Is this a variation of the old "don't fucking complain about the status quo, you have a telescreen, not even the kings of old had a telescreen watching them! How dare you question the titans of industry, whose minion's diligent effort has provided you a telescreen at an affordable price!"?
I think there's a middle ground where we can appreciate the great things we have while also striving to continue to get better and not lock ourselves into either constant animosity for "the system" or constant self loathing for not appreciating what we have.
That seems like an extrapolation to a pretty extreme conclusion. I don't see anything in the article that says anything like that. It's an appreciation of how much objective standards of living have improved over the past few centuries.
Sure yeah. propaganda has to be subtle sometimes.
Propaganda for what, exactly?
> Propaganda for what, exactly?
The status quo. Framing things in this way is something I first encountered in libertarian/capitalist propaganda (when I didn't know better and was basically a dogmatic libertarian). The message is basically: people should focus on the goods the status quo provides, instead of the political power, economic security, etc. that it doesn't.
I don't see why pointing out improvements in quality of life is "propaganda for the status quo" or precludes talking about political power and economic security. We can and do talk about both all the time.
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If you know anything about libertarian cranks, this doesn't make any sense and smacks of projection. They're not "satisfied with the status quo" qua political structure or economy.
There's a value in gratitude and recognizing widespread improvements in QoL, in large part fuelled by growth in the past century, and taking advantage of state capacity. That's not tantamount to saying there are no issues today, let alone that you shouldn't care. You can at least criticize accurately and take things at face value.
> If you know anything about libertarian cranks, this doesn't make any sense and smacks of projection. They're not "satisfied with the status quo" qua political structure or economy.
I didn't say anything about "libertarian cranks." I've only first (and mainly) seen this line of thought in "libertarian/capitalist propaganda."
And I think you can broadly break that propaganda down into (at least) two broad efforts, with somewhat different goals:
1. Preventing movement from the status quo in a non-libertarian direction. That's where this kind of thing comes in, because it can be used to distract from dissatisfaction.
2. Advocating that the status quo to change in a more libertarian direction.
Tautologically, libertarian "propaganda" would be pushed by libertarian ideologues. You've revealed that you're conflating libertarian and "capitalist", so I take it that through your interpretation, any remotely pro-market sentiment is "libertarian propaganda" (like plain ol' Liberalism, or, suggesting that zoning reform i.e. the govt getting out of it's own way can improve housing affordability). After all, no one comes out and says "this is propaganda", and you're telegraphing your yardstick.
> Preventing movement from the status quo in a non-libertarian direction.
The fact that you think the status quo is somehow in line with libertarian ideology, as I helpfully hinted at, tells me you have no clue what you're talking about. Developed countries broadly exercise a Liberal democracy with mixed-market economy and substantial government spending and intervention, which has mostly gone up over time. That's something libertarians whine about, not boast about.
> I first encountered in libertarian/capitalist propaganda
you should definitely look up the communist/socialist propaganda on East Germany and Soviet Union. In capitalism there is no such thing as what is provided by status quo, that's the whole point of capitalism, you can have whatever you want as long as you are willing do whatever it takes, unlike socialism/communism where you're allowed to have whatever the government mandates as the max (land, money, etc.) you can have
Yes. There's (anecdotally) been an increase in "don't look at this mess objectively" type of content being put out lately. Presumably because a chair is about to be removed (or it's just garden variety psychological pressure to force a range of outcomes).
It would seem obvious to anybody who lived in the past that the goal of civilizational progress is to...progress. But in our current era, you're gaslit into feeling guilty for desiring basic things (or any form of enjoyment); all the way down to basic living needs.
It's a shame but there's no argument that you can present to others that won't devolve into either politics, straw man arguments, or just transparent abuse. Best to just ride the tiger and ignore it all as best as you can.
It's probably better to name and shame and make those responsible aware that everyone else knows they are responsible.
Here are a few from just the last six months. Read into it what you will.
[1] High gas prices and inflation are stressing people out — but the economy will be fine as long as they keep spending. - [https://www.marketwatch.com/story/high-gas-prices-and-inflat...](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/high-gas-prices-and-inflat...)
[2] The 'Vibecession' Is Over. The 'Permacession' Is Here. - [https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/05/americans-depresse...](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/05/americans-depresse...)
[3] The Economy Is Booming. Why Does It Feel Like a Bust? - [https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/the-journal/the-economy-is-boom...](https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/the-journal/the-economy-is-boom...)
[4] Why Americans hate the 'good' economy. - [https://www.axios.com/2026/06/25/economy-inflation-democrats...](https://www.axios.com/2026/06/25/economy-inflation-democrats...)
[5] Most Of Us Are Richer Than Ever Before. Why Doesn't It Feel That Way? - [https://www.investopedia.com/most-of-us-are-richer-than-ever...](https://www.investopedia.com/most-of-us-are-richer-than-ever...)
[6] Buying power is up 73%. Why do Americans feel broke? - [https://www.thestreet.com/economy/purchasing-power-in-americ...](https://www.thestreet.com/economy/purchasing-power-in-americ...)
Having read the article, I can confirm that it is.