When the Houthis took over Sana’a in 2014, one of the most shocking experiences for me was watching colleagues I had known and worked alongside for years, people committed to human rights, democracy, and international institutions, so quickly embrace Houthi narratives. It was even more disturbing in 2015 to see people I deeply admired and respected justify the Houthi military offensive against Aden, repeating the claim that the group was merely fighting ISIS. Years of professional commitment to human rights and democratic principles seemed to disappear with a click of a button. Today, amid renewed regional escalations, I am witnessing something disturbingly familiar. Social media influencers and activists are increasingly adopting Houthi narratives, seemingly convinced that the group represents resistance, Arab identity, and solidarity with Palestine. What troubles me is not simply political disagreement. It is how easily ideological narratives can override critical thinking, historical memory, and principles that people once defended. I can understand how people outside Yemen, unfamiliar with the country’s history and the realities of Houthi rule, might be misled by carefully constructed Houthi propaganda. But what I find truly puzzling is watching Yemenis who have witnessed this history unfold from the beginning, who know the group’s record of atrocities, repression, and human rights abuses, suddenly embrace the very narratives they once challenged. How does someone who has witnessed years of suffering, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, persecution, and the destruction of democratic and civic space by the Houthis suddenly see these perpetrators as symbols of liberation and resistance? Perhaps the most disturbing power of propaganda is not that it convinces those who do not know the facts, but that it persuades those who know them to look away.