Marketing Strikes Again (7/28/24)

© by Mark Dempsey

People are easy to manipulate. A hypnotist can just make suggestions, and they'll cluck like a chicken. No injections, chloroform on rags, etc are necessary.--just suggestions. Humans are that easily led.

The credits at the end of our entertainment demonstrate that dozens, if not hundreds of people work to make the show's scenario and plot convincing. That’s certainly more than a hypnotist, but much less than the constant stream of “marketing” we see daily in the media, especially about our public policy.

For example, why does the government need to be stingy? It can’t build homes for the homeless, feed the hungry, or even make higher education free. Why we’re running out of money! And we must rely on taxes collected from the population! Our government doesn't make money...apparently, dollars grow on billionaires!

Except not:

Here’s more marketing: All the police procedural TV shows solve the crimes. Perry Mason figures out even the most convoluted murders. All the science, fingerprints, and DNA make even the most obscure crime traceable.

And this copaganda has been particularly effective. Between 1982 and 2017 US population increased 42%. Spending on police increased by 187%. Heck, the police for Ohio State University have a military surplus MRAP (armored personnel carrier)--just the thing to break up those frat parties!

But, in reality, how much crime do police solve, never mind prevent? “The statewide clearance rate for crimes was just 13.2 percent in 2022, according to a new report. The rate for poverty crimes was only 7.2 percent. Despite receiving billions of dollars in funding — including more than $25 billion in 2022 — California police are solving few crimes.” (from here)

The FBI estimates property crime costs the entire country roughly $12 billion. Yet wage theft by employers it estimates is $50 billion. Guess who goes to jail….?

So…the fix is in. The population is slowly waking from its trance. It’s tempting to say “F…k this!” and throw a hand grenade (Trump) into the situation. But things are never so bad they can’t get worse.

Will Trump wake them up? Will Kamala really be an improvement? I wouldn't bet on it.