When my otherwise peaceful, progressive mate from Mullum starts sprouting militarist, right-wing Russian propaganda that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was ‘all the West’s fault’, you know something is wrong.
Why are some Australians buying right-wing conspiracy theories? I guess for the same reasons some Americans are buying it – poor educational standards.
Falling for propaganda on the internet is a result of decades-long curriculum chaos. In NSW we stopped teaching history, geography, and political science in primary schools and replaced them with some watered-down nonsense subject called HSIE. In high school these subjects aren’t compulsory and by then it’s often too late to nurture any interest. While these subjects have been returned, the decades of damage was already done. Anyway, the emphasis in schools is on subjects that get you a job, not tricky, controversial subjects such as history.
As a result, two generations of Australians were barely taught basic world facts. Many young Aussie kids’ only knowledge of ancient history is from scripture classes!
So, Russian propaganda has found a fertile breeding ground of cynicism and confusion in the Australian population. Sure, they probably couldn’t pinpoint Ukraine on the map, but if someone who looks intelligent on YouTube tells them that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was Ukraine’s fault, they’ll probably believe it. Yes, the internet has filled the vacuum left by our dire educational system.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
