It depends by what you mean by malevolent. I would describe the promotion of consummerism, mediocrity and the status quo as malevolent.
Apart from the fact the application of critical thinking to the world at large (or in any serioius form) is missing from the education system at large, there are other factors.
What we know in an intellectual capacity does not necessarily effect the subconsious. I might know that the common house spider can do me no harm and that in compairions I am a God. Nevertheless, this knowledge does not necessarily mean that I can wish away the fact that they scare the shit out of me.
So whilst we may be able to look at something and go 'that's a load of nonsense' there may be other processes at work. When these forces are being applied constantly in a very intense way (whether on the internet or walknig down the street or enjoying the good old family tradition of watching TV.)
A very important aspect of propaganda is that it doesn't have to be true. Even though advertisements are (supposed to be) subject to scrutiny, there are a lot of dubious claims made. The abuse of statistics is pretty terrible to be honest as well as advertising cars from £9,995 and showing one worth £35,000 in the same advert. Whilst this is not a lie as such, there is a great deal of purposeful misleading and this alone can be enough.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Goebbels
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
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