James Lindsay: How Manufactured Slogans Hack the American Mind
Thu Feb 05 2026
"No one is illegal on stolen land." "Ceasefire now."
Ever wonder why certain political phrases seem to appear out of nowhere and suddenly become unavoidable? James Lindsay returns to Ami’s House to expose the psychological engineering behind the slogans that are currently hacking our public discourse.
While these viral phrases feel like organic expressions of "the people," James argues they are precision-engineered "thought-terminating clichés." Their goal isn't to start a conversation, but to shut down rational cognition entirely.
In this episode, we deconstruct the mechanics of "sloganization"—a tactic James traces back to Maoist psychological warfare (Tifa)—and how it has successfully infected both the Far Left and the new "Woke Right."
Ami and James dive deep into:
The Brain Hack: Why six-word slogans are more effective than 60,000-word logical arguments.
The "Woke Right" Infection: How elements of the conservative movement have adopted the identity politics and grievance tactics of the Left.
The Death of Charlie Kirk’s "Big Tent": An analysis of the internal fracturing of the MAGA coalition.
The Marketplace of Conduct: Why we are moving away from an argument of ideas and into a battle of scripted provocations.
The Silence on Iran: Why viral activism remains deafeningly quiet regarding the Iranian regime.
Are you repeating your own beliefs, or are you repeating a script? Join us for an essential look at the war for your attention and your logic.
🙏🏼 Support on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/amishouse/posts
Follow James Lindsay:X/Twitter: @ConceptualJamesNew Discourses: https://newdiscourses.com/author/jameslindsay/
#JamesLindsay #AmiKozak #AmisHouse #Psychology #Politics #Slogans #WokeRight #Discourse #CultureWar
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"No one is illegal on stolen land." "Ceasefire now." Ever wonder why certain political phrases seem to appear out of nowhere and suddenly become unavoidable? James Lindsay returns to Ami’s House to expose the psychological engineering behind the slogans that are currently hacking our public discourse. While these viral phrases feel like organic expressions of "the people," James argues they are precision-engineered "thought-terminating clichés." Their goal isn't to start a conversation, but to shut down rational cognition entirely. In this episode, we deconstruct the mechanics of "sloganization"—a tactic James traces back to Maoist psychological warfare (Tifa)—and how it has successfully infected both the Far Left and the new "Woke Right." Ami and James dive deep into: The Brain Hack: Why six-word slogans are more effective than 60,000-word logical arguments. The "Woke Right" Infection: How elements of the conservative movement have adopted the identity politics and grievance tactics of the Left. The Death of Charlie Kirk’s "Big Tent": An analysis of the internal fracturing of the MAGA coalition. The Marketplace of Conduct: Why we are moving away from an argument of ideas and into a battle of scripted provocations. The Silence on Iran: Why viral activism remains deafeningly quiet regarding the Iranian regime. Are you repeating your own beliefs, or are you repeating a script? Join us for an essential look at the war for your attention and your logic. 🙏🏼 Support on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/amishouse/posts Follow James Lindsay:X/Twitter: @ConceptualJamesNew Discourses: https://newdiscourses.com/author/jameslindsay/ #JamesLindsay #AmiKozak #AmisHouse #Psychology #Politics #Slogans #WokeRight #Discourse #CultureWar