The western masses aren't fools, they're stubborn and comfortable. In my experience a lot of people arent interested in making things better if their situation is inconvenienced even a little

Everything on redsails is great obviously

Absolutely critical reading, and really helps with any kind of outreach you may do. You aren't going to convince your interlocutor most of the time, but others seeing it happen in front of them may be convinced over time. We aren't immune to the issues we see in others, it's just that our material conditions have aligned us against the status quo, and that perspective helps us see through its lies.

Once more for those in the back!

This entire essay should be tattooed inside everybody's eyelids

I regularly think about two phases I've heard:

• "The smarter you are, the better you get at rationalising bad decisions"
• "advertising/propaganda works best when you are certain it doesn't work on you."

I feel like they remind me that when it comes to making choices & being duped, intelligence is mostly irrelevant.

My belief is that on an individual level, the counter to propaganda is both free time to ruminate on what we believe, and a strong network of people we trust who are willing to challenge us on the things we say and do. Two things which an atomized and overworked society looses at all levels.

Keep in mind that the only reason those dumb people even exist is because capitalism needs people to be nothing more than meat with eyes to consume products.

I always explain it this way:

The capitalists have so much money and power, and they've been in power so long, it's unrealistic to think that no one would fall for their traps. These people aren't the enemy, they are just another kind of victim.

To get to those masses, you must utilise cult-like propaganda yourself, but there's a danger it turns into fascism.