Journalist explains why Venezuela war propaganda is so effective

Journalist Glenn Greenwald has responded to a recent viral post on X, explaining in detail why war propaganda is so effective at achieving public consent for the ongoing cycle of bloodshed and violence.

The original post on X predicted the US political landscape in 2030:

Don't worry guys in 2030 people will be admitting bombing Venezuela was a huge mistake while demanding that you get on board with bombing Iran

— Toad (@LearnToToad) January 4, 2026

Greenwald’s response detailed how the US has been able to achieve its war aims, despite it not being in the interests of the people Trump is supposed to be serving:

It's important to acknowledge how potent war propaganda is. It's been developed over centuries and stimulates the most visceral tribalistic impulses.

The days and weeks after every new US war or "regime-change" operation are triumphalist. We're always vanquishing The Bad Guys.… https://t.co/3LFZkuz1bb

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 4, 2026

Glenn Greenwald: a method to the madness

Although Glenn Greenwald is a controversial figure, he has produced some valuable journalism over the years. In his post, Greenwald explains the stages of propaganda required to convince a population that war is in their best interests. He also theorises how inevitable catastrophes and crises don’t seem to prevent future atrocities from taking place:

It’s important to acknowledge how potent war propaganda is. It’s been developed over centuries and stimulates the most visceral tribalistic impulses.

The days and weeks after every new US war or “regime-change” operation are triumphalist. We’re always vanquishing The Bad Guys. We’re freeing the repressed peoples of the world. It makes everyone feel noble, purposeful and, most of all, brave and strong (even though they’re not the ones fighting).

The media only shows the people who cheer it. The costs are concealed. The motives aren’t questioned. Patriotic pride swirls. It’s been like this for decades.

During this initial burst of war intoxication, there’s no persuasion or reasoning possible. It’s like trying to talk to a drunk person. They’re inebriated on the war glories (of others).

This dissipates only a few months or a year later when the whole thing falls apart, when it becomes obvious none of the motives were benevolent or the ones stated, when only a tiny fraction benefit at everyone else’s expense, when the only outcome is bloodshed, autocracy and misery.

By then, most people who supported it won’t admit they did (or they’ll blame “poor implementation” or a failure to carry it through).

But those regrets don’t matter. By then, it’s just time to sell the new war, and the war propaganda process just starts anew.

This time, it’s the good war, the one that will work, the one that will bring us prosperity and purpose, etc. etc. And the only ones opposed are ones who hate all that’s good. That’s how a country stays in a posture of endless war.

Misplaced loyalties

You don’t have to look far for evidence to support Glenn Greenwald’s theory. If we were to look at the aftermath of World War II, the consensus held amongst the international community was ‘never again’. Yet instead, we see a genocide ongoing with impunity in Palestine where at least 71,386 Palestinians have been murdered (potentially much higher), and over 171,000 injured.

Trump promised to end the ‘forever wars’ of the Democrats and the Republicans, and his MAGA followers praised him for that. Despite this, he’s now openly talking about expanding the American Empire with plans to forcibly colonise new territories. Once again, Trump has shown he has an unlimited capacity to make things worse.

Featured image via Raw Pixel / picryl