The effects of propaganda on the planet

     Trump lies and distracts and spews propaganda. I’ve posted about this before, how he’s applied much of the very same techniques that Hitler laid out in Mein Kampf.  (I mean, he did keep a copy of Hitler’s book in his bedroom.) 

     Hitler wrote that propaganda “must fix its intellectual level so as not to be above the heads of the least intellectual of those to whom it is directed.” You must appeal to feelings and rile up your target, because, he stated, they are incapable of understanding anything. Their powers are restricted and “their understanding is feeble.” Hitler actually said that. And to a tee, Trump follows this most basic tenet of propaganda.

     Look at the following. It’s from a 1998 People Magazine. It's that rare quote that shows all his cards.

If I were to run, I’d run as a Republican. They’re the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and they’d still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific.

It’s an insidious statement that reeks of hubris. I keep wondering, what if people knew that he believed they were feeble and stupid? What if they knew that they were played?

     As if that wasn’t enough, the consequences of propaganda are scary, because when Trump makes decisions as president, he’s pandering to people who aren’t informed. And if trouble looms, as it does via the Russian and Comey investigations, what does Trump have to do? He must pump up his pandering and enforce whatever lie it will take to solidify his base.
    Last week, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement. It wasn’t about making the best decision given the evidence –– there was no regard for science, job trends, fellow man, the next generation or even Pittsburgh. It was an empty act of defiance meant to shore up his power. What begins with a lie can only end up missing the issue, accomplishing nothing.