• davel [he/him]@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    7 months ago

    The metaphor you’re constructing seems to be one part forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge and one part bad apples, and I don’t quite follow.

    The general population doesn’t know what’s happening, and it doesn’t even know that it doesn’t know. — Noam Chomsky

    Most people don’t know they’re being propagandized in the first place, so it doesn’t occur to them to see past it. And of those who do notice, most don’t have the time, energy, skill set, and inclination to dig out the truth. It’s not impossible, but it is a lot of work. The information is accessible, but corporate media generally aren’t going to provide it.

    • tiredturtle@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      7 months ago

      It’s not a metaphor relating to those. You can substitute the apple for anything you like, the fruit is not a relevant object. It just carries similar properties. They can be called ‘Notexistilandia’, ‘United Territories of Nowhereon’ or ‘Countrystan’. Whatever helps.

      You’re very close with Chomsky and people not knowing!

      What I mean is that the mystical prophecies of one true holy and pure — despite the evidence, like we’ve discussed, rely much on faith, instead of (and sometimes contrary) to knowledge. And general populations “knowledge”, fooled, propagandized is just that — much closer to faith.

      More Chomsky:

      I think irrational belief is a dangerous phenomenon, and I try to consciously avoid irrational belief. On the other hand, I certainly recognize that it’s a major phenomenon for people in general, and you can understand why it would be. It does, apparently, provide personal sustenance, but also bonds of association and solidarity and a means for expressing elements of one’s personality that are often very valuable elements. To many people it does that. In my view, there’s nothing wrong with that. My view could be wrong, of course, but my position is that we should not succumb to irrational belief.

      Idealistic nationalist supremacy is just a form of religion.