Propaganda is all around us - it's not just a Russian thing. But it can be difficult to identify and do something against.

So here are a couple of easy ways in which you can help push back against propaganda, without needing to inhale a book of political theory first!

Importantly, you don't need to go particularly hard on any of these. Apply them subtly - people encountering these responses repeatedly is what will make them stick.

1. Neoliberal/capitalist policy, "keep politics out of tech", centrism etc. are often presented as some sort of "purely rational, neutral" approach.

This is propaganda - these are based on ideology just like any other political position (usually an ideology that harms marginalized folks), but by framing them as being neutral, they can escape scrutiny and become 'unquestionable'.

What you can do: whenever anyone talks about these things, make sure to call them an 'ideology' when talking about them. You don't have to press the point; just insert the term somewhere natural in your comments. Let people get used to seeing it as an ideology that needs scrutiny like any other.

2. A common propaganda technique is to divert attention from oppressive policies by blaming the victims for their response to it instead.

One example of this is theft; it's easy to speak poorly of thieves, but rarely does anyone ever ask why they need to steal in the first place, why they cannot afford to just buy things.

What you can do: when someone complaints about thieves, respond by talking about the real cause instead ("yeah, I agree, billionaires are thieves") or by asking the other person why they think someone is stealing in the first place. Feign confusion when you get evasive answers like "because they're too lazy to work".

3. Following from that point, another common propaganda technique is to make or inspire comments that are socially accepted but feel kind of... off. Like that comment about people being "too lazy to work".

This stops the discussion dead, by presenting a very questionable claim with a subtext that's not really directly disputable, because they never *explicitly* claimed the thing that you know they mean.

What you can do: feign confusion. Keep asking "but why?", "why would someone do that?", "couldn't they just _____?", "do you know anyone like that?", just keep asking deeper questions until the other person runs out of superficial comments.

By that point one of a couple of things is likely to happen: 1) the mask drops, and you find out they are racist/fascist/etc., 2) they didn't mean ill, and they realize that their beliefs are kinda flimsy and introspect, or 3) they get frustrated and stop the discussion, and will likely be more careful about bringing up the claim next time. All are wins.

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For all of these counterpropaganda techniques, the social aspect is the important part - you make it clear that something they previously held as undisputed, isn't as universally believed as they thought, but without a direct confrontation.

You express disapproval, confusion, or an 'agreement' on something they didn't originally mean but also can't quite disagree with. You give them reason to reevaluate their assumptions in silence. This has a lot more effect than you might expect.