Propaganda

"When we speak of false propaganda, it is of course JEWISH propaganda." --Adolf

Hitler
"The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, an
d accepting both of them . . . . To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believi
ng in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it b
ecomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is
needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take acc
ount of the reality which one denies all this is indispensably necessary. Even i
n using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by usi
ng the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of dou
blethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always
one leap ahead of the truth."
George Orwell1984
Your opinions and beliefs have been manipulated by a broad spectrum of mass hypn
osis,conditioning and propaganda techniques that include the constant repetition
of erroneous but emotionally potent oversimplifications to support the necessar
y illusion.
Those who can control what you see and hear control how you think, control what
you believe, control how you behave.
There is a cabal of about 1000 men who meet in semi-secret,who have a hidden age
nda
in their plan for world domination.
Above them are the Jewish central bankers,about a dozen families who are allowed
to legally counterfeit money,with which they control governments,install presid
ents,buy all politicians,dictate foreign policy,instigate wars,commit genocide,f
und propaganda think tanks,control the media(TV and Hollywood), dictate their ag
enda to the heads of corporations,mass media and government institutions through
semi secret meetings like Bilderberg and Bohemian Grove while implementing and
communicating their orders through the CFR, the Trilateral Commission and other
"think tanks".
They are actually so arrogant that they have published most of their operations
in advance out in the public domain,so secure in the ignorance of the masses tha
t the dumbed down,poisoned ,drugged and brainwashed people will never care enoug
h to read these plans.
The Pentagon has stated that the wars of today are 90% wars of ideas.
These are some of the ways they manufacture your consent to their evil agenda:
Propaganda Techniques
Edward Filene helped establish the Institute of Propaganda Analysis in 1937 to e
ducate the American public about the nature of propaganda and how to recognize p
ropaganda techniques. Filene and his colleagues identified the seven most common
"tricks of the trade" used by successful propagandists (Marlin 102-106: Propaga
nda Critic: Introduction). These seven techniques are called:
Name Calling
Glittering Generalities
Transfer
Testimonial
Plain Folks
Card Stacking
Band Wagon
These techniques are designed to fool us because the appeal to our emotions rath
er than to our reason.The techniques identified by the Institute for Propaganda
Analysis are further refined by Aaron Delwich in his website, Propaganda where h
e "discusses various propaganda techniques, provides contemporary examples of th
eir use, and proposes strategies of mental self-defense." By pointing out these
techniques, we hope to join with others who have written on this topic to create
awareness and encourage serious consideration of the influence of contemporary
propaganda directed at us through the various media and suggest ways to guard ag
ainst its influence on our lives.
Name Calling: Propagandists use this technique to create fear and arouse prejudi
ce by using negative words (bad names) to create an unfavorable opinion or hatre
d against a group, beliefs, ideas or institutions they would have us denounce. T
his method calls for a conclusion without examining the evidence. Name Calling i
s used as a substitute for arguing the merits of an idea, belief, or proposal. I
t is often employed using sarcasm and ridicule in political cartoons and writing
. When confronted with this technique the Institute for Propaganda Analysis sugg
ests we ask ourselves the following questions: What does the name mean? Is there
a real connection between the idea and the name being used? What are the merits
of the idea if I leave the name out of consideration? When examining this techn
ique try to separate your feelings about the name and the actual idea or proposa
l (Propaganda Critic: Common Techniques 1).
Glittering Generalities: Propagandists employ vague, sweeping statements (often
slogans or simple catchphrases) using language associated with values and belief
s deeply held by the audience without providing supporting information or reason
. They appeal to such notions as honor, glory, love of country, desire for peace
, freedom, and family values. The words and phrases are vague and suggest differ
ent things to different people but the implication is always favorable. It canno
t be proved true or false because it really says little or nothing at all. The I
nstitute of Propaganda Analysis suggests a number of questions we should ask our
selves if we are confronted with this technique: What do the slogans or phrases
really mean? Is there a legitimate connection between the idea being discussed a
nd the true meaning of the slogan or phrase being used? What are the merits of t
he idea itself if it is separated from the slogans or phrases?
Transfer: Transfer is a technique used to carry over the authority and approval
of something we respect and revere to something the propagandist would have us a
ccept. Propagandists often employ symbols (e.g., waving the flag) to stir our em
otions and win our approval. The Institute for Propaganda Analysis suggests we a
sk ourselves these questions when confronted with this technique. What is the sp
eaker trying to pitch? What is the meaning of the thing the propagandist is tryi
ng to impart? Is there a legitimate connection between the suggestion made by th
e propagandist and the person or product? Is there merit in the proposal by itse
lf? When confronted with this technique, question the merits of the idea or prop
osal independently of the convictions about other persons, ideas, or proposals.
Testimonial: Propagandists use this technique to associate a respected person or
someone with experience to endorse a product or cause by giving it their stamp
of approval hoping that the intended audience will follow their example. The Ins
titute for Propaganda Analysis suggests we ask ourselves the following question
when confronted with this technique. Who is quoted in the testimonial? Why shoul
d we regard this person as an expert or trust their testimony? Is there merit to
the idea or product without the testimony? You can guard yourself against this
technique by demonstrating that the person giving the testimonial is not a recog
nized authority, prove they have an agenda or vested interest, or show there is
disagreement by other experts.
Plain Folks: Propagandists use this approach to convince the audience that the s
pokesperson is from humble origins, someone they can trust and who has their int
erests at heart. Propagandists have the speaker use ordinary language and manner
isms to reach the audience and identify with their point of view. The Institute
for Propaganda Analysis suggests we ask ourselves the following questions before
deciding on any issue when confronted with this technique. Is the person credib
le and trustworthy when they are removed from the situation being discussed? Is
the person trying to cover up anything? What are the facts of the situation? Whe
n confronted with this type of propaganda consider the ideas and proposals separ
ately from the personality of the presenter.
Bandwagon: Propagandists use this technique to persuade the audience to follow t
he crowd. This device creates the impression of widespread support. It reinforce
s the human desire to be on the winning side. It also plays on feelings of lonel
iness and isolation. Propagandists use this technique to convince people not alr
eady on the bandwagon to join in a mass movement while simultaneously reassuring
that those on or partially on should stay aboard. Bandwagon propaganda has take
n on a new twist. Propagandists are now trying to convince the target audience t
hat if they don't join in they will be left out. The implication is that if you
don't jump on the bandwagon the parade will pass you by. While this is contrary
to the other method, it has the same effect: getting the audience to join in wit
h the crowd. The Institute of Propaganda Analysis suggests we ask ourselves the
following questions when confronted with this technique. What is the propagandis
t's program? What is the evidence for and against the program? Even though other
s are supporting it, why should I? As with most propaganda techniques, getting m
ore information is the best defense. When confronted with Bandwagon propaganda,
consider the pros and cons before joining in.
Card Stacking: Propagandist uses this technique to make the best case possible f
or his side and the worst for the opposing viewpoint by carefully using only tho
se facts that support his or her side of the argument while attempting to lead t
he audience into accepting the facts as a conclusion. In other words, the propag
andist stacks the cards against the truth. Card stacking is the most difficult t
echnique to detect because it does not provide all of the information necessary
for the audience to make an informed decision. The audience must decide what is
missing. The Institute for Propaganda Analysis suggests we ask ourselves the fol
lowing question when confronted with this technique: Are facts being distorted o
r omitted? What other arguments exist to support these assertions? As with any o
ther propaganda technique, the best defense against Card Stacking is to get as m
uch information that is possible before making a decision.
More techniques:
Ad hominem: A Latin phrase that has come to mean attacking one's opponent, as op
posed to attacking their arguments.
Ad nauseam: This argument approach uses tireless repetition of an idea. An idea,
especially a simple slogan, that is repeated enough times, may begin to be take
n as the truth. This approach works best when media sources are limited or contr
olled by the propagator.
Appeal to authority: Appeals to authority cite prominent figures to support a po
sition, idea, argument, or course of action.
Appeal to fear: Appeals to fear and seeks to build support by instilling anxieti
es and panic in the general population, for example, Joseph Goebbels used Theodo
re Kaufman's Germany Must Perish! to demonstrate that the Jews sought the exterm
ination of the German people.
Appeal to prejudice: Using loaded or emotive terms to attach value or moral good
ness to believing the proposition. Used in biased or misleading ways.
Bandwagon: Bandwagon and "inevitable-victory" appeals attempt to persuade the ta
rget audience to join in and take the course of action that "everyone else is ta
king".
Inevitable victory: Invites those not already on the bandwagon to join those alr
eady on the road to certain victory. Those already or at least partially on the
bandwagon are reassured that staying aboard is their best course of action.
Join the crowd: This technique reinforces people's natural desire to be on the w
inning side. This technique is used to convince the audience that a program is a
n expression of an irresistible mass movement and that it is in their best inter
est to join.
Beautiful people: The type of propaganda that deals with celebrities or depicts
attractive, happy people. This suggests if people buy a product or follow a cert
ain ideology, they too will be happy or successful.
The Lie The repeated articulation of a complex of events that justify subsequent
action. The descriptions of these events have elements of truth, and the "big l
ie" generalizations merge and eventually supplant the public's accurate percepti
on of the underlying events. After World War I the German Stab in the back expla
nation of the cause of their defeat became a justification for Nazi re-militariz
ation and revanchist aggression.
Black-and-white fallacy: Presenting only two choices, with the product or idea b
eing propagated as the better choice. For example: "You're either with us, or ag
ainst us...." or Democrat/Republican.
Classical conditioning: All vertebrates, including humans, respond to classical
conditioning. That is, if object A is always present when object B is present a
nd object B causes a physical reaction (e.g., disgust, pleasure) then we will wh
en presented with object A when object B is not present, we will experience the
same feelings.
Cognitive dissonance: People desire to be consistent. Suppose a pollster finds t
hat a certain group of people hates his candidate for senator but loves actor A.
They use actor A's endorsement of their candidate to change people's minds beca
use people cannot tolerate inconsistency. They are forced to either to dislike t
he actor or like the candidate.Common man"The "plain folks" or "common man" appr
oach attempts to convince the audience that the propagandist's positions reflect
the common sense of the people. It is designed to win the confidence of the aud
ience by communicating in the common manner and style of the target audience. Pr
opagandists use ordinary language and mannerisms (and clothe their message in fa
ce-to-face and audiovisual communications) in attempting to identify their point
of view with that of the average person. With the plain folks device, the propa
gandist can win the confidence of persons who resent or distrust foreign soundin
g, intellectual speech, words, or mannerisms." For example, a politician speakin
g to a Southern United States crowd might incorporate words such as "Y'all" and
other colloquialisms to create a perception of belonging.
Cult of personality: A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass m
edia to create an idealized and heroic public image, often through unquestioning
flattery and praise. The hero personality then advocates the positions that the
propagandist desires to promote. For example, modern propagandists hire popular
personalities to promote their ideas and/or products.
Demonizing the enemy: Making individuals from the opposing nation, from a differ
ent ethnic group, or those who support the opposing viewpoint appear to be subhu
man (e.g., the Vietnam War-era term "gooks" for National Front for the Liberatio
n of South Vietnam aka Vietcong, or "VC", soldiers), worthless, or immoral, thro
ugh suggestion or false accusations. Dehumanizing is also a termed used synonymo
usly with demonizing, the latter usually serves as an aspect of the former.
Dictat: This technique hopes to simplify the decision making process by using im
ages and words to tell the audience exactly what actions to take, eliminating an
y other possible choices. Authority figures can be used to give the order, overl
apping it with the Appeal to authority technique, but not necessarily. The Uncle
Sam "I want you" image is an example of this technique.
Disinformation: The creation or deletion of information from public records, in
the purpose of making a false record of an event or the actions of a person or o
rganization, including outright forgery of photographs, motion pictures, broadca
sts, and sound recordings as well as printed documents.
Door-in-the-face technique Is used to increase a person's latitude of acceptance
. For example, if a salesperson wants to sell an item for $100 but the public is
only willing to pay $50, the salesperson first offers the item at a higher pric
e (e.g., $200) and subsequently reduces the price to $100 to make it seem like a
good deal.
Euphoria: The use of an event that generates euphoria or happiness, or using an
appealing event to boost morale. Euphoria can be created by declaring a holiday,
making luxury items available, or mounting a military parade with marching band
s and patriotic messages.Fear, uncertainty, and doubt An attempt to influence pu
blic perception by disseminating negative and dubious/false information designed
to undermine the credibility of their beliefs.
Flag-waving: An attempt to justify an action on the grounds that doing so will m
ake one more patriotic, or in some way benefit a country, group or idea the targ
eted audience supports.
Foot-in-the-door technique Often used by recruiters and salesmen. For example, a
member of the opposite sex walks up to the victim and pins a flower or gives a
small gift to the victim. The victim says thanks and now they have incurred a ps
ychological debt to the perpetrator. The person eventually asks for a larger fav
or (e.g., a donation or to buy something far more expensive). The unwritten soci
al contract between the victim and perpetrator causes the victim to feel obligat
ed to reciprocate by agreeing to do the larger favor or buy the more expensive g
ift.
Glittering generalities: Glittering generalities are emotionally appealing words
that are applied to a product or idea, but present no concrete argument or anal
ysis. This technique has also been referred to as the PT Barnum effect.
Half-truth A half-truth is a deceptive statement, which may come in several form
s and includes some element of truth. The statement might be partly true, the st
atement may be totally true but only part of the whole truth, or it may utilize
some deceptive element, such as improper punctuation, or double meaning, especia
lly if the intent is to deceive, evade, blame or misrepresent the truth.
Labeling: A euphemism is used when the propagandist attempts to increase the per
ceived quality, credibility, or credence of a particular ideal. A dysphemism is
used when the intent of the propagandist is to discredit, diminish the perceived
quality, or hurt the perceived righteousness of the Mark. By creating a "label"
or "category" or "faction" of a population, it is much easier to make an exampl
e of these larger bodies, because they can uplift or defame the Mark without act
ually incurring legal-defamation. Example: "Liberal" is a dysphemism intended to
diminish the perceived credibility of a particular Mark. By taking a displeasin
g argument presented by a Mark, the propagandist can quote that person, and then
attack "liberals" in an attempt to both create a political battle-ax of unaccou
ntable aggression and diminish the quality of the Mark. If the propagandist uses
the label on too-many perceivably credible individuals, muddying up the word ca
n be done by broadcasting bad-examples of "liberals" into the media. Labeling ca
n be thought of as a sub-set of Guilt by association, another logical fallacy.
Latitudes of acceptance If a person's message is outside the bounds of acceptanc
e for an individual and group, most techniques will engender psychological react
ance (simply hearing the argument will make the message even less acceptable). T
here are two techniques for increasing the bounds of acceptance. First, one can
take a more even extreme position that will make more moderate positions seem mo
re acceptable. This is similar to the Door-in-the-Face technique. Alternatively,
one can moderate one's own position to the edge of the latitude of acceptance a
nd then over time slowly move to the position that was previously.
Love bombing: Used to recruit members to a cult or ideology by having a group of
individuals cut off a person from their existing social support and replace it
entirely with members of the group who deliberately bombard the person with affe
ction in an attempt to isolate the person from their prior beliefs and value sys
temsee Milieu control.
Lying and deception: Lying and deception can be the basis of many propaganda tec
hniques including Ad Homimen arguments, Big-Lie, Defamation, Door-in-the-Face, H
alf-truth, Name-calling or any other technique that is based on dishonesty or de
ception. For example, many politicians have been found to frequently stretch or
break the truth.
Managing the news According to Adolf Hitler "The most brilliant propagandist te
chnique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind
constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and ove
r." This idea is consistent with the principle of classical conditioning as well
as the idea of "Staying on Message."
Name-calling: Propagandists use the name-calling technique to incite fears and a
rouse prejudices in their hearers in the intent that the bad names will cause he
arers to construct a negative opinion about a group or set of beliefs or ideas t
hat the propagandist wants hearers to denounce. The method is intended to provok
e conclusions about a matter apart from impartial examinations of facts. Name-ca
lling is thus a substitute for rational, fact-based arguments against the an ide
a or belief on its own merits.
Obfuscation, intentional vagueness, confusion: Generalities are deliberately vag
ue so that the audience may supply its own interpretations. The intention is to
move the audience by use of undefined phrases, without analyzing their validity
or attempting to determine their reasonableness or application. The intent is to
cause people to draw their own interpretations rather than simply being present
ed with an explicit idea. In trying to "figure out" the propaganda, the audience
forgoes judgment of the ideas presented. Their validity, reasonableness and app
lication may still be considered.
Reductio ad Hitlerum: This technique is used to persuade a target audience to di
sapprove of an action or idea by suggesting that the idea is popular with groups
hated, feared, or held in contempt by the target audience. Thus if a group that
supports a certain policy is led to believe that undesirable, subversive, or co
ntemptible people support the same policy, then the members of the group may dec
ide to change their original position. This is a form of bad logic, where a is s
aid to include X, and b is said to include X, therefore, a = b.
Operant conditioning: Operant conditioning involves learning through imitation.
For example, watching an appealing person buy products or endorse positions teac
hes a person to buy the product or endorse the position. Operant conditioning is
the underlying principle behind the Ad Nauseam, Slogan and other repetition pub
lic relations campaigns.
Oversimplification: Favorable generalities are used to provide simple answers to
complex social, political, economic, or military problems.
Quotes out of context: Selectively editing quotes to change meaningspolitical doc
umentaries designed to discredit an opponent or an opposing political viewpoint
often make use of this technique.
Rationalization (making excuses) Individuals or groups may use favorable general
ities to rationalize questionable acts or beliefs. Vague and pleasant phrases ar
e often used to justify such actions or beliefs.
Red herring: Presenting data or issues that, while compelling, are irrelevant to
the argument at hand, and then claiming that it validates the argument.
Repetition: This is the repeating of a certain symbol or slogan so that the audi
ence remembers it. This could be in the form of a jingle or an image placed on n
early everything in the picture/scene.
Scapegoating: Assigning blame to an individual or group, thus alleviating feelin
gs of guilt from responsible parties and/or distracting attention from the need
to fix the problem for which blame is being assigned.
Slogans: A slogan is a brief, striking phrase that may include labeling and ster
eotyping. Although slogans may be enlisted to support reasoned ideas, in practic
e they tend to act only as emotional appeals. Opponents of the US's invasion and
occupation of Iraq use the slogan "blood for oil" to suggest that the invasion
and its human losses was done to access Iraq's oil riches. On the other hand, su
pporters who argue that the US should continue to fight in Iraq use the slogan "
cut and run" to suggest withdrawal is cowardly or weak.
Stereotyping: This technique attempts to arouse prejudices in an audience by lab
eling the object of the propaganda campaign as something the target audience fea
rs, hates, loathes, or finds undesirable. For instance, reporting on a foreign c
ountry or social group may focus on the stereotypical traits that the reader exp
ects, even though they are far from being representative of the whole country or
group; such reporting often focuses on the anecdotal. In graphic propaganda, in
cluding war posters, this might include portraying enemies with stereotyped raci
al features.
Straw man: A straw man argument is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentatio
n of an opponent's position. To "attack a straw man" is to create the illusion o
f having refuted a proposition by substituting a superficially similar propositi
on (the "straw man"), and refuting it, without ever having actually refuted the
original position.
Testimonial: Testimonials are quotations, in or out of context, especially cited
to support or reject a given policy, action, program, or personality. The reput
ation or the role (expert, respected public figure, etc.) of the individual givi
ng the statement is exploited. The testimonial places the official sanction of a
respected person or authority on a propaganda message. This is done in an effor
t to cause the target audience to identify itself with the authority or to accep
t the authority's opinions and beliefs as its own.
Third party technique: Works on the principle that people are more willing to ac
cept an argument from a seemingly independent source of information than from so
meone with a stake in the outcome. It is a marketing strategy commonly employed
by Public Relations (PR) firms, that involves placing a premeditated message in
the "mouth of the media." Third party technique can take many forms, ranging fro
m the hiring of journalists to report the organization in a favorable light, to
using scientists within the organization to present their perhaps prejudicial fi
ndings to the public. Frequently astroturf groups or front groups are used to de
liver the message.Foreign governments, particularly those that own marketable co
mmercial products or services, often promote their interests and positions throu
gh the advertising of those goods because the target audience is not only largel
y unaware of the forum as vehicle for foreign messaging but also willing to rece
ive the message while in a mental state of absorbing information from advertisem
ents during television commercial breaks, while reading a periodical, or while p
assing by billboards in public spaces. A prime example of this messaging techniq
ue is advertising campaigns to promote international travel. While advertising f
oreign destinations and services may stem from the typical goal of increasing re
venue by drawing more tourism, some travel campaigns carry the additional or alt
ernative intended purpose of promoting good sentiments or improving existing one
s among the target audience towards a given nation or region. It is common for a
dvertising promoting foreign countries to be produced and distributed by the tou
rism ministries of those countries, so these ads often carry political statement
s and/or depictions of the foreign government's desired international public per
ception. Additionally, a wide range of foreign airlines and travel-related servi
ces which advertise separately from the destinations, themselves, are owned by t
heir respective governments; examples include, though are not limited to, the Em
irates airline (Dubai), Singapore Airlines (Singapore),Qatar Airways (Qatar), Ch
ina Airlines (Taiwan/Republic of China), and Air China(People's Republic of Chin
a). By depicting their destinations, airlines, and other services in a favorable
and pleasant light, countries market themselves to populations abroad in a mann
er that could mitigate prior public impressions.
Thought-terminating clich A commonly used phrase, sometimes passing as folk wisdo
m, used to quell cognitive dissonance.
Transfer, Also known as association, this is a technique that involves projectin
g the positive or negative qualities of one person, entity, object, or value ont
o another to make the second more acceptable or to discredit it. It evokes an em
otional response, which stimulates the target to identify with recognized author
ities. Often highly visual, this technique often utilizes symbols (e.g.swastikas
) superimposed over other visual images (e.g. logos). These symbols may be used
in place of words.
Selective truth: Richard Crossman, the British Deputy Director of Psychological
Warfare Division (PWD) for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (
SHAEF) during the Second World War said "In propaganda truth pays... It is a com
plete delusion to think of the brilliant propagandist as being a professional li
ar. The brilliant propagandist is the man who tells the truth, or that selection
of the truth which is requisite for his purpose, and tells it in such a way tha
t the recipient does not think he is receiving any propaganda... [...] The art o
f propaganda is not telling lies, but rather selecting the truth you require and
giving it mixed up with some truths the audience wants to hear."
Unstated assumption: This technique is used when the idea the propagandist wants
to plant would seem less credible if explicitly stated. The concept is instead
repeatedly assumed or implied.
Virtue words: These are words in the value system of the target audience that pr
oduce a positive image when attached to a person or issue. Peace, happiness, sec
urity, wise leadership, freedom, "The Truth", etc. are virtue words. Many see re
ligiosity as a virtue, making associations to this quality effectively beneficia
l. Their use is considered of the Transfer propaganda technique.
The official propagandists often use a one phrase insult to discredit reams of s
cientific data because they know that is what most brainwashed people will under
stand and remember.
Used alongside propaganda in order to effect behavior control, and shape beliefs
and opinions (which is uniquely necessary in a democracy) are classical conditi
oning (rewarding the desired behavior and puinishing undesirable behavior),opera
nt conditioning(video games and violence in movies) and modeling (as when people
in positions of authority mock ideas that they wish to discredit).
"In March, 1915, the J.P. Morgan interests, the steel, shipbuilding, and powder
interests, and their subsidiary organizations, got together 12 men high up in th
e newspaper world and employed them to select the most influential newspapers in
the United States and sufficient number of them to control generally the policy
of the daily press of the United States.
These 12 men worked the problem out by selecting 179 newspapers, and then began,
by an elimination process, to retain only those necessary for the purpose of co
ntrolling the general policy of the daily press throughout the country. They fou
nd it was only necessary to purchase the control of 25 of the greatest papers. T
he 25 papers were agreed upon; emissaries were sent to purchase the policy, nati
onal and international, of these papers; an agreement was reached; the policy of
the papers was bought, to be paid for by the month; an editor was furnished for
each paper to properly supervise and edit information regarding the questions o
f preparedness, militarism, financial policies, and other things of national and
international nature considered vital to the interest of the purchasers.
This contract is in existence at the present time, and it accounts for the news
columns of the daily press of the country."
--Congressional Record of 1917, page 2949.