All week I’m reading The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievitch, verbatim interviews from zillions of Russian women about what they did in World War Two, it’s hard to put down. Real people baring all and reminding the reader about the universality of madness and the propaganda absorbed. What gets described is difficult reading, re: what each side did to the other, but these women from all over Russia tell it forty or fifty years later because finally, they won’t be jailed for saying what happened, unlike life under Stalin and the long echo of unrelenting paranoia even after his death. One thing unsurprising was the indoctrination described by so many, about constant broadcasts in public spaces, slogans and double-speak. Like FOX News started at least a hundred years ago. People all over the world just absorb whatever the kings or queens dictate, advertising works. The Germans had their FOX too. Everybody does. Interesting how the Trumpian era, confronted with views/ facts contrary to their feelings, birthed slogans like false news, deny reality no matter what, deny deny deny. Not long ago the recording industry also felt existentially threatened, free music on the internet, streaming the songs instead of buying overpriced CDs. They turned to denial, launching lawsuits against people using the internet. Is it just politics or just business or is it a human instinct when facing an existential crisis … deny, deny, deny, insist reality can’t be true.