Manufactured Ignorance, Consumerism and the Genocide in Gaza

  As humanity launched from the Industrial Revolution to the 2020s, from the rise of social media to the Coronavirus, there has been a rise of consumerism. The rise of mass production had become more and more normal because of humans becoming more technologically advanced, especially during the First and Second Industrial Revolutions. [1] After that, television made it so that advertising became easier and companies increased sales. For example, during the Federal Communications Commission freeze of 1948-1952, around the time television started gaining popularity, retail sales in counties with television access had increased by 3-4%. [2] Shopping was no longer for the bare necessities. These advancements may seem benign and a simple way to make our lives easier, but they are more detrimental to the human condition than they look. 

   Although consumerism was already a problem in the early 2010s, social media during this time only made it worse. Fast fashion corporations, including Temu and SHEIN, as well as short-form social media like TikTok and Instagram, all gained popularity. Corporations eventually recognized the potential for advertising on short-form social media and capitalized on it. [3]  However, despite consumerism being on the rise, political education was as well. 

  People worldwide realized how consumerism diverted attention from corporate corruption. This is exemplified by the ‘Gen-Z protests’ (no matter how much of a minimizing term that is) worldwide, where the internet was a common source of communication for protestors and an invigorating way to engage with protests. An example of this includes the 2025 Nepalese protests, where members used the social media platform Discord to discuss the aftermath of the protests that had happened prior. [4]  However, this isn’t just international. Even in America, the internet was used heavily in operating anti-Trump protests all around the country.

  Even with all the good that comes from the internet, bad actors in government and in business still use the internet to manufacture ignorance and gather support for harmful policies. For instance, the 2016 US presidential election campaign saw a significant increase in bots and misinformation because of the rise of social media in the late 2010s. [5] [6] 

  The first proper use of political social media was by Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in 1996, mainly for their campaigns. From there, political social media only took off in other campaigns over the years, and soon enough, it went international. The Arab Spring (mainly the war in Libya) and the 2012 Gaza War were said to start social media as a weapon of war. [7] [8]

  After October 7th, 2023, the annihilation and genocide of Gaza by the Israeli government began. However, what people rarely realize is that the timeline of Israeli occupation goes back to the First Aliyah in 1882, and it extends much farther than just Gaza. While the moving of Jewish people into Palestine seemed mostly harmless at first, over the decades it quickly escalated into extremist militias such as the Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi (later, just the Israel Defense Forces) and the Nakba they carried out.

  Their long-standing, often-overlooked PR campaign began years before October 7th, with attractive Israel Defense Forces women in magazines and Christian Zionism, but intensified when the genocide began. [9] [10] This campaign is an even more malignant variant of Brand Israel, which started 20 years ago and intended to manufacture ignorance in the face of consumerism before social media as we know it today even took off. A huge part of the initial Brand Israel was pinkwashing. [11]

  Pinkwashing is when existing establishments, often companies or countries, use the LGBTQIA+ community to market their products or expand their agendas. In Israel’s case, brutal genocide. Israel is the product, the American people are its consumers, and LGBTQIA+ people are the marketing tactic.  

  Israel prides itself on being a champion of LGBTQ+ rights. On November 11th, 2023, a post was made on Instagram by Israeli soldier Yoav Atzmoni, sponsored by the State of Israel, who posted photos holding a pride flag with the words ‘In the Name of Love’ written in English, Arabic and Hebrew on them. Another fused the pride flag with the Israeli flag. This would seem innocent, maybe even a wholesome show of support, if the picture were not amid the rubble of Gaza. [12]

  This is simply one of many tactics that Israel has used to appeal to a wider, more Western audience amidst its genocide. Many products that be invested into America go to Israel, and these products enable the genocide in Gaza, specifically military products such as AeroVironment, based in Virginia; Agilite, a private Israeli tactical gear and body armor manufacturer; and Boeing, in which their planes have been used frequently to attack innocent Palestinians. [13]

   Since October 7th, our government has given 21.7 billion to Israel for them to fight against women and children while 41.73 million people in our own country live below the poverty line. They get our government to support this using business incentives, but we shouldn’t be fooled by their various attempts to hide the obvious from us. Call your representatives, donate to people in Gaza, and always have hope.