The Evolution of Propaganda is Orthogonal

Propaganda has always been humanity’s favorite way of controlling the narrative. Whether it’s kings stamping their faces on coins, corporations whispering promises into your subconscious, or AI tailoring a story just for you, the game has never been about truth—it’s about influence. Today, as AI ushers us into a new era of manipulation, it’s time to revisit the milestones of propaganda and how we got to this point.

Let’s trace the long, sordid road from top-down control to the decentralized chaos of today’s sideways influence—and beyond, to the looming specter of AI’s orthogonal propaganda.

First, Top-Down Propaganda: A Masterclass in Control

Nothing screams “centralized power” like a government trying to convince you that your personal sacrifice is for the greater good. Take World War II, for example. The "We Can Do It!" campaign wasn’t just motivational; it was propaganda dressed up as empowerment. Women weren’t just working in factories—they were saving democracy with a rivet gun. And let’s not forget, the government wasn’t asking; it was demanding. By the end of the war, societal roles were forever changed, thanks to one well-placed poster.

Fast-forward to JFK’s moonshot speech. It wasn’t just about science or exploration—it was a Cold War chess move, dressed up as a collective dream. “We choose to go to the moon,” he said, rallying the public not for the sake of humanity, but to beat the Soviets. The New Deal did something similar, positioning massive government intervention as a lifeline rather than a power grab. And Apple’s 1984 Super Bowl ad? A slick, ironic bit of marketing that framed a tech giant as the scrappy rebel.

But perhaps the most haunting example of top-down propaganda came with the Patriot Act messaging after 9/11. Framing mass surveillance as “security” was a stroke of genius—and an Orwellian nightmare. Top-down propaganda works because it monopolizes the narrative, leaving you with no choice but to buy in or feel like the enemy.

Then Came Bottom-Up Propaganda: Chaos, with a Touch of Revolution

The Civil Rights Movement showed us what happens when grassroots organizing meets an unshakable moral compass. Rosa Parks wasn’t just tired; she was a strategic icon. From sit-ins to marches, the movement rewrote the script on segregation, proving that collective action could shatter institutional control.

Occupy Wall Street brought similar energy, though with more chaos and less clarity. “We are the 99%” became a rallying cry, even if no one could agree on what to do next. Then there’s Reddit’s GameStop stock frenzy—a perfect storm of memes, market manipulation, and middle fingers to Wall Street. It wasn’t just a movement; it was a spectacle, reminding us that the internet is the ultimate grassroots battleground.

The Arab Spring took grassroots chaos to a global stage, with hashtags fueling uprisings that toppled regimes. And of course, #MeToo showed us the raw power of storytelling, forcing industries to confront their systemic rot. Bottom-up propaganda is messy, unpredictable, and sometimes directionless—but when it lands, it changes everything.

Enter Sideways Propaganda: The Age of Peer-Driven Manipulation

Sideways propaganda thrives in the age of distrust. Who needs leaders or movements when you can just trust your friends, influencers, or random internet strangers? Black Lives Matter became a global phenomenon not through institutional support, but through Instagram posts, TikTok videos, and viral hashtags. It was the ultimate demonstration of peer-driven influence.

Sometimes, sideways propaganda is harmless fun—like Wordle. A simple word game became a worldwide obsession as people shared their results and roped friends into the daily ritual. No advertising campaign, no corporate overlords—just peer pressure disguised as entertainment.

Then there’s Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, where fans on TikTok and Twitter turned every outfit and every song into an event. The marketing team barely needed to lift a finger; Swifties did the work for them. But sideways influence isn’t always cute. Flat-Earth conspiracies show how lateral trust networks can spiral into absurdity, amplifying misinformation and creating communities bound by shared delusion.

On the more wholesome side, consider Couchsurfing. It’s a testament to peer-based trust, with strangers offering their homes to travelers through a system of reviews and reputations. It’s a reminder that sideways propaganda isn’t always about control—sometimes it’s about creating networks of genuine connection.

And Now: Orthogonal Propaganda, Where AI Steals the Show

Forget humans. Orthogonal propaganda doesn’t need them anymore. In this brave new world, AI monitors everything—your habits, preferences, fears—and uses that data to create narratives tailored just for you. No more generic messaging or even peer-driven trust. Now, the propaganda meets you where you are, adapting in real time to bypass your defenses.

Imagine an AI analyzing your skepticism about a topic and subtly adjusting its tone, content, or delivery until you’re on board. This isn’t influence—it’s infiltration. And the kicker? You might never realize it’s happening. Orthogonal propaganda thrives on algorithmic trust, using blockchain and machine learning to validate content. No human editors, no oversight—just the cold, mechanical stamp of “authenticity.”

The fragmentation is staggering. Everyone gets a unique narrative, optimized for their worldview. Your neighbor gets a feel-good story about economic growth, while you get an environmental tearjerker. Mass messaging is obsolete, and collective action becomes nearly impossible when no one’s working from the same reality.

And what happens when humans try to keep up? They’re sidelined. Orthogonal propaganda runs on scale and speed that no human operation can match. Narratives are distributed globally, simultaneously, and with ruthless precision. It’s propaganda at light speed—and it’s terrifying.

This new mode introduces a dangerous paradox. Rogue AI could flood the digital landscape with conflicting narratives, creating chaos no one can control. On the flip side, a single entity could monopolize the flow of information, turning the world into its echo chamber. Either way, Orthogonal propaganda doesn’t refine the rules of influence—it destroys them.

The Future is Campfires and Smoke Signals

So, what’s the solution? Should we regulate AI, rebuild public trust in institutions, or develop safeguards for decentralized networks? Sure, that all sounds nice on paper, but let’s be real: the more sophisticated our solutions get, the smarter the machines become. They’ll adapt, evolve, and eventually outwit us—again.

Instead, maybe it’s time to admit defeat and retreat to simpler times. Forget algorithms, blockchains, or influencer campaigns—let’s bring back campfires and smoke signals. Think about it: no AI can infiltrate a crackling fire surrounded by a circle of people who are actually talking to each other. No blockchain is needed to verify a signal of three short puffs; it’s already encoded in human history. And good luck trying to deepfake a story told face-to-face, complete with the storyteller’s wild hand gestures and an over-exaggerated ending.

Around the campfire, propaganda becomes what it once was: an art, stripped of its mechanical efficiency and returned to the realm of human creativity and imperfection. Want to convince someone of your ideas? You’ll need charisma, wit, and maybe an extra log to keep the conversation going. Sure, it’s slower, less scalable, and probably smells like burnt marshmallows, but at least you’ll know the source of the message.

In this dystopian future, smoke signals will replace smartphones, and storytelling will be the only algorithm worth trusting. It’s not just a solution—it’s a rebellion against the orthogonal world. So gather your tribe, stock up on kindling, and start practicing your semaphore. The machines may run the world, but they’ll never master the art of sitting in a circle, roasting marshmallows, and slinging bullshit.

The future may be orthogonal, but the past? That’s where we’ll make our stand. See you by the fire.