The Mechanics of Smear

It is the weak undisciplined mind that accepts the smear as credible argument. It is the mind of cognitive dissonance, of the desperate need to avert attention from one's mental failings that resorts to the smear campaign. It is no coincidence the more blatant the ineptitude and corruption of the right, the more fervent the smears become of the left.

It is worth pointing out here that smears arise almost exclusively from the right. The left have plenty of strong arguments regularly ignored in mainstream discourse let alone smears, whilst the smears summoned from the right are necessary and intentionally propagated by the right wing media. The corporate-owned media have no interest propagating smears or criticisms that will ultimately denounce themselves, only those that uphold their wealth and power.

This far into the Brexit narrative, the failings of the Tories are not hard to recognise. Brexit is entirely a product of Tory incompetence and, unlike their many other calamities, their tragic handling of Brexit and the trashing of the UK economy is pretty difficult to disguise, no matter how the media dress it up as Tory strength, no matter how much Laura Keunssberg dotes over Theresa May. Even the most fervent supporter must recognise they are rooting for the wrong team.

Thus smears have two main aims: to dupe the already duped in continuing their unwavering support for the corrupt and inept, and; to shame supporters of the opposition into self-silencing or possible disillusionment.

Since the majority of right wing supporters are half-witted dupes, it makes sense that a smear campaign will have a suitable effect on the lazy minded and the witless. So one must assume those of lazy mind currently supporting the left will also find the smear campaign delightfully compelling to cease their support of the left. Whether these feeble-minded entities actually turn their support to the right is not necessary. It is satisfactory to merely weaken support for the left, although increased support for the right will always be welcomed by those who orchestrate the smear (especially since support for the right is an ageing population).

However a more subtle but effective trait of the smear campaign is to compel left supporters to self-censor. If the minions of the right wing successfully believe the notions of the loony left or even the scary left, to those people the left will be loony and scary. Their conviction is enough to encourage people to refrain from offering their true beliefs in fear of people not taking them seriously or looking down on them. Nobody wants to look like an idiot even if it is unjustified, even if it is a greater idiot who thinks it.

It is the certainty within the right wing mind that is at work here. So convinced by a lifetime of indoctrination, by notions upheld by corporate-owned news outlets, they are merely the weak taunting you while an even bigger bully stands behind them. They can only say what they say because they are convinced by the might of the mass-produced word. And one can only assume they are short on intelligence because it is extremely rare for any compelling argument to be given to justify support for the right, yet they continue their unwavering support daily.

So the act of self-censorship preserves the duped right from alternative views. The fervent zealousness conjured within right wing indoctrination is precisely there to protect the non-arguments of the right from any critical counter-view. It is the weak – the religious – blocking their ears to criticism with the retort of: 'don't tell me I'm wrong, I know because I know, that's all.' And on top of this, the views of the left become suppressed, not freely expressed or exchanged. So sensible views suddenly become heresy and good ideas are not uttered precisely because of one mass tantrum of those on the right. Too terrified are they that they might be wrong, they can only shout over opposing words.

Over and out for now, guys!

xxx 

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