Selling the nation

How do you make sure your mediocre work gets consumed by people of your nation? Simple, you attach its worth to the nation. You say, "watch this shit if you're a true Indian". This way, if people don't watch your mediocre piece of shit because... well... it's mediocre, you can claim it's because they're not "true Indians" (whatever the fuck that means).

The tendency to attach "true Indian" to any and all aspects of life is also useful if you want to declare yourself as more deserving of the Indian label than everyone else. Eat this if you are a true Indian. Vote this way if you're a true Indian. Destroy this if you're true Indian. Buy this if you're true Indian.

You're basically equating the nation with yourself and the things you like. You're trying to make people oblivious to the fact that you're just a garden variety opportunist who can't stand on their own merits in the marketplace of ideas.

That's all that happens with propaganda films and other assorted nationalist products. And yes, they are products. And the advertising they engage in is surrogate advertising. The product isn't sold on its own merit. Because it has no merit. It's garbage that seeks to enter your field of vision by using your nation as a launchpad. Like a golgappa stall outside a temple or stadium, this product can only feed on a presumed association with something else. Jaago graahak jaago.

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