but you're talkin about objective reality, like a rose is a rose. i'm talkin about subjective reality, which is influenced by consensus, even if it's forced consensus there's a certain portion of the group that are gullible enough to just believe what they hear.

Sociologists have proven that most people will impute more credibility to an assertion merely by repetition, more so if that assertion gives me some kind of emotional payoff, and even more if the media can make a quick and irresponsible buck off it.