I’ve become very skeptical of the concept of “brainwashing.” Over the past few months this skepticism has boiled over into open and explicit disagreement with even well-meaning pushers within the Marxist-Leninist corner. I often find it difficult to explain concisely why it is…
I’m still reading it; here’s an excerpt I liked:
“In short: Westerners aren’t helpless innocents whose minds are injected with atrocity propaganda, science fiction-style; they’re generally smug bourgeois proletarians who intelligently seek out as much racist propaganda as they can get their hands on. This is because it fundamentally makes them feel better about who they are and how they live. The psychic and material costs are rationally worth the benefits. As for those anti-imperialists who don’t participate in this festival of xenophobia — and here I include myself — we have our own elitist consolation: we accept the tragedy of masses of gullible sheeple falling for cunning propaganda because having overcome it flatters our own intelligence. The more we condemn society’s stupidity, the smarter we feel in comparison.”
Day is making an argument that western society is brainwashed; they actively enjoy being materially well off at the expense of the rest of the world.
I think there is a bit of both. Propaganda in the US is intense, and it’s everywhere. I don’t think you can discount it, especially since it starts at such a young age.
Yes that was a passage that stood out to me as well, it contains some astute observations that are quite elegantly formulated.
I agree with you, i too think it’s a bit of both. Day just warns us not to fall into the trap of believing that the western proletariat - in essence a global labor aristocracy - are merely “brainwashed” innocent victims. There is definitely a degree of willing complicity.