Propaganda has achieved its purpose when we become the enforcers and self-enforcers of censorship. We saw it happen before, during Nazi Germany. This is why I think we all need to learn history, not only as a set of data but as a critical way of understanding current events.
I fully agree that history is important, and also that it must be treated with nuances, not just being used as an amplifier of nationalism, as it has often been.
We are acting on behalf of those who want to suppress our freedom, and it happens all the time. Nazi Germany was a solid expression of that, and the world has seen more of those, but in more subtle way, we almost never develop our own thoughts and idea, and especially everything related to moral, taboos, and other network construction for the society, we are totally under the control of a mix of tradition and current power – who often uses exactly the tradition to make us believe that it has to be so.
It is a bit funny that there is a current slayer of "woke" – as if waking up is a bad thing? The power people want us all to sleep, it seems, making us less prone to develop and insist on any ideas such as free speech.
I understand it's not exactly the same, nuance are required. But I do think “wokeness” also needs its nuances. I consider myself pretty open-minded, but I don't support everything and all labeled as "woke." It seems like we've lost criteria, and we need to fall into one label or another, when it's not so. For example, the internet makes us believe you are either a "tradwife" (look it up if you want to fall into a sad rabitt hole) or a staunch feminist. We all need a bit of middle ground, in my opinion.
"Lagom är bäst", the Swedes like to say – which means something like "medium is the best". Not too much, not too little. That is of course part of a culture that tries to prevent any big movements or changes, in fac t, it is a somewhat conservative way of thinking. But also stabilizing.
In modern communication, the extremes often win, as people feel they have to communicate in a few words, hence, not enough room for adding details or other possible ways forward. This way, we get cribbled advice and stereotypical images of everything. Life isn't stereotypical in itself, it is indeed full of nuances, so why should we think of it in stereotypes?
I agree with you 100% that you don't need to be either or – you can mix and match details of any stereotype as you want, being the one you are and want to be.
And as such, "woke" is a troubled word, as it often indicates something particular, which even may not be the same for all of us. Nevertheless, "woke", whatever it is, is under attack, and that indicates a too conservative view on life, if I may say so (conservative meaning lack of attempt to understand things that are different from what people believe that they know).
Propaganda has achieved its purpose when we become the enforcers and self-enforcers of censorship. We saw it happen before, during Nazi Germany. This is why I think we all need to learn history, not only as a set of data but as a critical way of understanding current events.
I fully agree that history is important, and also that it must be treated with nuances, not just being used as an amplifier of nationalism, as it has often been.
We are acting on behalf of those who want to suppress our freedom, and it happens all the time. Nazi Germany was a solid expression of that, and the world has seen more of those, but in more subtle way, we almost never develop our own thoughts and idea, and especially everything related to moral, taboos, and other network construction for the society, we are totally under the control of a mix of tradition and current power – who often uses exactly the tradition to make us believe that it has to be so.
It is a bit funny that there is a current slayer of "woke" – as if waking up is a bad thing? The power people want us all to sleep, it seems, making us less prone to develop and insist on any ideas such as free speech.
I understand it's not exactly the same, nuance are required. But I do think “wokeness” also needs its nuances. I consider myself pretty open-minded, but I don't support everything and all labeled as "woke." It seems like we've lost criteria, and we need to fall into one label or another, when it's not so. For example, the internet makes us believe you are either a "tradwife" (look it up if you want to fall into a sad rabitt hole) or a staunch feminist. We all need a bit of middle ground, in my opinion.
"Lagom är bäst", the Swedes like to say – which means something like "medium is the best". Not too much, not too little. That is of course part of a culture that tries to prevent any big movements or changes, in fac t, it is a somewhat conservative way of thinking. But also stabilizing.
In modern communication, the extremes often win, as people feel they have to communicate in a few words, hence, not enough room for adding details or other possible ways forward. This way, we get cribbled advice and stereotypical images of everything. Life isn't stereotypical in itself, it is indeed full of nuances, so why should we think of it in stereotypes?
I agree with you 100% that you don't need to be either or – you can mix and match details of any stereotype as you want, being the one you are and want to be.
And as such, "woke" is a troubled word, as it often indicates something particular, which even may not be the same for all of us. Nevertheless, "woke", whatever it is, is under attack, and that indicates a too conservative view on life, if I may say so (conservative meaning lack of attempt to understand things that are different from what people believe that they know).