By Horace Palacio: “The indoctrination is so deep that educated people think they’re being objective.” That quote hits Belize like a mirror. Because one of our biggest problems is not a lack of education, but the illusion of it. Too many Belizeans believe they are thinking independently when in reality they are repeating talking points handed to them by politics, social circles, media narratives, and party loyalty.
In Belize, politics is the clearest example. People do not argue policy. They argue color. Red or blue. Once a position is taken, facts no longer matter. If your party says something, it must be right. If the other side says the same thing, it must be wrong. That is not critical thinking. That is indoctrination dressed up as loyalty.
What makes this dangerous is that many of the loudest voices believe they are objective simply because they are educated or well spoken. But education without independent thought is not wisdom. It is conditioning. When people stop questioning their own side, democracy becomes a performance instead of a system of accountability.
This mindset spills into society. When someone succeeds financially, they are attacked instead of studied. When new ideas are introduced, they are mocked instead of examined. When uncomfortable truths are raised, the response is not debate but insults. Shoot the messenger. Dismiss the message. Move on unchanged.
Indoctrination also explains why Belize struggles with reform. Many Belizeans say they want change, but they reject it the moment it challenges their beliefs. They demand better leadership but defend poor leadership if it wears their party’s jersey. They complain about corruption but excuse it when it benefits their side. That contradiction is not accidental. It is learned behavior.
The most damaging form of indoctrination is when people think neutrality means intelligence. Being objective does not mean sitting in the middle and refusing to judge. It means questioning everything, including your own beliefs. It means being willing to admit you are wrong. Belize struggles with this because admitting error is seen as weakness rather than growth.
This is why the same debates repeat every election cycle. Same promises. Same arguments. Same disappointments. The population has been trained to react emotionally instead of thinking structurally. Who benefits from this. Politicians who thrive on division. Systems that resist scrutiny.
Breaking this cycle will not be easy. It requires teaching critical thinking, not just memorization. It requires media literacy, not just social media consumption. It requires courage to challenge your own side and humility to listen to opposing views.
Belize does not lack smart people. It lacks independent thinkers at scale. Until we address that, crime, corruption, and stagnation will continue no matter who is in power. A country cannot outgrow the limits of its thinking.
The most radical thing a Belizean can do today is not protest or post online. It is to question what they believe and why they believe it. That is how indoctrination loses its grip. That is how real progress begins.
The post Indoctrination is Belize’s most dangerous problem appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Horace Palacio: “The indoctrination is so deep that educated people think they’re being objective.” That quote hits Belize like a mirror. Because one of our biggest problems is not a lack of education, but the illusion of it. Too many Belizeans believe they are thinking independently when in reality they are repeating talking points
The post Indoctrination is Belize’s most dangerous problem appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
