Progressive propaganda machine

Sometimes progressives say the darndest things! DarkSyde laments the power of the right-wing propaganda machine (Daily Kos: Chuckle With Charley) but ends on the positive note that we might be able to use our correspondence to reality to build our own propaganda:

The reason right-wing propaganda is so effective is because they've built up an interlocking network of think-tanks, media venues, and grassroots political organizations -- some of the latter in the guise of legitimate, mainstream churches. The think-tanks take ideas that would normally be considered revolting if presented in the nude (Take from the poorest and give to the richest) and craft it into appealing, clever sounding deceptions (It will stimulate the economy and help the poor!). Right-wing media spreads the deception, nurtures racism, and demonizes opposition (Liberals want to give your tax dollars to welfare queens!). Wingnut clerics dress it up in pleasant sounding bits of religious doctrine and beat it mercilessly into the heads of their congregations week after week. It’s a seamless, well-oiled, machine.



But there's a chance progressives can build something similar, and we do enjoy one advantage: We don't have to create and constantly reinforce a high-maintenance pseudo-reality that ends up killing people or ruining lives.

Judging by the demonizing of the opposition (and by opposition I obviously mean the leftist types like Nader and Kucinich, who are after all far more reality based) that is already underway in the progressive blogs, this is a project slated for success.