A useful idiot is a person perceived as propagandizing for a cause—particularly a bad cause originating from a devious, ruthless source—without fully comprehending the cause's goals, and who is cynically being used by the cause's leaders.
A rather good description of the phrase from Wikipedia but not complete. The completion that needs to be added is that those people are propagandizing for causes that are ultimately harmful to themselves and are historically described the pro-communist cheerleaders.
People become useful idiots by falling for propaganda and ideologies. Propaganda forms ideologies. It comes from echo chambers, wanting a sense of belonging, and from the education system. It’s a series of normalizations over a prolonged period of time that people perceive as truth.
They were the people who promoted the Communist Cause, Western intellectuals and celebrities who supported communist ideologies during the Cold War, and today I can’t think of a more perfect example than Queers for Palestine.
Truth doesn’t have to be true. It is just truth that becomes a truth to people because of their exposure. Stories help build narrative which is how we support our own facts. Memes are stories as well. Blind endorsements are still endorsements in the views and perceptions of others which generates validity.
Useful idiots are the bread and butter of radicals and authoritarian governments throughout human history. They are the enablers and also help provide critical mass reinforcement for the uninformed. The foundation is manipulation until enough are manipulated.
The radicalized become the evangelists of the ‘movement’ and become the passionate mobilizers (influencers). Some do it to stand out, some do it for profit. Hindering efforts of constructive dialogues, collaboration and exaggerations of what is obviously propaganda are their tells defended with insults and attacks.
Mobilizers are the agents of influence who appear on purpose or as a by-product of people who want significance as being thought leaders and recognition. We see it more predominately nowadays with social media, heck many even boast that they are getting rich off subscribers by lying and spreading misinformation openly. People will jump on the latest or dig something up to twist into an association to put out there.
Journalists and media can become agents of influence as well. Some specialize in one side of reporting that makes readers and passersby think it is the complete story. We all know by now the media has a slant of bias and what they don’t report as well conditions people with certain information. It creates falsely considered informed tribalism.
Social media via its algorithms gives us more of what we liked before or think we want to see more of unknowingly (innocently understated). This push of similar content to people gives reinforcement to material, talking points, and propaganda. It is great if you are using it for research and learning but also just as great if you want public opinion to sway.
Psychological warfare is something 99% of people don’t even think about as a possibility. It isn’t clear if it is as purposefully being executed nowadays as it was after WW2 and during the Cold War. Maybe we are now seeing the previous work’s dividends. For sure our current forms of communication are putting it all on steroids giving it its own life.
We now produce more useful idiots than ever in the West. I would suspect that is being realized in many other countries like China for example who let’s mostly just educational videos on TikTok compared to the mind-numbing things our generation is preoccupied with. I would add Japan and Poland with their immigration policies as affirmation.
I’ll beat this drum to the end but our education systems must be protected with all might from corrupting minds. There is very little we can do once people spend 18+ years being indoctrinated. This is where it all starts and where we can make the biggest generational differences.
I’ll leave you with an 8-minute video from an ex-KGB who talks about Ideological Subversion.