“Propaganda depends for its effectiveness on the presence of flawed ideological belief,” writes the philosopher Jason Stanley in How Propaganda Works. Politicians cash in on this prior ideological belief already present in people to push through the narrative they want to.
In fact, financial influencers work along a similar line. Many people believe in greed being a good thing and that it’s possible to become rich quickly. Financial influencers who succeed, knowingly or unknowingly, cash in on these beliefs.
