Indoctrination (or, Please Pass the Propaganda)

I heard a radio program today where they interviewed a political prisoner from North Korea, and a prison guard from the same prison. You can hear the broadcast here:
(http://www.rnw.nl/english/radioshow/north-korea-police-state-prison-state-0)

But it has led me to think about indoctrination, and how it affects us all.
-This prisoner believed, through his wrongful incarceration, that he was actually at fault, that he should be a better citizen. He felt no ill will towards his country. And he had no idea that human rights existed until he reached South Korea.

-The guards believe that the prisoners are the enemy, that if they don't beat and kill the prisoners, that they will beat and kill the guards.


I also have a friend in the military who told me that he found propaganda on a dead North Korean soldier (he'll have to correct me if I'm misquoting his story), but the propaganda led them to believe that they were the world's economic superpower, and countries like America are just trying to steal their wealth.

That's all very disconcerting across the world, but aren't we indoctrinated in America as well? We're led to believe that democracy and capitalism are ideals, but very few of us actually look with an open mind at other political systems. We're led to believe that we're justified in being the world police. In imposing our will upon other nations. We're blinded to the things we do abroad for financial gain.

In America, we're led to believe that we have a real choice in elections. Political parties try to be the polar opposites of the other, and they try so hard to make the other party look like the villain, trying to destroy America. I think most Americans, though, find themselves agreeing in part with both parties, and disagreeing in part with both parties. So, why the polarization? Why do they want to make it into a war? Why don't we just elect moderates, and we can get some things done?

And then there are ways that both parties are exactly the same. I had a nice chat with a friend from work about how politicians get so much money from big oil companies to run their campaigns. I think there are many partnerships between big donors and lawmakers that go on behind the scenes, and that aren't necessarily beneficial for the American people. Could this party war be a way to distract from the real problems in the government?

Check out this Rage Against the Machine video that I think illustrates this point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JSBhI_0at0

Religious indoctrination

We aren't just indoctrinated by political groups, either. Let's look at some beliefs the world's major religions pass on to impressionable children:

Islamic children are raised to believe that infidels are a threat.
Jewish children are raised to believe that the soil they stand on was given to them by God.
Christians are raised to believe that homosexuality is a threat to the moral fiber of the nation.

Now, I'm not saying that these things are true or false. That's for you to believe or not believe. I'm just pointing out that we all teach our children the religious beliefs that we hold now, at an age where they accept anything authority tells them without question. They have to, because they're not old enough to know better. If they questioned a parent's orders, they'll walk out into traffic or play with fire.

All religions tell children that they have the absolute truth. That they should just believe it, and that science and other religions are either the frail human mind trying to explain things that are beyond it's grasp, or even the work of Satan himself, trying to lie to you. Don't question, don't think for yourself. Believe!

My point is that we're all indoctrinated. We're raised by our family, or by our society, or by the slogans of political parties. We're trained to see the world a certain way. And we need to be aware of that. We're only getting an incomplete, slanted picture of the world.

But once we're aware, how do we educate ourselves? Are we doomed to always be like our North Korean cellmate, unaware that human rights exist? Or will we reach freedom, and see what we've been missing?

I think that we need to actively fight against the ethnocentrism that has been bred into us. For one, broaden your access to different news sources. If you're a conservative, listen to a liberal news source -- with an open mind! And vise versa. I think a key is the free access of information, which the internet helps with immensely. But, it only helps if we access it. Watch documentaries about other cultures. Talk to people from other countries. Get a philosophy book, and learn to really walk through the logic behind ideas. And, most importantly, make it a point to travel. But travel with an open mind. Don't travel as an American tourist, travel as a person wanting to experience the world.

It's up to us to find truth, rather than accepting what we're fed.




Listen to the fascist sing
Take hope here
War is elsewhere
You were chosen
This is god's land
Soon well be free
Of blot and mixture
Seeds planted by our
Forefathers hand