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Being manipulated is institutionalized in our society, and I've resented it since studying how Edward Bernays started the public relations business. It makes so much sense of the great Stan Freberg's satire. Today the invaluable Bad Cattitude substack does an invaluable deep dive into the political thought games of the current moment, and I had to share it. Be sure to watch the Penn and Teller clip, because it is precisely relevant, and besides, it's Penn and Teller.
The defense against manipulation is to spot that you are being manipulated. Watch for the tells, and never accept their premises. Look 'em in the eye and say, "You're trying to manipulate me, and it ain't working."
I'm retired, fixed income and all that, and I even think very carefully about spending more money on gun stuff (gasp!). But there are some Substacks that are worth it to me, and that I subscribe to at the yearly rate. In no particular order: Instapundit, Jim Treacher, Tilting at Windmills, Bad Cattitude, and of course Lileks. Value received for money. I commend them to your attention.
Discussion (3)
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Excellent article. Thank you for pointing the way, Doug. Great pictures, too! Cattitude, indeed.
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Yes, excellent article. Thanks Doug. I have several related thoughts. . .
I've been reading articles lately about the fall of Obama from grace. It seems the manipulation has become just too obvious for even the formerly fooled to miss. His "doom loop" speech was haltingly given, as if he knew what he was about to say would be seen as the BS it is.
And I'm not so sure I agree that both sides are equally untrustworthy. The Left doesn't adhere to the notion of objective truth, making its leaders the by-any-means-necessary manipulators and its followers the easily manipulated. The Right doesn't tend to push fake fear of, say "catastrophic" climate change, or the imposition of a theocracy. There are exceptions, of course, but most of what I fear as a "right-wing extremist" is coming from the Left. The Left is a threat to free speech, freedom of (especially Jewish and Christian) religion, freedom of self-protection and resistance to tyranny. . . I don't need anyone on the Right to help me see through the "common sense gun laws" which take guns from the law-abiding. . .
I only know one person on the Right who seems to have fallen into the tiny fraction of the q-onspiracy manipulated. Unfortunately its a beloved family member. And some of us have concluded this group is being manipulated by "professionals" within our own g-overnment. It's some really crazy shtuff. Anyone else have this experience?
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Someone pointed out a while back that if you want to tell if someone is conservative or liberal these days, just note that a conservative will be arguing in favor of gun rights, and a liberal will be arguing AGAINST free speech.