Swallow the Lies

As you already know, it’s an election year. Every other advertisement is either promoting or slamming a candidate. On Facebook, all I see are jokes or rants about candidates: this person did this. That one did that. The propaganda is almost comical. However, it makes me think. Why would they spend millions of dollars if the propaganda doesn’t work?

It does work. This country is run on propaganda.

We can’t live without the drug of the month, even though last month’s drug of choice has now been taken off the market and attorneys are having a field day. Our food is modified and we’re told it’s better for you even though it’s laced with poisonous pesticides. Oil, coal, and natural gas are forced out of the earth, yet people turn a blind eye to the environmental damage this causes. We are told how to teach and learn, and students must fit one academic mold or they will be labeled.

I remember my grandparents questioning everything, even though they didn’t have the resources to research their doubts. Now we have the Internet, and everything is at our fingertips. When did we lose our cynical edge? Maybe there is too much information, so it’s easier to just believe what we’re told rather than seek the answer ourselves.

To make matters worse, our society seems to have replaced analytical questioning with emotional reaction. People, or Sheeple, as I have begun calling them, are told what to believe, and if you question the propaganda, they attack you personally.

I often hear people saying that America isn’t what it used to be. Our government is too big, our education is lacking, and our people are ethnocentric. Unfortunately, it’s true. However, this trend can be stopped easily: question the propaganda! Don’t just take someone’s word for it. Question their motives, research their results, and demand the truth.

People will continue to feed you lies so they can make a profit. The time has come to step back, review the research, arm yourself with education, and make an informed decision. If someone questions your choices, speak with them and listen. To solidify your stance, you must understand the opposition.

Have you ever been personally attacked when having a discussion? Has the Internet helped to inform people or overwhelm them?