirror propaganda as a significant factor in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, when hundreds of thousands of Tutsi men, women and children were killed.

Susan Benesch, director of the Dangerous Speech Project at Harvard University, has also identified mirror propaganda as one of the main techniques for inciting genocide.

Googling around, I see it’s also called “Accusation in a mirror.”

Citing Wikipedia is bad, but there’s this.