8 Comments
Apr 7, 2022Liked by Rob Henderson

Theodore Dalrymple (Anthony Daniels) has a similar, but slightly different view on this. The purpose of overt false propaganda is to break the will of the citizenry by forcing them to speak lies.

https://www.amazon.com/Utopias-Elsewhere-Journeys-Vanishing-World/dp/0517585480/ref=as_li_ss_tl?dchild=1&keywords=%22utopias+elsewhere%22&qid=1603474519&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=steveconatser-20&linkId=0425c14451ee604f05695363cc2ceaf1&language=en_US

Expand full comment

Rob, what you write in this column is completely applicable to what is known as "wokeness" and its surfeit of contradictions: if it's de rigueur to accept trans-sexuality, why then is it forbidden to accept trans-racialism and on and on.

It's one way the woke universe and the overclass have of demonstrating its near authoritarian grip on large portions of culture and society.

Contradictions then, are not a problem, they are sites of great propagandist power displays.

Expand full comment

I think candidates spend money for a few different reasons. Consultants cannot justify six figure fees if your ad budget is only a couple hundred thousand dollars. Do you really want to go door to door? Ads seem like the lazy way out but I much prefer ads to mailings or robo calls that I think would be counter productive. Why do authoritarians regimes broadcast silly, unpersuasive propaganda? Simple answer the authoriatarians don't think their propaganda is silly or unpersuasive . They are the ones cutting the check so their opinion counts. Also, don't be suprised if some of the folks making the propaganda think that they might be slightly exagerating the greatness of their leader but not creating something obviously delusional. Two different realities. They also want to make the leader happy.

Expand full comment

“I have a unique point of view.” I believe you, but if you wanna make your work matter, you need to recognize how everyone else gets it wrong—even if they start out right.

Glenn Loury once called my writing “brilliant” and was “blown away” by my site and signed up. But when I took his hero to task—he instantly abandoned the principles he preaches, as Tolstoy’s truth kicked in:

“I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives.”

That’s what I’m up against—that’s what we’re all up against.

Glenn Loury was a Great Man — Until He Wasn’t: https://onevoicebecametwo.life/2022/03/22/glenn-loury-was-a-great-man-until-he-wasnt/

I’m sure it’s intoxicating to amass a following and feel like you’re making a difference. But I’m gonna weigh your impact partly as a reflection of your community: How people behave — not what they “believe.” If you can’t get that right, I don’t care how big your following gets — you’re taking this nation nowhere. Not in the right direction, anyway.

This first quote below from Bari Weiss is right on the money, but her second one wildly misses the mark. I have a unique point of view too—and I’ve been practically spit on for it (in her channel and all others). And this involves irrefutable evidence of mathematical certainty (of world-altering consequence, no less).

“We are living through an epidemic of cowardice. The antidote is courage. . . . Courage means, first off, the unqualified rejection of lies. Do not speak untruths, either about yourself or anyone else, no matter the comfort offered by the mob. And do not genially accept the lies told to you. If possible, be vocal in rejecting claims you know to be false. Courage can be contagious, and your example may serve as a means of transmission.” — Bari Weiss: Some Thoughts About Courage

8 years ago, I wrote and produced a documentary on the biggest and most costly lie in modern history. I take both parties to task for it—and then some. And almost invariably, I’m met with nothing but contempt—by people who couldn’t make a sound argument on the subject to save their lives.

I found no such courage in the commentary in her channel—nor the “commitment” and “holding fast” she speaks of below:

“But we’re all here because we share some important things in common: a commitment to reason, curiosity, independence, decency, and a hunger for honest conversation. In our upside-down world, holding fast to these ideals can sometimes feel lonely. More than ever, we crave the company of people who share our core values. — Bari Weiss: Welcome to Year Two

It’s a nice gesture to bond with her audience. Unfortunately, it’s not true—in any audience.

The commentary in these communities speaks volumes about social media & the state of society: Habitually slinging self-congratulations and high praise for purveyors of virtue: Virtues that vanish the second they’re called to put them to the test.

Following facts going in the direction you desire — doesn’t count. Anybody can do that!

The smorgasbord of sub-cultures has created another dimension of delusion in America: Hardening minds not broadening them. In and of itself, the quality of the work might be excellent. But on the whole, it amounts to fodder for a fix (even for the sincere). Ever-growing exposure to never-ending battles becomes an illusion of impact.

I don’t see a single person of prominence doing any analysis on how the problems that plague America are interrelated. They’re all blunt instruments—including the ones I agree with. They all operate under umbrellas of interests that don’t account for complexities outside of them.

I’ve got an idea—and it’s got teeth. Tools that could turn the tide are in this story below—but it takes time and effort to digest. I would expect someone like yourself to respect that. I would expect the same civility from this community — and if I don’t get it, I’m gone. Losing the subscriber fee is nothing, but I assure you—the standard I set is a helluva lot higher than all these communities across the board. That’s in your best interests, and based on our background—I suspect you know that:

Unschooled in Adjustment:

https://onevoicebecametwo.life/2022/05/17/unschooled-in-adjustment/

Expand full comment

Very interesting. If the level of absurdity is the measure of regime power, then our woke tribe is very powerful indeed.

Expand full comment