• minkymunkey_7_7@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    That documentary about Edward Bernays. The Century of the Self. The episodes are appropriately named too! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Century_of_the_Self

    It explains how we are here. Basically after WW2 the leaders embarked on a psychology advertising campaign for Western civilization where it would be too uncomfortable to wage a war again like that without all the comforts of consumerism. America is at the peak of it.

    The only way the citizen of America will really push back is when the government collectively takes something from them that lies at or near the base of Maslow’s Pyramid. When it gets too uncomfortable. Or else everything is actually fine.

      • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 day ago

        Bread and circus’s is often times derided but it was exactly why Rome was so successful. Under all the glory, triumph, and corruption the Roman elite knew damned well what happened when the commoners went hungry and they didn’t wanted another Gracchi Brothers incident. Shame for us the modern milksop oligarchy forgot the damned bread.