How the Propaganda Machine Has Been Exposed.

Propaganda has been a constant presence in human society, dating back to when two tribes first clashed. Since then, leaders and governments have used fear, lies, and false narratives to rally support and create enemies, shaping perceptions across generations.

Through history, you can map our own history of the United States. Here is a small list. The British, Spanish, American Indian, German, Japanese, Mexicans, and the list goes on. Suppose you look at the newspapers during those times. We were taught who the enemies were. We were brainwashed by the constant repetition of the same story by different leaders, using the same wording and phrases, into compliance.

Recognizing this helps us feel empowered to question why these people are our enemy and take control of our perceptions.

The timeline of propaganda use becomes clear when you look at movies. From World War 2 films to portrayals of conflicts like Korea and Vietnam, and now the depiction of terrorists and religious fanatics, notice how heroes and villains are crafted. This blog isn't about choosing sides but about recognizing how each side tries to brainwash us.

Consider the recent World Cup. I wrote about this a few weeks ago, feeling proud to be American. Yet, worldwide, our country is painted as aggressive, entitled, and weak, with other governments pretending friendship while secretly undermining us. Mainstream and social media push a narrative that we are unsafe and lacking morals, which contrasts sharply with the reality many visitors experience.

When hundreds of thousands of soccer fans arrived, worried and scared by what they had been told about this country, they found something entirely different. They found warmth, amazement; they found safety, generosity, and welcoming people. I have always said the best type of advertisement is word of mouth; these soccer fans did. From Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, X, and what other social media apps are out there, they blew up the narrative that

they were brainwashed with. This shows our power to challenge false stories and share real experiences.

We, the people of this world, need to see what is happening. We need to hold the people trying to sell their fake narrative accountable across political, medical, religious, social, and economic arenas. The information should be vetted. People are worried about global warming; the true poison is the fake narrative being peddled through mainstream media, social media, and the written media.

This is not done through censorship of those types of platforms; it is done through realizing that most likely anything that you read on or listen to on social media or mainstream is trying to brainwash you and trying to have you buy something or get into something. To get you to click. Maybe, just maybe, if enough people adopt this practice, the almighty internet will lose revenue because the brainwashing is manipulating fewer people. We, as the world, better learn this because AI is going to take over it. We, as the world's people, need to learn to be guarded around AI and to control it through understanding it and how it can be a blessing and a curse. Recognizing this helps us feel responsible for our digital safety and awareness.