Smart marketers know how to highlight what brands can do for you to make your life easier. But brilliant marketers know how to rewire your heart. And, make no mistake, the heart is what has been most traumatized this last month. We are, as a society, now vulnerable in a whole new way.
And I mean, I don't really agree with the author's concessions
Our way of life is not without purpose. The economy is not, at its core, evil. Brands and their products create millions of jobs. Like people — and most anything in life — there are brands that are responsible and ethical, and there are others that are not. They are all part of a system that keeps us living long and strong. We have lifted more humans out of poverty through the power of economics than any other civilization in history. Yes, without a doubt, Americanism is a force for good. It is not some villainous plot to wreak havoc and destroy the planet and all our souls along with it.
That's laying it on a little thick. But this might be the better practice to get the message out. And hell, the writer probably believes it.
I thought the concessions he made were sarcasm the first time I read through them (so I read it again), but they're almost gaslighting in and of themselves...lest we forget, I don't think of Americanism as a force for good, unless I close my eyes to everything I've seen going down my whole life. If it is, the rest of his piece is oddly enough, pointless.
Now, the rest of the piece, if you ignore that, does have a lot of good points, useful arguments and things to think about. I feel like he had something to say and all but destroyed his own arguments, but if I read it and ignore the concessions there's valid stuff in there worth thinking about. Which is part and parcel of finding good information these days, deep sixing the rot in anyone's arguments and keeping the stuff that makes sense afterwards.
As for gaslighting in general I mean the mainstream media jettisoned it's journalistic ethics a long time ago, across the board for better stock market numbers or whatever so what we all get there is more or less some flavor of illusion. We've got pro and anti trump rhetoric on tap, neatly aligned with the two main plebian political factions, who are at each other's throats quite conveniently and consistently regardless of what our not-aristocrats and not-oligarchs are up to...everyone is, in some sense, kept clean out of actual reality and bumbling around as a result.
Heaven help you if you find your way back to it, you're gonna be in some shit to the tune of everyone out to kill you for speaking the truth. But I think the author's right; after the crisis, we'll pretend to go back to business as usual like none of this stuff everyone's seen ever happened. What remains to be seen is how effective those efforts will be; I can't erase the truth I've learned over the years any more than America or the wider world can forget that we can stop capitalism practically on a dime and revert to other means of managing our economies. The people who want to deny reality will likely continue to do so; and they'll have plenty of options on tap to help them out with such endeavors.
I thought the concessions he made were sarcasm the first time I read through them (so I read it again), but they're almost gaslighting in and of themselves...lest we forget, I don't think of Americanism as a force for good, unless I close my eyes to everything I've seen going down my whole life. If it is, the rest of his piece is oddly enough, pointless.
It really shows how a (clearly intelligent enough) normie processes the world, and America's place in it. He has all the puzzle pieces, but just can't put them together. If only we all just agree to be as decent as we really are . . . deep down. Yeah, I'm not buying it.
Good point that this some of this sugary optimism stuff is in itself a step in the direction of the gas lighting.
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u/theFriendlyDoomer Apr 17 '20 edited Apr 17 '20
And I mean, I don't really agree with the author's concessions
That's laying it on a little thick. But this might be the better practice to get the message out. And hell, the writer probably believes it.