Like, I've seen many smart people that are even, in theory, supporting of socialism and against imperialism who are well aware that there is a propaganda machine in the US and the west, who when it comes to anything about AES/past socialist states, they will just regurgitate state department propaganda without question.
Like, even if you bring up, for example, Xinjiang, and how virtually all evidence comes from some really bad research by a guy who clearly has an agenda, they will say something along the lines of "maybe that's true, but that doesn't disprove there's a genocide there". Which... is not how burden of proof works. Mind you, these are also people who clearly know about shifting of the burden of proof when it comes to climate change or evolution, but here? Then it's every logical fallacy, no critical thinking.
So what is it about these things that remove critical thinking from otherwise smart people?
Because nobody is immune to propaganda.
I feel like all baby leftists will have a moment where they realize discontent with the current system isn't enough, but have been steeped in the stew long enough they can't actually imagine what a different future would look like(and don't really believe in it).
Like, the spectacle is absolutely fine with showing you what discontent looks like. Propaganda loves the idea of rebellion, it's very marketable. It will never show you what a successful revolution looks like, but it loves it martyr complexes. It's a powerful strain of brainworms.
And once you've caught them you're either bound to shrink back into vague radlibbism, comforted that even if you couldn't do anything, at least no one else could either. Or you start reading theory with doomer-glasses and become a leftcom who's salty no one has pressed the communism button yet and despair nobody will.
Killing me softly :sadness:
We will press it, Comrade :back-to-me-shining: