Landey
lvl.4
Germany
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Vergiliusz Posted at 3-29 01:34
Dear people, please do not offend each other. The conversation started with the fact that I posted a post that Russia uses technology to track drone operators on the Ukrainian side. Let's stick to that.
I understand emotions and why the topic has turned to discussing propaganda and who is right, we base on what we see on TV.
For us it can be propaganda, for Russians it is propaganda.
I read all of what you wrote, Vergiliusz, and I found some great thoughts.
The real reason why we cannot reach a kind of equilibrium is a term often used in a psychological setting: sociocultural background.
From the days of our childhood, we got told what's good and what's bad. Day after day, repeated in the newspapers, repeated on TV and radio. The principle of repetition proved to be working pretty well, in fact, it's still the principle of successful advertizing campaigns. I am a professional advertizing and formulation specialist trained in perception psychology, by the way. This might help to understand my point of view.
I remember my childhood. My father told me all Russians are evil, as soon as I was able to understand the first few words of German. Newspapers and other media "confirmed" that. I was told my grandma got raped by Russians, my uncle got ripped into pieces of flesh by a Russian hand grenade. All things like that confirmed by newspapers and other media. And that's what almost every German's childhood looks like.
In Russia, the evil has a different nationality, also in Poland, the Netherlands, UK, Ireland and of course USA. The one and only evil is Russian, German, Chinese, Catholic, etc. All "confirmed" by local newspapers and other media.
In short: We all get brainwashed up from our early childhood to infinity, you, me, everyone else.
Just because "good" always needs an antagonist, "bad". Good cannot exist if there's no evil, like summer cannot exist without winter. So we need an evil opponent if we wish to define ourselves as the good ones. Remember our childhood, watch the "information" flowing in times of war. Same, same. The good ones fight for a good cause, the evil ones for the evil. We're told that Russia is the evil. Russians are told we are the evil. Who's right? Both are and both aren't.
But are we the good ones? Just because we defined the other side as evil?
Remember the hand grenade that killed my uncle? The "Russian" hand grenade? He found a strange metal thing on the school yard. It exploded. Nobody saw that hunk of metal closely, except my uncle. Nobody saw if it was Russian, US, UK or German made. But as it killed a German child, it got immediately declared as a Russian one.
That's how propaganda works: You don't know, but you tell others you know. And those other tell others they know for sure.
And that's why I keep on asking everyone not to spread things "heard from a friend of a friend", evildoings of the other side narrated by the opponent.
Of couse each side defines their opponent as pure evil, this is mandatory in times of war. Of course it's always the other side "killing women and children", never our own side.
You'll never read that "we" accidentally hit a hospital. You'll always hear it was the enemy, on purpose, of course.
In times of war, the news tell us that Russia took the Crimea over and over, you'll never read Turkey did the same with northern Cyprus.
There's just one difference: If the other side takes something, it's a brutal invasion. If "our" side takes something, it's an act of mercy bringing freedom. See Iraque.
As the Russians fought in Afghanistan, we watched "Rambo III", telling us that the Russians are evil, the Taliban are the good ones.
As the US tried what the Russians didn't achieve, they suddenly told us it's the Taliban being evil.
Same story, again and again, the term "evil" used like a ping-pong ball.
That's why I don't believe everything I am told. And that's why I don't confirm everything I hear through the grapevine. And that's why I don't take sides and don't let anyone force me to take a side.
And that's why I ask you to keep politics away from this forum and concentrate on things we know for sure.
Looong talk. But I wished to give you a sound and detailled reply, Vergil(iusz). |
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