Do you believe that our government is using the sports and entertainment industries as well as social media to distract and control us?

Question

For those who may accuse me of being right-wing paranoid, I think our government has done this for quite some time regardless of who is president or which party controls congress. For years, I think our government has used the "bread and circus" approach  that the ancient Romans did in  in controlling us. We are more concerned with "friending on Facebook,"or  who won what game or "what is blowing up on the twitterverse." For the record, I am a sports fan who can also see the forest for the trees. We are too distracted with all of these things to notice  an economy that is not really all that strong  or a threat from ISIS or an attempted government takeover of the Internet through Net Neutrality.  I am of the belief that the government controls all media and it always has. Nothing that we are seeing in the various media is there if the government, again regardless of president or party in charge, didn't approve of it. They control the message. What do you think?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Maybe and only in part ... the People do volunteer for stupidity, a government is only a reflection of its People and what they allow  !

Felonious Monkey · Answer

The government doesn't control the entertainment industry, but I'm sure some politicians use it to their advantage.

The government has a more sinister way to control us. Following Citizens United there was a rapid consolidation of power among campaign donors. Today, roughly 160 people control the flow of campaign financing. These "kingmakers" decide who gets to run for Senate and the presidency (House races are sometimes outside their control).

For example, say you are a Senate candidate who wants to bring real change to Washington. You want to change campaign finance laws. You want to audit the fed. You want to impose term limits on Senators. So you approach these kingmakers with your campaign pitch. You might get as far as the front door before you are unceremoniously thrown on the street.

These 160 people vet the candidates we are allowed to vote on. This gives us a false sense of Democracy. We feel like we're exercising free choice because we're voting, but the candidates have been chosen for us.

TheKitten · Answer

Yes, but our real leaders are not the elected officials. Those are the lackeys.

Our real masters are the corporate overlords. And yes, bread and games is part of the plan.

Stormy · Answer

Yes, but more specifically the Mainstream Media and Academia

Blackadder · Answer

Directly? No, but like the Romans and the games within the Coliseum, I'm sure that they recognize the baser aspects of human nature and pander to it. For example, you don't think that the Obama administrations idiotic use of hashtag diplomacy was for the world's benefit, do you? That was singularly intended to placate the left and the Obamites who, true to form, thought it was just 'awesome!'.

Rev. Hal Luya · Answer

I think they're using Fox News and other right wing media to con us into accepting a subpar way of life.

Anonymous · Answer

No, that would be the capitalists, which may be own the government, but they are not quite the same thing.

Lord Of The Flies Pt.3 · Answer

No not "the government." The government is not the.boogeyman. the government is another orchestrated distraction

Anonymous · Answer

No.  Our government is using about 165 federal anti-poverty programs to distract and control us.

Anonymous · Answer

ye. the govt hires highly paid racists and rapists to entertain us

Do you believe that our government is using the sports and entertainment industries as well as social media to distract and control us?

13 Answers