This is certainly true, but it’s also a lot more complicated than that.
People are not that easily to manipulate, as much as we like to believe that everyone (except us) is.
This American Life did a story on this recently, exploring why Putin is so popular at home. The propaganda is real of course, and extremely powerful. However his population is also primed for it- they already loved him because he genuinely made Russia a better place than the last few leaders. Not that he’s a great leader, but they’ve had so many bad ones that the first one who comes along and builds a library and puts food in the stores is suddenly a hero. I’m no expert on this stuff, but I suppose it’s rather like how someone like Former Guy comes along and says things that speak to real grievances that working class white people had (unjust grievances generally, but still real). Then when he also starts piling on conspiracy theories and all the rest, people just keep listening.
They have made it illegal to describe the invasion of Ukraine as a “war” or an “invasion.” So has anybody had any luck describing WWII as the “Great Patriotic Special Military Operation”?
The GOP in this country no longer exists; it is a FDC now, & they believe everything FOX spews out… and by extention, Putin.
Those who still claim membership in the dead husk of the GOP are paying attention, but they are ignored & ridiculed by the FDC.
They don’t. They never did. Otherwise, they wouldn’t belong to the FDC.
They want to use Russia as a model for the USA.
But he chooses not to, so those other channels do not exist, as far as he is concerned.
And this makes the Racist Uncle even more reprehensible.
This is the goal of the FDC, & opposition to it sure seems feeble from the top. Lotsa hand-wringing, finger-wagging, & Stern Words.
That’s not gonna cut it.
Texas has apparently found inspiration for its Snitch On Your Neighbor laws from the Stasi.
Shades of the Fugitive Slave Acts.
