Fyreside Newsletter - 2/2/26

Hey Reader,

I hope you're doing well. Turns out I had covid last week, which explains why it was so difficult to piece a newsletter together. So whether you're dealing with snow, sickness, or just the general horrors of existence, I hope you have a good week.

As noted last week, I'm going to start a content series all about propaganda. While I didn't make much progress last week (on account of the covid), this issue is still front of mind. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Americans in 2026 are being bombarded with a higher concentration of propaganda than any other group in history. And that's saying something, because North Korea exists, the USSR in the 80s was basically "Propaganda: The Empire" and we likely wouldn't even understand propaganda if not for Germany in the 40s. But still, I stand by my statement.

What is Propaganda?

Last week I referenced the following definition of propaganda from Merriam Webster: ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause.

I like this definition, but I think it's frightfully general. You can read that definition and pretty safely say, "Well, then all marketing must be propaganda." I don't think that's true and I promise those who study propaganda at an academic level will agree with me. So then what makes marketing different than propaganda? The answer is slant.

Take note that the answer is not truth. In the US, it's actually illegal to lie in your marketing. That doesn't mean people don't do it, but it is illegal. The Federal Trade Commission has a series of laws and regulations about "False Advertising." I'm not going to get into the weeds, but here's an article from EBSCO if you want more info. Here's the thing though, propaganda is not inherently untruthful.

It is dangerously naïve to assume that the difference between marketing and propaganda is truth. It's dangerous because a.) you might begin to believe all marketing is true and b.) you may assume that all propaganda is false. However, propaganda is at its best when it is truthful.

Ok, so what is Slant?

Here's another definition from our friends at Merriam Webster: a peculiar or personal point of view, attitude, or opinion.

The second half of propaganda's definition references "one's cause" and "an opposing cause." For propaganda to meet its definition, its creator must have a cause or oppose someone else's cause. This cause must be a personal (and often peculiar) point of view, attitude or (most often) opinion. When ideas, facts or allegations are intentionally disseminated to further a personal opinion, that's propaganda.

Hey do you remember the whole "alternative facts" era? It's been nearly a decade since sentient bag of trash Kellyanne Conway coined one of the dumbest terms I've ever heard. There is no such thing as alternative facts, those are just falsehoods. An alternative fact is like dry water, it does not exist. However, any fact viewed from the proper angle can veer pretty far from the truth.

I'm going to end this weeks newsletter with some examples. If I do my job right, by the end of this propaganda series you'll be able to sniff out slanted statements like McGruff the Crime Dog (ACAB). Here's a few things for you to chew on this week.

The planet's average surface temperature has risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century. (source)
It has literally never in history been colder in Columbus, Ohio than it was this past Saturday. (source)
Several large studies have proven that there is absolutely no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. (source)
In 1998, a major medical journal published a report linking the MMR vaccine to autism and irritable bowel syndrome in children. Jenny McCarthy really liked it. (source)
Donald Trump won the popular vote in the 2024 US presidential election with 49.8% of the vote. (source)
Only 65.3% of the voting-age population cast a vote in the 2024 US presidential election. (source)

So is global warming real? Do vaccinnes cause autism? Did the majority of Americans want Trump to be president? I guess it depends how you look at it.

-MC

p.s.

(The point of this newsletter is that "how you look at it" doesn't actually change the facts. Please don't think I actually believe that the truth depends on "how you look at it." That is a point made for emphasis and I do not trust the internet to understand that without clarification.)
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