Fucking ridiculous that it's 2022 and it's still a shocking and controversial position to say your government and media are lying to you about a fucking war.
You know you're living under an empire with the most sophisticated propaganda machine that's ever existed when it can lie about literally every war it's ever been involved in and then when you say they're lying about the latest war people still act like you're a paranoid lunatic.
I don't think it's about sophistication. Russian propaganda is a lot less sophisticated and it still works internally. The fact is that most people never overcome the trust for authority figures (parents) they develop in childhood.
This is called manufacturing of consent which leads to the emergence of intersubjectivities. Once you reach this level critical thought becomes a threat.
The “sophisticated propaganda machine” is the means by which demand for the defense industry is generated. Through the process of industrial security, defense and space technology trickles down to the private sector.