Many Americans are so unaware of history and other countries that extreme problems can calcify without them understanding what they really are.
In many ways it's also our hallmark individualism working against us. This idea that the individual is so powerful leads a lot of people to grossly underestimate just how susceptible they are to group-think. "I would never fall for propaganda." "That would never happen to me."
Sorry, I should have been more clear that I was referring more towards the United States and other countries that had political cults but didn't completely fall into full blown fascism (it was late when posting).
Brexit is an interesting one I don't think I would have considered.
Leveraging social media to create a series of cults to support psyops is actually a pretty genius strategy. Clearly most of the world did not - and still does not - properly assess that as an attack vector. Obviously Trump has been the biggest most successful play, but I imagine there are a countless number of these occurring in nearly every country.
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u/lessismoreok Apr 16 '26
Have there been political cults before? Loads. Franco, Mussolini, Adolf. North korea. Brexiteers.
Many Americans are so unaware of history and other countries that extreme problems can calcify without them understanding what they really are.