The war isn’t going well for the United States. Let’s talk with anthropologist Dr. Katie Keene-Montgomery about how and why people are still trapped in this absurd narrative. Nobody exists outside of propaganda. Here are the six layers of narrative production for reference:

1. Economic interests that require a threat environment to stay profitable

2. Elite networks where consensus forms before any public debate

3. Funded think tanks that convert that consensus into expert opinion

4. Official language and legal designations that install the frame

5. Media systems that distribute it as neutral coverage

6. Public opinion polling that returns the result as democratic mandate

7. Repeat. This is continuous and cyclical.