History has also shown us that people develop political opinions based on whatever lies are repeated often enough in their media echo chamber.

Consider the truly bizarre origins of antisemitism, for one. (And I'm not talking about people who have opinions on geopolitics in the ME. Think about how the other kind of antisemite, who doesn't give a rat's ass about what's going on 10,000 miles away reaches their political opinions.)

Or, better yet, the gay satanic-panic currently gripping half the country, and the insane culture war being waged around it. You can't actually believe that all those people who have strong opinions about it have been somehow personally wronged by homosexuals.

But they do turn on the telly to listen to some lunatic screaming about how there's a mass conspiracy to turn their children gay.