So many lies are circulating that the liars can't keep track of their stories. They're using templates, replacing names and figures in recycled storylines. Bolsonaro was the tropical Trump, and now Lula takes the title. No one seems to notice plots and antagonists never change because the 24/7 news cycle saturates our brains, swiping our memories.

Westerners, especially Americans, encounter so much propaganda they're unaware of the US empire's extensive global dominance. Denial and fairytales explain the 800 international US military bases, wars, sanctions, and countless coups.

We can't even admit the obvious. Instead of condemning the horrific footage exposing US war crimes in Iraq, we accuse Assange of espionage, and he's not even American! It's beyond disgusting.

Horace Miner's 1950s "Body Rituals Among the Nacirema" demonstrates the ease of shaping and manipulating narratives. I read and analyzed the essay at university, but at the time, I didn't realize my teacher was preparing us for today's onslaught of propaganda and narrative framing.

https://www.sfu.ca/~palys/Miner-1956-BodyRitualAmongTheNacirema.pdf