bullshit

You really, really, really need to look out for word-trickery these days. It's always been used, but has been scientifically refined from Geobbels, on through an American expert in the fifties. You will be fooled even if you're smart.

Some protections are taking a course in philosophical reasoning, reading Carl Sagan's list of logical fallacies, or that book on "Bullshit."

You'll have to google those yourself. I've posted them multiple times but I don't feel like looking them up again. I already know this stuff ;) If you don't I guarantee you'll be fooled - I've watched it happen as the lemmings are herded off the cliff.

Here is a good article, though. As it notes, the main tool of propaganda is dehumanization - from what the Nazis did to Jews, to the present Evil Russians Red Scare. An evil, mysterious, Other threatens us - blah, blah, blah. They are not like us - not even human. There is little proof but endless repetition. It works. Russians have been chosen since they are somewhat alien to most, unlike Europeans, and they are strong enough to be scary so the military-industrial complex can get Mo Money.

https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/war_peace/media/hpropaganda.html