anorton wrote:

Propaganda is used by those who have their own agenda to serve their own
selfish interests. It is not the same agenda as you or me who want the
best
for this country and the world. If it was, they would not feel the need
to
lie to us. All modern dictatorships, left or right, began with massive
propaganda campaigns and scapegoats.

There's an old joke about some dictatorship where the dictator is dying. He
summons his successor, and hands him two envelopes. He says, "If your regime
gets into trouble, open the first envelope and follow the instructions. If
it becomes impossible to placate or subdue the citizens and all is lost,
open the second envelope and follow its instructions."

So, the successor assumes power, inflation and unemployment are rampant, and
there are rallies in the streets. The successor opens the first envelope,
and finds that the instructions are "Blame everything on me."

So, the successor gets away with that tactic for a couple of years, but
conditions worsen - deteriorating infrastructure, rampant unionism, the
eminent collapse of his regime --- he's desperate, so he opens the second
envelope.

Its instructions begin, "Prepare two envelopes...."

Cheers!
Rich