Dear Friends,
It seems to me, most outrage today is pure Astroturf to maintain and advance a narrative. How could I say such a thing? While real outrages and atrocities go on unnoticed, minor outrages are elevated to world-threatening. For example, there is no outrage at the 16,000 dead Iranians, the ongoing genocide of Armenians, or that Christmas festivals in Europe are now dangerous affairs… but there is international outrage at the plight of Gazans in the war started by Gaza. Why? I say it’s because the outrage against Israel serves a purpose, while outrage against a century-long genocide damages that narrative. That narrative is that systems that are proven failures are morally superior, while systems that lift all boats are morally atrocities. The story then is that good is bad and bad is good…
The term Astroturf in the context of narrative and outrage means artificially generated anger. Someone pays to push a narrative that will result in outrage. Why, because outrage moves people to action. Edward Bernays, it is said, invented modern propaganda. He would use emotional slogans and pictures to get people to do things they otherwise wouldn’t do. Like getting women to smoke “Torches of Freedom.” The opposite of Astroturf is organic grassroots, is when outrage arises naturally from an event. When Lucretia was raped by the son of Tarquinius Superbus, the grassroots outrage resulted in the end of the Roman monarchy. Outrage can be very dangerous when allowed to be organic but very effective when Astroturfed for power. That’s why controlling the narrative is so important.
Operation Mockingbird proved the media is in the pocket of the administrative state. The go-to strategy when government is exposed violating our Constitution, zero consequences, apparently hasn’t yielded positive results. Since no one was punished for it then, why would anyone think it isn’t happening today? That’s like expecting a bank robber to stop robbing banks, who, when caught is allowed to keep the money and merely shamed. Pollyanna isn’t that naive. From this we can conclude that the press serves the deep state. So when a story is all over the news while others that are more important are buried, it’s likely Astroturf. This makes the mainstream media effectively manipulators. Moreover, they manipulate us to act against our interests.
Astroturfed outrage is nothing but manipulation. It is designed to close down your rational mind and replace reason with the emotion the manipulator wants you to experience. This isn’t done for your interests. It is done for theirs. Manipulators prefer people to act as a mob instead of as individuals. A mob can be wound up and pointed at a target. An individual thinks for himself or herself. A mob isn’t self-interested it acts on emotion. A person, however, always acts on self-interest and considers consequences before acting. That’s how the central planners get people to burn down their own neighborhoods. By Astroturfing anger into people with a mob mentality, a manipulator can get people to commit almost any atrocity… to regret at their leisure later.
Often regret is the result of Astroturfed outrage. Once the rush of anger has left and the corner store is a smoking empty lot, and one has to walk several blocks for a carton of milk… regret is only logical. The power of the elite is expanded, who would burn down their own city, state, or nation to rule over the ashes. Meanwhile, real outrage over the manipulations of the central planners is tamped down by the mockingbird media. So, when you’re feeling that rush of anger at the news, understand that it’s Astroturfed outrage… not organic or grassroots. You are being manipulated to act in ways that benefit the central planners while harming yourself and those you care about. You can regret later, but today they want you livid. Unplug from the propaganda and stop being Astroturfed.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
