So much of crummy politics is explained by our susceptibility to propaganda.

Our defenses to propaganda aren't natural: We have to build them.

Lots of those defenses are institutional, like real-time fact-checking or limiting the use of bots.

But they're also personal.[thread]

Modern propaganda techniques have evolved so quickly that our personal defenses have not caught up.

Until recently, we had never been subjected to an environment in which media, social media, and elected officials could form a solid circle of misinformation.

If you get pulled into that circle, you will experience constant reinforcement from each of those sources that will tell you to believe the others and reject all else.

And it will feel incredibly natural. That's how we form beliefs. We look for validation.

Once you're in that circle, the circle can be moved in any almost direction.

You might encounter the occasional relative or co-worker who provides a counter-narrative, but they're hopelessly outmatched compared to the level of belief validation you're getting from the circle.

Strengthening our personal defenses to propaganda involves the deliberate inclusion of contrary viewpoints *from sources we regard as credible.*

This is not the same as forcing ourselves to hate-watch the other side's propaganda. That just reinforces our circle.

But even if we don't go that far, taking minimal steps - like simply getting a digital subscription *to an actual newspaper* instead of relying solely on ad-supported newsy websites that may be incentivized to link up to a circle - will significantly strengthen your defenses.

And elected officials who very much do not want to participate in propaganda bear special responsibilities:

-Use your platform to actively undercut propaganda by pushing out credible information.

-Act in good faith.

-Don't speak as if you and your allies possess all the truth.

There is no question that we are going to strengthen our defenses to modern propaganda.

The question is how quickly we can do it, and whether new techniques will continue to outpace us.

My biggest cause for optimism is new generations that are growing up exposed to exponentially more information than any in human history.

My hope is that this will be an extinction-level event for politicians who exist simply to engage in crass manipulation. But it may not.

Until then, as a country we are much more vulnerable to this kind of attack than we'd care to admit.

And its impact likely exceeds other pernicious forces, like gerrymandering or a corrupt campaign finance system.

So we should learn to speak to it directly.