"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ...In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind."
-Edward L. Bernays (American pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda)
Willful ignorance is defined as a bad faith decision to avoid becoming informed about something so as to avoid having to make undesirable decisions that such information might prompt. Propaganda preys upon our ignorance & only works if we choose to stay in the dark and consume the garbage we're being fed 24/7/365 from the major news outlets. One effective way of countering bullshit (propaganda) is to understand its devices. Here are a few devices used to persuade the public**:
(1) Name Calling. Calling President Obama a "socialist" or the news media "liberal" are two examples of directing public attention to predetermined ends.
(2) Glittering Generalities. This technique requires “virtue words” that describe ideals that no one could argue against. These tug at your heartstrings & built-in biases. Words often used as glittering generalities are honor, glory, love of country, and especially in the United States, freedom
(3) The Transfer. Used both for and against causes, this strategy is often used in politics and during times of conflict. It is an attempt to make the subject view a certain item in the same way as they view another item, to link the two in our heads, like "Saddam Hussein" & "Hitler".
(4) The Testimonial. In politics these are often called “endorsements.” It attempts to connect a famous or respectable person with a product, cause, candidate or item. Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of President Obama or Michael Jordan's endorsement of Hanes has a powerful effect on people's thinking & behavior.
(5) Plain Folks. This is an attempt by the propogandist to convince the public that his/her views reflect those of the common person. This is enhanced by speaking in the vernacular, wearing "working-class" clothes & telling some corny joke. Remember Sarah Palin's'(or Joe the Plumber's) 15 minutes of fame during John Mccain's presidential run? Most of us saw right through that shit. Look for homey words like “town,” “village,” “farm,” “diner,” “bar,” “train,” “folks,” “coal mine,” “kitchen table.”
(6) Card Stacking. Also known as selective omission involves only presenting information that is positive to an idea or proposal and omitting information contrary to it. Remember Bush's justification for invading Iraq? Also think of how nasty the health care debates got with the Republicans highlighting some relevant flaws in the Democrats' arguments yet omitting some critical flaws in their own arguments.
(7) The Band Wagon. This is the “everyone is doing it” technique. Think of Bush's "you're either with us or against us". This informal fallacy is easier to detect than the rest, but from time to time we all feel compelled to join a group or cause just to fit in.
These counter strategies were first presented in the classic, "How to Detect Propaganda,” published in 1937 just before WWII. Sadly, in the 74 years since it came out, it is still needed. Stay tuned.....
OneLove
:::MME:::
