So, we often hear people on the far left say that politics is "rigged". I wrote about this in 2016, and explained how rigging doesn't mean that the ballot boxes are rigged, but that the narratives favoring and opposing certain candidates is rigged. You don't rig stuff in an explicit way that causes (most) people to question the legitimacy of the whole process, you do it in subtle ways that make people think that the election was fair. But it was them who was influenced, not the voter.
We are already seeing this for the 2020 primaries. While the field is MUCH improved over 2016, I can't express how happy at the diverse set of candidates we have this time relative to last time, the media is already playing favorites for who to choose. The most progressive candidates are being hammered with negative press, from Bernie having some sex scandals on his campaign he knew nothing about, to people harping on him for simply being too old and white, to Tulsi Gabbard being labeled the candidate Russia allegedly wants to win (because being an anti interventionist automatically means you're pro Russia right?). When it comes to the most progressive candidates, every flaw is hammered upon. All of their strengths are ignored. All of their weaknesses are emphasized. You will hear about this scandal, that scandal, this thing they did in their past, that thing they did in their past. But you won't see them treated as a possible winner.
CNN recently ranked the candidates by who they thought would win and the Young Turks did a good job ripping them to shreds for it. Sanders is second in the polls, but was treated as 6th place, while Kamala Harris like 4th or 5th and she was treated as the 'frontrunner." They then gave her her own town hall, and donated to her campaign. Now suddenly she jumped up to 18% and 2nd place in the polling behind Biden.
This brings me to my next point. The media, in deciding Kamala Harris was the frontrunner, basically created a self fulfilling propehecy. Your average person isn't paying close attention to 2020 politics yet. But the establishment is, and they picked their favorite. So they give her her own town hall, parade her around on national tv, have her say Bernie-eqsue things without the record or the resolve to back it up, and the people, not knowing any better, eat it up. So now tons of people like Harris, she scores higher than Bernie, and she might win the nomination at the rate things are going.This is manufacturing consent. if they paraded Bernie around, he would be the frontrunner. But they don't like Bernie, because he's genuine and represents a real threat to the power of the elites. So they attack the most progressive candidates and push someone who sounds good but isn't as good looking at their records.
This is how elections are rigged. It isn't about ballot box stuffing. It's about manipulating public perception in a one sided way to get them to a pre arranged conclusion, and then act on it. Elections are rigged by the owners of the propaganda machines picking winners and losers that fit their interests and convincing the unknowing public that they are the best candidate. They're not really the best, objectively speaking. They just appear to be because that's how the media shapes perception around them. Be wary of this going into this election cycle, and get your news from not just multiple sources, but multiple kinds of sources, so that you can get a wide variety of views from different people. Also, don't just rely on corporate media, listen to anti establishment podcasts and youtube channels too. Sometimes these guys are better than the corporate guys, depending on the source in question. Make up your own mind. Don't just accept something because CNN or MSNBC or even I say it. Be a skeptic, analyze the evidence, make up your own mind. Don't let yourself be controlled. It's the only way you'll get to the real truth.
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