The Reverse Cargo Cult metaphor explains why dictators tell their citizens lies that citizens know to be lies: a verifiable lie told by a politician changes citizens’ perceptions of politicians and reduces their willingness to replace them
It’s puritanism, the country was founded on it and even though there have been waves of modernization, it’s still a puritannical deeply sick society at heart.
I’ve heard the neat phrase ‘reverse cargo cult’ in regard to such views. Applied to a group of people, though, as cults typically require.
Wow, gotta read that paper now:
Source: https://bfi.uchicago.edu/working-papers/the-reverse-cargo-cult-why-authoritarian-governments-lie-to-their-people/
People in some places are just convinced the rest of the world is just as bad — this is the context in which I’ve heard the term.
USians’ incessant belief that travelling to other countries is very unsafe is probably one example of this.
It’s puritanism, the country was founded on it and even though there have been waves of modernization, it’s still a puritannical deeply sick society at heart.