During our dreams we do not know we are dreaming. We may even dream of interpreting a dream. Only on waking do we know it was a dream. Only after the great awakening will we realize that this is the great dream... yet fools think they are awake, presuming to know that they are rulers -Zhuangzi 300BC

propaganda discovered that its audience was ready...to believe the worst, no matter how absurd, and did not...object to being deceived because it held every statement to be a lie...instead of deserting the leaders who had lied to them, they would...admire the leaders for their...tactical cleverness

"The wise man who has charge of governing the empire should know the cause of disorder before he can put it in order. Unless he knows its cause, he cannot regulate it. [...] Suppose we try to locate the cause of disorder, we shall find it lies in the want of mutual love." -Mozi (c.470 – 391 BCE)

"less civil, but at the same time less quarrelsome. There are many little attentions which an American does not care about; he thinks they are not due to him [...] does not perceive a rudeness or he forgives it; his manners become less courteous, and his character more plain" (A. Tocqueville, 1835)

"Actual practices in the advanced democratic countries are, then, far too diverse and complex to be captured by ideologies." Robert A. Dahl ("After the Revolution?", 1970)

"The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit; once you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning; once you've got the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can have a word with him?" -Zhuangzi (c.369-286 BCE)

"Never believe that [MAGA] are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words." -Sartre [modernized]