Perception is everything. Wars are often won or lost based on how the actors perceive one another’s strengths and weaknesses, not so much how strong or weak they are in reality. So it goes with any agenda item.
When people sense a shift in public opinion on an issue, a fair number will shift right along with what they perceive. Thus, power elites can shape behaviors and attitudes by applying various techniques of crowd psychology, focused on propaganda and silencing dissent.
The end product is thought reform or “collective belief formation.” It’s all about molding your perception of a given issue so your perception will influence others’ perceptions, creating an “opinion cascade.” Effective propaganda also keeps you in the dark about the fact that you are being manipulated.
