CW Nightmare
In the torn out belly of an old, sprawling hotel, I found myself investigating strange happenings in the fledgling restaurant that sprouted in the blasted ruin.
Swarthy men gutted the collapse, using every nail & timber to build the eatery and it's long tables.
1🧵
3🧵
The matron, dutiful and mild in manner, brought the travelers beer, soft pretzels, and honey butter - leaving them to chitter and indulge.
4 🧵
5 🧵
One knocked over a pitcher and bowled himself over his chair as the woman to his shrieked from a dousing of cold beer.
6 🧵
The rest chided and piled on quip and comment, an echo chamber of dionysian grandeur.
My blood ran cold at sight of the Matron, stamping out from the kitchen. I dared not move, crouched in the dark rubble.
"There are those with nine lives
and those without.
Those who know fear
which are the devout.
Fed on beast and man
And humble rat,
Tis devils and Hell Hounds that
confess'd to the cat!"
8 🧵
I saw -
9 🧵
There was no air to scream.
10 🧵
The next howl of pain bade my body to flee in blind, mute, inhuman horror.
11/11
I hope you enjoy the early style of writing, as it fits with how I perceived the world of the dream.
In time - I hope to forget.
More from For later read
The common understanding of propaganda is that it is intended to brainwash the masses. Supposedly, people get exposed to the same message repeatedly and over time come to believe in whatever nonsense authoritarians want them to believe /1
And yet authoritarians often broadcast silly, unpersuasive propaganda.
Political scientist Haifeng Huang writes that the purpose of propaganda is not to brainwash people, but to instill fear in them /2
When people are bombarded with propaganda everywhere they look, they are reminded of the strength of the regime.
The vast amount of resources authoritarians spend to display their message in every corner of the public square is a costly demonstration of their power /3
In fact, the overt silliness of authoritarian propaganda is part of the point. Propaganda is designed to be silly so that people can instantly recognize it when they see it
Propaganda is intended to instill fear in people, not brainwash them.
The message is: You might not believe in pro-regime values or attitudes. But we will make sure you are too frightened to do anything about it.
And yet authoritarians often broadcast silly, unpersuasive propaganda.
Political scientist Haifeng Huang writes that the purpose of propaganda is not to brainwash people, but to instill fear in them /2
"propaganda is often not used for indoctrination, but rather to signal the government\u2019s strength in being able to afford significant resources and impose on its citizens...not meant to 'brainwash', but rather to forewarn the society about how strong it is" https://t.co/mFAurhEHeO pic.twitter.com/WXKKJaPqWQ
— Rob Henderson (@robkhenderson) June 18, 2020
When people are bombarded with propaganda everywhere they look, they are reminded of the strength of the regime.
The vast amount of resources authoritarians spend to display their message in every corner of the public square is a costly demonstration of their power /3
In fact, the overt silliness of authoritarian propaganda is part of the point. Propaganda is designed to be silly so that people can instantly recognize it when they see it
Authoritarians do not use propaganda for brainwashing, "but to demonstrate their strength in social control...propaganda may need to be dull and unpersuasive, to make sure citizens know it is propaganda when they see it and hence get the implicit message" https://t.co/PqRpxjaIPL pic.twitter.com/1y67d2RCjB
— Rob Henderson (@robkhenderson) June 19, 2020
Propaganda is intended to instill fear in people, not brainwash them.
The message is: You might not believe in pro-regime values or attitudes. But we will make sure you are too frightened to do anything about it.
Daily Bookmarks to GAVNet 02/12/2021
Quantum causal loops
https://t.co/emX8OxKPl0
#loops #quantum
Large-scale commodity farming accelerating climate change in the Amazon
https://t.co/v3gA7OTP9E
#ClimateChange #forest #farm
Collapsed glaciers increase Third Pole uncertainties: Downstream lakes may merge within a decade
https://t.co/huAma56KeB
#glacier #lakes #ClimateChange
From trash to treasure: Silicon waste finds new use in Li-ion batteries
https://t.co/TkxKFDQMC6
#batteries #treasure #silicon #trash
Quantum causal loops
https://t.co/emX8OxKPl0
#loops #quantum
Large-scale commodity farming accelerating climate change in the Amazon
https://t.co/v3gA7OTP9E
#ClimateChange #forest #farm
Collapsed glaciers increase Third Pole uncertainties: Downstream lakes may merge within a decade
https://t.co/huAma56KeB
#glacier #lakes #ClimateChange
From trash to treasure: Silicon waste finds new use in Li-ion batteries
https://t.co/TkxKFDQMC6
#batteries #treasure #silicon #trash