In college, one of my favorite classes was Logic. Not because I wanted to win debates, but because it taught me how to recognize when I was being manipulated.
It became my sword against deception.
It taught me to see through beautifully packaged lies, emotionally loaded headlines, and the fog of media warfare designed not to inform—but to divide.
As I peeled back the layers of logical fallacies, I realized something profound:
Propaganda is not a new invention. It’s an ancient art—refined, perfected, and weaponized by today’s ruling elite.
If Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli were alive today, they wouldn’t be surprised. They would likely nod in understanding—because they saw it in their time too.
They warned us.
We forgot.
What Would Leonardo Say?
Leonardo da Vinci believed deeply in the art of observation. He trained his mind to cut through illusion and pierce the essence of truth through direct experience.
“He who does not punish evil commands it to be done.” – Leonardo da Vinci
He knew that ignorance and passivity in the face of deception leads to enslavement.
Leonardo saw how power used illusion to control perception, especially through the church, politics, and monarchy. His sketches, scientific studies, and philosophical notebooks were acts of rebellion—a silent resistance against blind obedience.
In today's world, Leonardo would see how propaganda distorts reason and mocks inquiry. He’d see how people are taught what to think, not how to think.
And he would see logic—not just as a tool—but as a sacred discipline.
What Would Machiavelli Say?
Machiavelli, the realist political philosopher of the Renaissance, wrote candidly about how rulers maintain power. In The Prince, he revealed what most never dare admit:
People are easily deceived—and power depends on that deception.
He would instantly recognize the machinery of today’s propaganda: the emotional manipulation, the media-as-ministry-of-truth, the staged enemies, and false saviors.
“Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims.” – Machiavelli
Machiavelli didn’t endorse evil—he exposed how it operates in plain sight.
He would remind us that modern rulers don’t need to burn books. They just flood us with so much information, distraction, and false logic that we no longer know which direction to look.
The Renaissance vs. The Regression
The Renaissance was an era of illumination—an awakening of human intellect and spirit. Logic, reason, and art were sacred. Observation, discernment, and independent thought were keys to freedom.
Today, we are witnessing the opposite: a cultural regression into intellectual slavery.
People are polarized. Minds are tribal. Feelings are mistaken for facts. Logic has become an extinct language, spoken only by the few who still remember how to wield it.
How the Propaganda Machine Works
Let’s go deeper into the actual tactics used in modern propaganda. These are not accidental patterns—they are engineered methods based on psychological warfare, advertising science, and behavioral economics.
Here’s what to watch for:
❖ Strawman
Misrepresenting a viewpoint to make it easy to attack.
🡒 “You don’t want this war? You must hate our country.”
❖ Ad Hominem
Attacking the person, not their argument.
🡒 “That doctor is a quack.” (Instead of addressing their evidence.)
❖ Appeal to Authority
Using “experts” as shields—even when they’re conflicted.
🡒 “The CDC says...” or “Trust the science” (while silencing actual scientists).
❖ Appeal to Fear
Weaponizing anxiety to create obedience.
🡒 “If you don’t do X, your loved ones will die.”
❖ False Dilemma
Pretending there are only two sides.
🡒 “You’re either pro-science or anti-science.”
🡒 “You’re either with us or a threat.”
❖ Bandwagon / Groupthink
Using popularity as proof of truth.
🡒 “Everyone agrees.” or “97% of experts say…”
❖ Circular Reasoning
Restating the claim as its own evidence.
🡒 “It’s true because we say so.”
❖ Slippery Slope
Claiming one idea will lead to catastrophe.
🡒 “If we let people question the vote, democracy will collapse.”
❖ Red Herring
Distraction from real issues.
🡒 Celebrity drama replaces corporate crime.
❖ No True Scotsman
Redefining terms to exclude inconvenient truths.
🡒 “No real scientist believes that.”
How This Affects the Collective Shadow
These fallacies aren’t just logical errors—they are energetic distortions that damage the collective consciousness.
When masses of people are caught in logical fallacies, a collective shadow emerges. This shadow projects fear, blame, self-righteousness, and superiority onto “the other side.” It creates war within communities, families, and even within the self.
And worse:
The shadow becomes the soil where tyranny grows.
The more divided we are, the easier we are to rule.
This is why logic is more than intellectual. It is spiritual. It is the sword that cuts through illusion and reveals the soul of a situation.
Your Mind Is Sacred Ground
When you reclaim logic, you reclaim sovereignty.
When you see fallacies, you break spells.
When you think clearly, you become ungovernable by deception.
Leonardo da Vinci would urge you to observe the patterns.
Machiavelli would whisper: “Power hides in simplicity.”
And I would tell you this:
You were not born to be brainwashed.
You were born to awaken the world.
Remember:
Every time you choose reason over reaction,
every time you challenge a false narrative,
every time you refuse to hate your neighbor just because the media tells you to—
You are building a new Renaissance.
One thought at a time.