I saw this on social media and this video from the U.S. war department is actually pretty informative propaganda. (It's propaganda, but the good kind I guess) It is not just applicable to the western world in my opinion in that it shows a commonly repeating theme, though the intensity may vary in time and place.
Trigger warning: politics ahead
(I'm going to avoid presenting specific and current political arguments to encourage critical thinking from various viewpoints, but also because the general application is sufficient and if needed can easily be extended in personal discussion to address specifics.)
It's interesting when the agitator says "And who is getting this now?" [Speaking about benefits of the system]. 5:00-6:07
My immediate thought was that the answer to this in modern politics is that you simply need to pick your side. Let me translate this type of argument so that it might seem be a bit more clear.
Answer the argument in bold above as thus, one by one, and ask yourself, who is it that would say these things:
"And who is getting this now?"
The privileged,
Immigrants,
Working class,
Wall street,
Immigrants,
Working class,
Wall street,
specific racial group or ethnic group,
white, black, hispanic, asian, minorities, jew, city people, 'red states', 'blue states', males, females etc... on and on. (Lower caps is done on purpose btw)
Read carefully, see if you can make a list of scapegoats commonly used by political group. That's right, divide and conquer is still alive, well, and dangerous today.
Read carefully, see if you can make a list of scapegoats commonly used by political group. That's right, divide and conquer is still alive, well, and dangerous today.
...
A few more thoughts on some more of the dangers shown in the video if I draw from similarities today. (Which exist on both sides)
*Cancel Culture
*Cancel Culture
*Discouraging college
*Censorship of ideas
...
If you disagree with this sweeping assessment across current political lines the counter response will likely be something along the lines of "there isn't a moral equivalence because "reasons", and you are making a bad analogy". First, are the reasons you are giving actually valid? This is both a value assessment which might have disagreement, and a validity assessment (Is it empirically and logically consistent). Normative/value statements aren't really relevant as a counter argument in this context.
Secondly is this a case of the [reasons] ends justifying the means? Ends justifying the means is a flimsy standard for ethical and moral behavior. As for a false comparison/bad analogy, are you saying this because you don't like making such a comparison, or because there is a logical inconsistency? No two movements, or points in history are perfectly equivalent, this doesn't mean comparisons of similarities are invalid.
If you disagree with this sweeping assessment across current political lines the counter response will likely be something along the lines of "there isn't a moral equivalence because "reasons", and you are making a bad analogy". First, are the reasons you are giving actually valid? This is both a value assessment which might have disagreement, and a validity assessment (Is it empirically and logically consistent). Normative/value statements aren't really relevant as a counter argument in this context.
Secondly is this a case of the [reasons] ends justifying the means? Ends justifying the means is a flimsy standard for ethical and moral behavior. As for a false comparison/bad analogy, are you saying this because you don't like making such a comparison, or because there is a logical inconsistency? No two movements, or points in history are perfectly equivalent, this doesn't mean comparisons of similarities are invalid.
Don't be a sucker.
For context this blog post was written during COVID-19, the United States presidential change from President Trump to President Biden, Black Lives Matter + antifa protesting and riots, a qanon + right-wing riot at the U.S. Capitol, politicians across the aisle encouraging violence and law breaking for their pet issues (go look at twitter), enforcement of community standards by big tech against parlor, a coup in Myanmar, riots in Russia over Navalny, and various riots/protests in Europe related to covid, BLM, brexit, etc., a whole bunch of misinformation online, and misrepresentation of intents and events by several major news outlets.
