Brainwashing: A way of American life?

Through both of these readings multiple questions now come to mind. “Why do we listen to what they say” is a great one coming from the Rushkoff reading. I feel like people today hold people with obvious media direct control to be almighty and unquestionable. It’s funny that these people giving us this information are simply passing on to the masses the altered and restructured stories that might be similar to the truth but far from the actual truth. Even if these people do give raw true information the way the story is represented in a visual sense could lead viewers to a wrong view on the subject at hand. After reading both articles it’s obvious that people are being manipulated and according to Rushkoff this trend is an undying one.

For instance an example from my life I can connect to is ESPN’s take on professional sporting teams. The facts could be on the table that a team isn’t going to fair well against their upcoming opponent maybe due to games in the past or current injuries of the team. What amazes me is that if ESPN gives a glorified analyst or sports legend ten minutes of airtime to share a exotic idea on how this team will magically do better in their next game because of this persons inside information then it’s likely that people that whole week will be talking about this team as if it’s obvious that they will emerge victorious. This motion is not because of the person watching ESPN really feels inside that the team will win but the idea that an educated sports analyst told him so. Its radical, its unavoidable and overall its brainwashing.

Now connecting Rushkoff to the online article, what connection do Liberal Arts really have to people’s ability to ask why they perceive the world in the way they do instead of how they will perceive the world? Maybe if Liberal Arts were injected more to the curriculum than America would give birth to more liberal independent thinkers. These people might be able to refuse the almighty public authority (mostly distributed to the public by ways of television and radio).

Also secondly is it not a bit scary to you that government is trying to of all things limit the amount of liberal arts classes available in the school system? What are they trying to do exactly? Are they trying to dumb down America’s people to being susceptible to their economical plans of controlling the mind to do their economical bidding? Are they trying to fill up young peoples’ minds with black and white knowledge of facts and ways of evaluating to induce the public to act in one simple manner? While this view might be exotic it’s debatable and almost scary.

While we view business officials and politicians to be role models of American society is that anywhere close to the truth? What are they really doing within their job responsibilities? To me it seems they are putting out information that is fake or spun. They put out stories and media that will engage the viewer by portraying a certain mood or false conclusion of successfulness and not even come close to the true characteristics of the subject at hand. These people are manipulators working in a manner not because they feel it is right, but because they know it will work. For example gum companies even though all gum is similar use ads and commercials to sell a product conveying mood or energy far from the true characteristics of the product.

Overall a piece of gum is a piece of gum. No gum or body was will give a man multiple female admirers or a brand new Mercedes no matter what media displays. The whole gig is tricking the American mind, even though how unfair it might be.