What does it mean to be brainwashed? When I was growing up in the days of the Cold War and the specter of nuclear disaster, the term brainwashed was associated with Communism. We all knew that anyone who believed in Communism had been “brainwashed” by Stalin and his minions. Brainwashed people could not think for themselves. To be brainwashed, meant to be a mindless zombie. People who are brainwashed have undying fealty to an impossible dream. Communists want a system where everyone shares equally in the production of society. Communists will fight and die for this dream.
“Communism, my friend, is more than Marxism, just as Catholicism is more than the Roman Curia. There is a mystique as well as a politick. Catholics and Communists have committed great crimes, but at least they have not stood aside, like an established society, and been indifferent. I would rather have blood on my hands than water like Pilate.” – Graham Greene
As Americans, we pride ourselves on being the exact opposite of Communists. In America, we have a democracy. To live in a democracy, means that you are “free” to think for yourself. No one living in a democracy can possibly be brainwashed. In America, “the land of the free and the home of the brave” you will only find people who believe in the truth. The truth is that democracy is the holy grail of political systems. It supports everything that is good about life. In a democracy, all men and women are created equal. In a democracy, everyone can succeed if they only have the right desire. Americans will fight and die for this dream.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” – The Declaration of Independence
It never occurred to me that Americans could be brainwashed until I started teaching MBA students both at St. Thomas College and Metro State University in Minnesota. Enrollment in MBA programs soared during the nineties as more and more students gravitated to business occupations and away from such occupations as teaching and social work. Many of my students had obtained non-business undergraduate degrees and become tired of the lack of money associated with such career fields. With an MBA degree, you could easily make three or four times per year what you could with a Masters degree in Education.
I really enjoyed teaching in the business field because my students were smart, motivated and challenging. Most of them had been working for several years and brought considerable life experience to their classes. Very few of my students had simply finished an undergraduate program right out of high school and then gone on to get an MBA degree.
Since I had spent many years as a management consultant, I brought industry experience to my classes. I had learned along the way that critical thinking and the ability to question the status quo were essential to continuous improvement and systems change. I tried to incorporate these insights into my curriculum and classroom instruction. I soon found that this task was easier said then done.
An eye opener for me was when I tried to use the documentary film called: “The Corporation (2003)” in some of my business ethics classes. The Corporation is a Canadian documentary film critical of the modern-day corporation. It was directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott and written by Joel Bakan. The film has numerous examples of corporate behavior that walk a fine line between criminal and immoral behavior. The film shows that many of the behaviors of modern corporations are immoral although not illegal. However, there are numerous examples in the paper every day wherein executives and corporate leaders have crossed the line.
“Again and again we have the problem that whether you obey the law or not is a matter of whether it’s cost effective. If the chance of getting caught and the penalties are less than it costs to comply, people think of it as just a business decision.” – Robert Monks.
Much to my surprise, many of my students did not see anything wrong with such immoral behavior. Their standards were set on what was expedient and legal rather than what was moral and ethical. Repeatedly, I found that modern business students believe in an amoral system of ethics rather than a moral system. In an amoral system, right and wrong is defined by what works and what does not work. If you are within the law, you may conduct your business with little concern for the residual effects on either society or citizens. The first law of business trumps all other concerns. That law is to make a profit.
No amount of persuasion or argument could sway my students from their steadfast believe in the value of capitalism and its sanctity as an economic system. Students were not persuaded by the iniquities in the system, by the inherent racism in the system, by the inherent sexism in the system or by the unequal distribution of wealth in a system that has become increasingly dysfunctional.
“What we should admit to begin with, if we can, is that good socialism is better than bad capitalism. The logic of the statement is really inescapable. It is only when capitalism fails that people and nations resort to alternative forms of political economy.” – Jude Wanniski
How can anyone as bright and experienced as these MBA students not see the obvious flaws in America’s belief system? An excellent book (The Structure of Scientific Revolutions) by Thomas Kuhn talks about the nature of scientific and paradigmatic change. Kuhn found that even scientists could not see the truth behind a new theory because their old paradigms blinded them to the new reality.
In the same way, it has been gospel for many years now that America is an “exceptional” nation. Americans are smarter, tougher, harder workers, more courageous, more creative and more ambitious then workers from any other country in the world. Since it is believed that America is built on Capitalism and Democracy, these two ideologies have become sacred tenets of American life. To cast doubt or aspersions on the value and efficacy of these systems is to suggest that America and hence Americans are not exceptional. Trying to talk students into seeing the flaws in either of these systems is about as effective as asking them to describe a Martian. If you have no foundation for seeing a new reality, you can only describe familiar objects in your current reality.
Business students today are not critical thinkers nor or they creative thinkers when it comes to politics or economics. Most of them have been brainwashed. When I use this term, I mean it to signify someone who cannot think out of a box of concepts that has become their dominant world view. Just as I suppose a die hard Communist would find compelling reasons to defend communism, die hard Americans can always find compelling reasons to defend America. A brainwashed person cannot see another reality or even begin to envision what might be wrong with their weltanschauung.
“This is what economics now does. It tells the young and susceptible (and also the old and vulnerable) that economic life has no content of power and politics because the firm is safely subordinate to the market and the state and for this reason it is safely at the command of the consumer and citizen. Such an economics is not neutral. It is the influential and invaluable ally of those whose exercise of power depends on an acquiescent public.” John K. Galbraith, (Power and the Useful Economist, 1973)
So, what am I getting at? What is my point? To find it, we need to return to the thesis of this article: Are Americans brainwashed? If we define what it means to be brainwashed as: “One who persists in the belief of something despite apparent evidence and facts to the contrary,” then I would suggest that the evidence points beyond a doubt to the fact that Americans are some of the most brainwashed people on the face of the earth. It has little to do with experience in business, innate intelligence or amount of degrees accumulated.
A red herring in our acceptance of my conclusion is the common belief that brainwashing is forced. Too often, we have the picture of an individual strapped to a chair being made to listen to propaganda or watch propaganda films. The fact of the matter is that brainwashing can be covert and subdued. I suggest another picture for brainwashing that is just as effective as “forced” brainwashing. Picture the average American watching four or five hours or television every day.
Television Statistics. According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube.
During the average day, an American will have seen or heard between 300-700 marketing messages per day, including messages from the Internet and video gaming. – (Source: Phil Barden, “Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy”, 2013). Much of the research on the role that advertising plays in consumer purchases suggests that it is mostly informative rather than persuasive. In other words, it appears that consumers use the information to choose between products but are not necessarily persuaded by the advertising to buy any particular product.
As a business instructor and former retail store manager, I am skeptical of the consumer research. My firsthand experience in regard to the power of these marketing messages does not agree with the research findings. Students and customers will repeatedly deny that advertising messages play any overt role in their purchasing decisions. However, any observation of the buying habits of Americans will easily demonstrate a disconnect between what people spend their money on and rational economic sense.
Furthermore, when we look for the messages that “brainwash” many Americans we must look beyond Madison Avenue. We have a cornucopia of messages bombarding Americans every day that serve to instill mythical beliefs in American exceptionalism, American patriotism, American heroism and American capitalism. Let us look briefly at some of the beliefs that I noted earlier.
Americans are the hardest working people in the world:
The U.S. ranks 17 out of 38 countries in terms of average hours worked each year, according to the OECD, while Mexico, where labor laws cap the work week at 48 hours, ranks no. 1. Workers in Costa Rica and South Korea work the second and third longest hours, respectively – Sept 2, 2016
Americans are the most creative and innovative people in the world:
In this area Americans do rank exceptionally high. The Martin Prosperity Institute ranks 82 countries on a scale for creativity based on technology, talent and tolerance for new ideas. Overall, America ranks second behind Sweden. Note however that we are not number one in any category.
-
UNITED STATES
Technology Rank: 3
Talent Rank: 8
Tolerance Rank: 8
Global Creativity Index: 0.902
Americans are the toughest people in the world:
This is a very ambiguous category and an allegation that is difficult to attack or defend. How do we define tough? Is our military the most powerful in the world? The answer would be yes. Are our athletes the best in the world? An all-time medal table for all Olympic Games from 1896 to 2016, including Summer Olympic Games, Winter Olympic Games, and a combined total of both shows that America has clearly dominated the Olympic games. The top three countries in medal totals are:
America: Total Medals: 2,804
Russia: Total Medals – 1,204
Great Britain: Total Medals – 875
But if we define tough as a measure of resilience to strife and turmoil, we find that Americans are not in first place. The FM Global Resilience Index ranks and scores countries across nine factors, illuminating their supply chain resilience and resilience in general. Across political risk, exposure to natural hazards, and infrastructure quality, the index quantifies a nation’s ability to withstand a disruption and bounce back, so products can get to where they need to go.
“The latest version of the ranking, which comes from a Rhode Island-based insurance company, has Switzerland in first place, followed by Norway, with Ireland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the central United States, Canada, Australia, and Denmark counting out the top 10 places.” – Fast Company
Conclusions:
If Americans belief in the above ideas is false but we continue as a nation to keep repeating them ad nausea, does that mean we are brainwashed? Or are we simply delusional? I submit that the causality behind these beliefs is less important than the arrogance and hubris that they demonstrate to the rest of the world. How can we expect to be respected and admired when we waltz around treating the rest of the world as though they are second class citizens?
“This unchallenged faith in American exceptionalism makes it harder for Americans to understand why others are less enthusiastic about U.S. dominance, often alarmed by U.S. policies, and frequently irritated by what they see as U.S. hypocrisy, whether the subject is possession of nuclear weapons, conformity with international law, or America’s tendency to condemn the conduct of others while ignoring its own failings. Ironically, U.S. foreign policy would probably be more effective if Americans were less convinced of their own unique virtues and less eager to proclaim them.” – Foreign Affairs: The Myth of American Exceptionalism, Stephen M. Walt, 2011
Time for Questions:
Do you think many Americans are brainwashed? Why or why not? Do you think there are many beliefs that we as Americans hold that are false? If so, where do you think they come from? What do we need to do to see the truth? How do we overcome mythologies that are constantly reinforced by special interest groups?
Life is just beginning.
“The conservative version of American exceptionalism has become a password of sorts for candidates who want to prove their credentials to a right-wing America.” – Russ Feingold
Aging Capriciously 
Jan 09, 2018 @ 17:46:22
Quite the read, bravo. Wow wrt your experience with your MBA students and your observation of their amoral filter. That speaks volumes in a not-good way. I can only imagine that the mythology of American exceptionalism, beacon on the hill, and even democracy has to be being questioned by many, many people, given the current situation. No other developed country allows unlimited political donations, which gives egregious levels of influence to the uber rich, for starters. Then there’s the gerrymandering, ongoing voter suppression, etc. Now the current administration has proactively insulted and provoked every ally and upended the expectation of common decency and cooperative effort. The speed with which the administration has abdicated its role as a world leader in many areas, including environmental sustainability, is stunning. I don’t need to go on. I do believe that many Americans do get this and will work hard to turn things around. The world was a better place when the US had an earned role as a leader for a common good.
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Jan 09, 2018 @ 20:21:57
Jane, thank you very much for your comments. I hope you are right and that many Americans are questioning their assumptions. I do not know what will save us from Trumpism but I keep thinking of the refrain that “The Truth will set us free.” I hope so.
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Jan 24, 2018 @ 20:16:52
Unfortunately most people wouldn’t get throug this entire article. There are two many words. They have to be entertained quickly before their eyes glaze over and lose focus. You write of brainwashing. On my other blog I wrote a post today on another matter that also uses brainwashing to control the masses – religion. People can’t think for themselves because . . . what would people say! Or govt is so blatant using religion and many people can’t wrap their head around it. One person told me, “President ( choke) Trump is a new Christian. Of course he is going to make mistakes. He needs time learn the job.” I am very worried about the world being left to my grandchildren
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Jan 24, 2018 @ 21:48:10
Like Mozart, I have too many words but he had too many notes. I think you are right of course but that is how I write and I need to do what I like and not worry about how many will read my blogs. I agree about religion. Marx said it was the opiate of the masses. Today sports is the opiate of the masses. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
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Jan 24, 2018 @ 22:01:45
Probably true of too many of my blogs. But they make me happy, so what the hell. Read my: Bully in Chief and Liar in Chief!. You can guess who the subject of this blog is. Another one on the same subject is: Evolution in Reverse: From Homo Sapiens to Trump Deplorables.
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Oct 13, 2019 @ 02:03:29
The irony in this. The thing that gets me is do you really believe what you are trying to teach or are you simply attempting to take advantage of those with actual morals. You are not an American. You are not worthy imo. What is your objective. Is it positive. Does the modern left want God. Do you want God? The only two sides in everything are good or evil. The United States is by far the most exceptional nation we have ever known. Your ability to write this nonsense contradicts everything in it. Where did this inability to comprehend reality come from? Well the answers and warnings have always been there but you are too occupied with wondering why you hate Trump. You are brainwashed.
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Aug 08, 2018 @ 02:55:36
Hi John, I hope you don’t mind but i took the liberty of choosing your best poster for my freedomfund book. I will make sure your name is chief. muse at http://www.eroticartist.co.uk to http://www.ipornographerbooks.com, Regards Linda
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Aug 09, 2018 @ 07:04:26
No problem. But was it my poster or someone else’s? I usually use art and photos from Google Image.
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Mar 22, 2019 @ 23:17:25
Tocqueville long ago observed that there is no freedom of thought in these United States. How could there be when the public enforced a “tyranny of the majority” where opinions contrary to mass belief were not allowed? The national religion is hustling and no other narrative is permitted. Small wonder when you try to raise a progressive idea in polite conversation you are greeted by silence or some wag will change the topic to the weather.
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Mar 23, 2019 @ 02:27:42
Hi, I appreciate your comment. Do you have a citation for the comment or thoughts that Tocqueville made? I would like to look at the source.
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Aug 28, 2019 @ 18:04:57
You must “believe in Something,or You will Fall for Anything”! The whole point of this Quote is!, Everything has to have a Foundation ! Without it, nothing will stand!Then if it Stands and Out last anything that has been “Beneficial for over 243 years,then it has “Proven that it “Can Out Last” the Ones that were tried and Failed ! Example-Communism/Socialism Countries ! I was Brainwashed by the History of Our Forefathers and Our Constitution that’s Proven to last over 200 years ! What other Country has lasted that Long and includes “True Freedom”!
I’m knocking on the Door of 80 yrs. Old ! Sorry, I take my Brainwashing Over that of Socialism or Communism !
pp. That also includes “Freedom to believe in the Supreme Creator”!
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Oct 13, 2019 @ 02:00:00
The irony in this. The thing that gets me is do you really believe what you are trying to teach or are you simply attempting to take advantage of those with actual morals. You are not an American. You are not worthy imo. What is your objective. Is it positive. Does the modern left want God. Do you want God? The only two sides in everything are good or evil. The United States is by far the most exceptional nation we have ever known. Your ability to write this nonsense contradicts everything in it. Where did this inability to comprehend reality come from? Well the answers and warnings have always been there but you are too occupied with wondering why you hate Trump. You are brainwashed.
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Oct 19, 2019 @ 16:30:21
People with morals and integrity cannot be taken advantage of. It is only the naive and gullible who are easy prey for politicians and madison avenue spin jocks. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Sorry you find it nonsense. John.
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Oct 13, 2019 @ 02:10:14
James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 18:42:21
You are absolutely on the right track and this is a good read! I feel like maybe you’re still a little brainwashed about communisim. For the record, Orwell wasn’t writing about communisim, he was writing about totalitarianism and he tried to clarify this himself. Totalitarianism is obviously bad. There are healthy examples of democratic communism. The Sandinistas did great things for the people of Nicaragua for one example. But yes, there are also several examples of communism slipping into totalitarianism but that is simply not limited to communist states. Nazi Germany is a memorable example. They called themselves socialists but they were in no way socialist. Part of the problem has been governments calling themselves something that they aren’t. North Korea is called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Is North Korea a democratic republic? Is the United States even a democratic republic? Plutocracy now describes us more accurately and N Korea is definitely totalitarian.
“The Corporation” is a favorite film of mine. You should check out all the films at Metanoia, particularly “Psywar,” and a BBC documentary series called “The Century of the Self” if you really want to dig deep into brainwashing in the United States. Also check out Noam Chomsky and “Manufacturing Consent.” You are correct, the citizens of this country are mostly brainwashed and appear to like it that way.
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 21:16:32
Thank you for your comments. I have never doubted that communist regimes and sometimes even totalitarian regimes have done positive things for their people. I remember when the CIA overthrew Allende and I am familiar with many other plots they instigated strictly because the stigma of communist was applied to a regime. Sanders would have had a hard time getting elected because most people in the USA do not know the difference between Socialism and Communism. In fact, most people in this country are brainwashed into believing that Capitalism is the only economic model that has any benefit. I always liked Lester Thurow’s comment that the “Only reason Capitalism looked so good was that Communism. looked so bad.” I used the Canadian made file “The Corporation” in many of my MBO classes. I will have to check out the other films you mention. I am not familiar with them. As for names, Humpty Dumpty said it best: “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.” Thanks again for your comments and suggestions for films. BTW, I am writing a blog this week on the “Myths of Capitalism.” Karl Marx is another person who always gets a bum rap in this country. Just mention his name, and you get instant turnoff. No politician in this country who tells the truth about Capitalism can or will ever get elected at least not in my lifetime. Love to have a coffee and chat with you sometime in person. Always hard to convey ideas strictly in print. John
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 18:59:50
Correction: the Sandinistas were not actually communist. That was political framing. Some Sandinistas were Marxist/Leninist.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/who-was-naive-about-bernie-sanders-meeting-the-sandinistas/
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Apr 15, 2020 @ 20:58:31
Thank you, I appreciate the correction and have posted your comment.
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Jan 03, 2021 @ 10:27:42
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Jan 12, 2021 @ 07:54:22
Thanks so much for your kind comments.
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Feb 06, 2021 @ 16:45:01
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Feb 17, 2021 @ 05:40:48
This country’s status and power has been declining since we landed on the moon. China will become the next world power and our “democracy” will fall apart. The American people are brainwashed into believing that America is the greatest country in the world when that is far from the truth. We used to be in the 50’s and 60’s post WW2. But not we are weak and this country is bound to fall.
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Feb 18, 2021 @ 07:57:59
Well, most great empires rise, reach a peak and then decline. I cannot see any reason why America should be different.
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Mar 10, 2021 @ 17:57:26
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Mar 14, 2021 @ 22:41:08
Thank you very much Evangelina, I appreciate your taking the time to comment. John
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Mar 14, 2021 @ 22:40:33
Thanks so much Winfred/ I appreciate your reading and comment. John
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Mar 19, 2021 @ 21:08:33
The very crux of your writing while appearing reasonable in the beginning, did not sit well with me after some time. Somewhere within the paragraphs you actually managed to make me a believer but only for a short while. I however have a problem with your jumps in assumptions and one would do well to help fill in all those breaks. If you actually can accomplish that, I could certainly end up being amazed.
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Mar 20, 2021 @ 07:23:05
Probably you are right. It is very difficult to do justice to this subject in a blog. It would really require a book. However, the premise is one that I continue to see as truth. 75 million people in America voted for a mean evil dumb corrupt man who was not fit to be a dog catcher never mind POTUS. IMHO.
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Apr 05, 2021 @ 08:49:19
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Apr 06, 2021 @ 10:34:08
Ali, thank you very much for the thoughtful and kind comment. I am glad you enjoyed my site.
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Apr 06, 2021 @ 14:50:04
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Apr 24, 2021 @ 20:28:26
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Sep 22, 2021 @ 11:08:49
There is no question about Americans being brainwashed just a question of degree. Certainly no one can compete with the North Koreans but being a self-proclaimed Democracy and finding that brainwashing permeates the land is very troublesome.
In America when you break away from Mob-think you are ostracized and driven out of polite company. So society does what Torquemada in the Inquistion did–censor.
And it does it much more effectively…….
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