Most Americans don't think about how symbols are formed or manipulated to control meaning. The average American doesn't think about how their opinions are engineered by slick political advertisements, and how their palates are controlled by well-designed commercials.
They go on buying "Happy Meals" for their children without thinking about how those fatty foods are making their children obese, and thus subject to ridicule and life-long health issues. The images and jingles are like the bell that Pavlov rang to make a dog salivate even when no food was present. Do you get hungry when you see images of food, thirsty when you watch a beer commercial, horny when you look at a porn magazine? Do you feel inadequate or ugly when you see a beautiful woman on the cover of a fashion magazine? Are you Pavlov's dog?
You are Pavlov's dog if you have purchased an item impulsively, if you have a Goodwill or eBay addiction. Do you get a rush of endorphins when you win the auction? Do you feel good when you save money by spending money? Do you feel pleasure because you believe you got the "stuff" cheap? Then the symbols have shaped your reality, first by making you want the "stuff" that you probably didn't need, and then by making you "feel good" by purchasing that stuff, most of which will end up in your garage, or back at Goodwill someday.
Worse yet are the political advertisements that blatantly lie to persuade the voter, that use emotional images to sway opinions. Do you conform to a political agenda simply because you associate yourself with "Republicans" or "Democrats" or "Greens"? These entities shape your political reality, but what do they symbolize? Why pledge your allegiance to an elephant or a donkey? Should you let words like "liberal" or "conservative" inspire fear and loathing?
Are you Pavlov's dog, or can you decipher the manipulation of political language? Does the following argument make sense to you?