Do RC apologists just make this stuff up and hope no one catches it, or ...
Well, I can't think of another possibility.
In 1985, pope John Paul II declared Mary to be a "co-redemptrix" during a speech in Guayaquil, Ecuador. He said, "Having suffered for the Church, Mary deserved to become the Mother of all the disciples of her Son, the Mother of their unity...In fact Mary's role as Co-redemptrix did not cease with the glorification of her Son."
In 1935, pope Pope Pius XI gave the title "Co-Redemptrix" to Mary during a radio broadcast.
Here, read this link and learn something...
I have repeatedly commented that I find the term RC offensive. That you continue to use it speaks much of your Christian good will and beatitude.
I do not speak for Catholic apologists, either Pope or peasant. There is diversity of thought within the Church so your theory about Catholics being "brainwashed robots" is contradicted by your own argument. Each must examine his own conscience and provide his own reasons. I can only comment on the what has been decided upon by the Magesterium or declared ex Cathedra.
The position of the Church is as follows. Any future misrepresentation of these facts by you a liar because you will have known better and have chosen to willfully distort it for some unholy:
When the Church invokes Mary under the title, "Coredemptrix", she means that Mary uniquely participated in the redemption of the human family by Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. At the Annunciation (cf.Lk.1:38) Mary freely cooperated in giving the Second Person of the Trinity his human body which is the very instrument of redemption, as Scripture tells us: "We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb.10:10).
And at the foot of the cross of our Saviour (Jn.19:26), Mary's intense sufferings, united with those of her Son, as Pope John Paul II tells us, were, "also a contribution to the Redemption of us all" (Salvifici Doloris, n.25). Because of this intimate sharing in the redemption accomplished by the Lord, the Mother of the Redeemer is uniquely and rightly referred to by Pope John Paul II and the Church as the "Coredemptrix."
It is important to note that the prefix "co" in the title Coredemptrix does not mean "equal to" but rather "with", coming from the Latin word cum. The Marian title Coredemptrix never places Mary on a level of equality with her Divine Son, Jesus Christ. Rather it refers to Mary's unique human participation which is completely secondary and subordinate to the redeeming role of Jesus, who alone is true God and true Man.