A deeply indoctrinated person, while able to work out scientific equations, mathematical problems, can also have difficulty in understanding simple truths, elementary thoughts and things that seem obvious to others. Like the religious person, certain “truths” can’t be questioned no matter how farcical. The indoctrinated need to learn these “truths” in order to live the way they want, justify what they do and shut out “irrelevant” facts that would impinge on their lifestyle.

Every time you pick up a newspaper or switch on your TV you will find the indoctrinated at work. The degeneration of the intelligentsia as they cow-tow to corporate elites and try to convince us of things any child could see through. The level of political debate is kept so narrow and jingoistic it becomes difficult to even relate the answers to the questions and what they have to do with each other.

The indoctrinated are in a constant struggle with truth in order that they can maintain their privileged position that they actually start to believe the lies they tell to support it. These “truths” become theological to the point of received religion and become part of the indoctrination process for others who want to join the club. Capitalism and neoliberalism are built on these “truths”

Part of the indoctrination process will keep us busy by any amount of information about atrocities, human carnage, ecological disasters and government propaganda. Sure we need to be aware of these things and sensitive to the effect they have on people. But we also need the kind of information that can be shaped into intelligent tools that can help us to deal with and prioritise these problems – not be indoctrinated by the idea that all is well, or that nothing can be done.