Skeptic Project

Self loathing is a bitch.

I thought he was trying to say that stupid people are more easily governed and more easily manipulated into buying shit, and that therefore the government and corporations do not promote critical thinking.

Yup, that's what I argued so far.

"superstition ? how what is so that capitalism can create a credulous belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge. How can something that is merely a system of transferring resources about via medium create this ?"

You're right when you're trying to say that "Capitalism" is pretty imprecise, but I think it's pretty easy to expand this to all positions of power inside capitalism - whether it's money or a position of political power.

You have the motivation for businesses to change the perceived value of their goods by using manipulative marketing, as well as by changing how their business is perceived - calling it "green" or simulating awareness for the environment, while engaging in environmentally destructive activities.

You have the motivation for governments to preserve their power and gain public interest for policies that might not even benefit the parts of the public that support them - to me, getting masses of poor guys support low tax for the rich, because it's re-framed as "freedom" is one of the greatest works of propaganda ever. If you include patriotism, and the belief that countries hate you because of your freedom, you have superstition. I could expand to government/business and religion, but I'll pass for now.

In Germany, you have a government saving policy which was basically waved through during the WM, while everyone's partying.
You have the FDP (free market oriented party) creating a massive political campaign for a lower sales tax on catering after receiving over a million euros in donations from the industry leader - they've already reframed themselves from "corrupt" to "clientele oriented" and now just let the issue slide w/o.

If the general public were highly skeptical of everything government and business does - this would make the work of these people much harder, wouldn't it?

While everyone seems to agree that other political systems use propaganda, we seem to be blind for our own - although we luckily still have the freedom to talk about it.

Likewise not only because it's easier to sell to and govern simple people, how can you say that using superstition and propaganda is easier to control stupid people?

I never used stupid, I don't think that has much to do with it. If I had to work the whole day on minimum wage, being stressed out by debt or fear of job loss and come home to my family, I wouldn't read books on government manipulation, I'd watch a simple show on TV that makes me feel good.
I'm not saying these are the only people subject to this process, not do I say all of them fall for it.

Do you know how many people have PhD's and are all part of the capitalist system and beleive that its function works perfectly?
Do you have the tenacity to call these people stupid, easily controllable, superstitious ?

I'm not calling anyone stupid, and just because you're not easily controllable doesn't mean you aren't. We all fall for some BS, I'm no exception. I might actually be a pretty bad example, when you watch me shopping. If a PhD would somehow defend people against propaganda, you wouldn't have scientists supporting Nazi Germany. It might increase your own capacity for critical thinking or show that you're able and willing to do so - but it doesn't mean you don't have superstitions or can't be manipulated.

Thanks for giving an actual argument, I appreciate it.
CJ