It used to be, back in the Mesozoic era when I was in high school, that a class called “civics” or some variation thereof was required for graduation. Usually it was taught by the football coach or some other marginally qualified teacher, and it was considered a no-brainer even by the people with no brains (in the high school I graduated from, the class was called “Modern Problems” and was indeed taught by the football coach).

One thing that was taught in civics class in those days that doesn’t seem to be taught to anyone nowadays is “propaganda techniques.” I think the original intent was to fortify us all against those godless Commies, but it made reading political blither from our own homegrown knuckleheads more interesting as well. Here is a link to the seven basic propaganda techniques, just for reference sake.

We’re in the midst of yet another political campaign, and it doesn’t take much to spot all the classic techniques in everyone’s ads, if you know where to look. But people just don’t seem to know where to look any more, and fall for the most incredibly obvious misdirections.

It’s too bad that civics class was usually so boring and taught by such marginal teachers, because paying attention in that class might have actually produced an electorate that wasn’t barely one step above the chimps. Oook oook, have a banana and vote!

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