The term "propaganda" is defined as information spread for the purpose of promoting some cause.
The two main forms of political propaganda in America are currently "liberal" propaganda and "conservative" propaganda.
But they are not cut of the same cloth, really not.
Liberal propaganda generally serves the purpose of caring for others.
Conservative propaganda generally serves the purpose of protecting private property and wealth from public redistribution.
The two causes are in conflict, since caring for others in a country of 320 million or so people can only be approached, let alone achieved, by some redistribution of property and wealth--i.e., taking from the fortunate Haves to give to the less fortunate Have-Nots.
One of the lessons of history is that Haves are often blind to the political stresses produced by the economic stresses of the Have-Nots -- the consequence often violent upheaval by the majority Have-Nots, an implosion that usually wrecks both Haves and the whole society, sometimes forever. Good old examples are the Roman Empire and the France of the French Revolution and Czarist Russia. Good new examples are the implosion of the Soviet Union and the current implosions in various Arab countries.
One of the unfortunate traits of American conservatives is that they too often imagine themselves more clever than others by virtue of their inheritance or success in the marketplace or their acceptance into Have cliques as pundits. For example, David Brooks, conservative columnist at the New York Times, seems to imagine himself clever when he presents to his readers the idea that Caring and Not Caring are parallel options, so that Not Caring is a morally acceptable political and social and economic position.
No, Mr. Brooks, you are wrong.
Does he know he's wrong? I have no idea.
No matter what he knows, not caring is not an option.
Not caring is not only borderline disgusting immorality, it too often produces destruction of society.
Societies are never destroyed by attempts to care for others. In contrast, too many societies have been destroyed by selfishness of the Haves, selfishness of elite minorities, selfishness of those who are selfish as a consequence of brain damage.
The Roman Empire, monarchical France, Czarist Russia, the Soviet Union, Arab dictatorships -- all implosions produced by blindness of the Haves to the stresses of the Have-Nots.
The masquerade of many conservatives, including many conservative pundits in the media, a masquerade of pretense of intellectual justification for selfishness, is of no service to humanity -- a service, after all, that embellishes any individual life.
Not caring is not an option, never was and never will be as long as humanity strives as a species for continued survival.
It's difficult to imagine any greater disservice to the public than telling people that not caring is acceptable.