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Culture War Roundup for the week of January 9, 2023

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I think honestly the public needs to be much more skeptical of government propaganda in general. And I think given the fact that public support can and does help the war effort, the public is responsible. We shouldn’t just blindly accept the government narrative about war, in fact the default is better off being negative.

We shouldn’t just blindly accept the government narrative about war, in fact the default is better off being negative.

Europeans should be more scepticals but at least only small minority is failing for much lower quality Russian claims. So it is not a complete failure at least.

at least only small minority is failing for much lower quality Russian claims

Yes, but IMO only because they are falling for the (better) propaganda of "the other side". So the merit is not of the European public but either a success of European and American propagandists or (more likely) a huge failure by Russian propagandists.

I think honestly the public needs to be much more skeptical of government propaganda in general. And I think given the fact that public support can and does help the war effort, the public is responsible. We shouldn’t just blindly accept the government narrative about war, in fact the default is better off being negative.

How is Western public "helping the war effort" (assuming you are talking about Western countries)?

NAFO style direct fundraising is minuscule part of whole war effort. Western support for Ukraine consists of sending old weapons and material out of storage and new freshly printed money, none of it requires public cooperation or approval.

By cheering on the war to keep going despite its side effects on their lives (i.e. inflation, energy prices). Tolerating the side effects as "necessary" and "a sacrifice for Ukraine" does require public cooperation and approval.