Are We Being Played?
The division is intentional. I really believe that.
Left against right. Red vs blue. Us vs them. Pick a side. Hate the other. Rinse and repeat.
We're so busy fighting each other we don't see who's actually benefiting from the chaos.
Spoiler: it's not the little guy.
I have a neighbor who flies a particular political leader's flag on his flag pole. I've said before that I've never talked to them because there's probably nothing I have in common with them because of that.
But that's most likely not true.
They're most likely very much like me in many ways. Just a person trying to make it. Trying to make a living, put food on the table and take care of their family the best they can. But I'm judging them based on a flag they're flying of a political figure they support. I've written them off without ever saying a word to them.
That's fucked up when I actually think about it. And that's exactly what they want us to do.
Politicians need us divided. Divided people are easier to control. Give them an enemy to hate and they won't notice you're not actually fixing anything. Promise to protect them from the other side and they'll vote for you forever. Never mind that nothing ever gets better. Just keep the fear alive.
Media needs us divided. Outrage gets clicks and fear gets views. Calm reasonable discussion gets ignored. So they pump out content designed to piss you off. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. Doesn't matter if it's the whole story. Just make them angry, because angry people stay tuned in.
Social media needs us divided. The algorithm feeds you what keeps you scrolling. And nothing keeps you scrolling like content that makes your blood boil. They're not showing you reality. They're showing you a funhouse mirror designed to make you hate your neighbor.
Corporations need us divided. While we're arguing about culture war bullshit they're squeezing every last dollar out of the working class. But hey, at least we owned the other side on Facebook or X right?
Here's the thing. The guy down the street who votes different than you? He's not your enemy. He's worried about the same shit you are. Paying bills. Taking care of his family. Trying to get by. But we've been programmed to see each other as threats instead of neighbors.
I'm not saying there aren't real issues. There are. I'm not saying everyone's the same. They're not. But the level of hatred we have for each other right now? That's manufactured. That's intentional. That's profitable for someone and it sure as hell isn't us.
We're being played. Both sides. All of us.
The sooner we figure that out the sooner we can stop tearing each other apart and start fixing actual problems.
Or we can keep doing what we're doing. Keep hating. Keep fighting. Keep making the same people rich and powerful while we get nothing but angrier.
What do you think? Are we being played?
Thanks for reading,
Joe
Notes:
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What do I think? I've been studying this for years... There's a saying, “divide and conquer,” because there are only a few people pulling the strings of the world, so it's better to have us divided and fighting than united and going against them.
That is what I have come to believe as well. Keep us bickering amongst ourselves and distracted from the goings on behind the curtain.
I guarantee it... it's only a few, the richest ones.
While I don't disagree with you and I have plenty of friends and family who support that man, there is a distinct difference I think. The majority of people who fly that flag more often than not do it to get a reaction more than anything. I think they also do it because they are supporting the man, not the party. We all know the man is pretty vial, so that says a lot more about their character than say if they were flying a republican flag. Just my thoughts...
That is my knee jerk thought as well. But my better angels tell me I should give them a chance. Doubtful I will find, that other than the basic human requirements, I have much in common. But need to give it a chance.
Good luck!
I have always said that if we could sit down to dinner with a different to our own every year, the world would change dramatically. Few of us are so different than others. We are all largely average, trying to get by.
Well, I am not sure we will go as far as sitting down to dinner. But I will at least try to start having a dialogue.
Everything's made to be more dramatic than it actually is. When 2020 came, Ecuador implemented heavy lock downs, wiping away the livelihood of many people. The expats in my town, while still fighting about everything, all donated a ton of money to the same cause - to help those in need. I got donations from all sides of the political spectrum in order to feed those who were struggling the most. So did many other organizers.
Afterwards, they all went back to their usual quarrels. But in times of need, they pulled into the same direction.
Glad to hear things went that direction there. It was the opposite here. I think the pandemic did more to divide people. Even during natural disasters now, people start pointing fingers almost immediately. And the politicians and media stoke the flames. It is sad.
I knew this long ago. It's all orchestrated to keep all the people distracted and divided along lines of socio-status, sexes, reverse discrimination, left-right, real or imagined flavor of the day keeping the same elites in power.
!PIMP
and people buy right into it.
THATS BECAUSE EVERY APART FROM ME AND YOU ARE IDIOTS 😤
ps I hope I don't have to explain km joking
This is absolutely true. I know some full on people I can find common ground with. Racists and misogynists, not so much.
Yeah, there are just certain characters that I would never get on with. Ever.
Yes we are by both sides. We need a strong third option that really wants to fix things, not just profit off us serfs who work the fields for them. It really is wrong but the American people are being played by both sides using hate to divide us for their profit in the end.
Agree. The major political parties are currently corrupt IMO. We need something from scratch. From the ground up sourced from the people and not the rich or political elites.
Thousand percent here man! I've taken this stance a long time ago. I will for sure admit that it's difficult to do sometimes.. some people are just fucking nuts, and the things they ascribe to are pretty different in a lot of ways.
At the same time though.. I then remember how much EFFORT and money is spent every single second of the day to intentionally drive that wedge. Make it so that people can't talk to each other. Neighbors don't say a word to each other. People who 30 years ago would respectfully disagree on something, but still sit down and watch a game together with a few beers. Those days are being intentionally pushed away.
I think a gigantic part of it as well, that many people are talking about is that religion is natural for humans. Since organized religions like Christianity have been on the downward trend in the last 20 years or so, the side effect of that is people are picking up political ideologies as their religion and defending leaders and others as if they are religious figures.
The psychological research and understanding they honed in the 40's, 50's and 60's is the underlying aspect of all of this. They have a deep understanding of how to best manipulate the shit out of people and they wield it like a surgical blade. It's messed up!
Yeah, some people are just nuts. The rest is manipulation. You are right, it has been perfected over the years.