Propaganda is to a democracy what the
bludgeon is to a totalitarian state.
-Noam Chomsky
When we think of propaganda, it often conjures images of recruitment posters of the early twentieth century in pre-World War I America.
WWI Poster Propaganda
These classic pieces are emblematic of the first wave of US domestic government propaganda aimed at the American people. Characteristically, the messages are overt and clearly communicate the government’s intended message.
Putting aside the classic “in your face” model, I want to touch on some of the more advanced forms of propaganda that are pervasive throughout western society. I’ll be exploring the idea of advanced propaganda in more depth in upcoming posts but today I’d like to revisit a slice of Noam Chomsky’s dissection of media manipulation from the 1980s, which is still very much relevant today as it was then.
The Propaganda Model
Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman each contributed greatly to our understanding of media manipulation leading to what we know today as the propaganda model.
The general principle is that power is concentrated in relatively few un-elected individuals and corporations, and that this leads to selectivity, filtering and sanitization of news stories such that what reaches the general public is only that which supports the purpose of those few stakeholders, who typically seek to maximize personal power and corporate profit.
Al Jazeera English - YouTube Channel
Propaganda is intentionally-designed communication that invites us to respond emotionally, immediately, and in a either-or manner.
-Neil Postman
Propaganda's Success
At a time of increasing media manipulation and censorship it’s well worth reading.
You may feel confident that you know all there is to know about manufacturing consent and media manipulation but I find it well worth a second look.
You can view the free PDF here
The Bewildered Herd
The Bewildered Herd as an expression that captures the essence of what we are collectively experiencing throughout western society today.
Whether it’s a mass shooting at a country western festival or at a Florida high school, we lurch from one crisis to another, barely comprehending the senseless violence we witness on our screens and the loss of life in the grim headlines. These events are so common, so normalized now that we can predict some of the details within seconds of hearing the news.
Lone gunman, mentally disturbed male, loner, psychotropic drugs, antidepressants, AR-15, handgun, multiple victims, school, prayers, vigils, gun control, 2nd amendment, don’t politicize the tragedy, fear, confusion, how did this happen?, we’ll never know why, etc.
Of course, there are other descriptors but the point is these events are all too predictable. We know another is coming, there’s nothing we can do, it’s just a part of American life now.
Reading Media Control again, I noted a few interesting passages that I’d like to reiterate in the current context and how controlling the masses is achieved through propaganda.
Excerpt 1
In what is nowadays called a totalitarian state, or a military state, it's easy. You just hold a bludgeon over their heads, and if they get out of line you smash them over the head. But as society has become more free and democratic, you lose that capacity. Therefore you have to turn to the techniques of propaganda. The logic is clear. Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state.
Clearly, propaganda is the weapon of choice for western democracies as the use of force would break the illusions we so dearly cling to.
Excerpt 2
(Referring to the 1920s & 30s)
The other problem was that it was becoming possible for people to organize. People have to be atomized and segregated and alone. They're not supposed to organize, because then they might be something beyond spectators of action. They might actually be participants if many people with limited resources could get together to enter the political arena.
Unsurprisingly, we find the timeless concept of divide and conquer as the desired outcome of just about every piece of propaganda. It really is a particularly nefarious aspect of contemporary western propaganda having the goal of dividing and reducing citizens to being passive spectators in current events as a central tenet. We can have all the 'freedom' and 'democracy' we like just as long as we never organize ourselves in any effective way.
Excerpt 3
They were called "scientific methods of strike-breaking," and worked very effectively by mobilizing community opinion in favor of vapid, empty concepts like Americanism. Who can be against that? Or harmony. Who can be against that? Or, as in the Persian Gulf War, "Support our troops." Who can be against that? Or yellow ribbons. Who can be against that? Anything that's totally vacuous.
American society is full of mindless entertainment designed to distract people from reality. Chris Hedges describes this state as “electric-hallucinations”, part of a constructed alternative reality where American society as a whole prefers to remain inside of this illusory fantasy.
Excerpt 4
The bewildered herd is a problem. We've got to prevent their roar and trampling. We've got to distract them. They should be watching the Superbowl or sitcoms or violent movies. Every once in a while you call on them to chant meaningless slogans like "Support our troops." You've got to keep them pretty scared, because unless they're properly scared and frightened of all kinds of devils that are going to destroy them from outside or inside or somewhere, they may start to think, which is very dangerous, because they're not competent to think. Therefore, it's important to distract them and marginalize them.
Could mass shootings be a distraction from other important issues, created to draw the public’s attention towards sensational violence and away from other important issues?
I know this is a sickening thought, but the US government's incessant interference and indiscriminate bombing of Arab countries throughout the Middle East does not exactly give confidence that democracies respect the sanctity of human life more than anyone else.
Since the Las Vegas massacre I’ve given this idea considerable thought. As I’ve said before, the predictable outcome of any mass shooting is that it rekindles the gun control debate. This is a highly divisive issue in America and it provokes extremely emotional responses from both sides.
One of the main purposes of propaganda is to activate strong emotions in the general public. The masses can be steered towards desired goals by sophisticated emotional manipulation. In the case of mass shootings, it acts a sort of cultural RESET, realigning civilians along opposing ideological positions.
Divisions among people intensify as individuals revert back to their default positions and political affiliations. Each fresh mass shooting helps to insure that American society remains bitterly divided.
Excerpt 5
The media are a corporate monopoly. They have the same point of view. The two parties are two factions of the business party. Most of the population doesn't even bother voting because it looks meaningless. They're marginalized and properly distracted. At least that's the goal. The leading figure in the public relations industry, Edward Bernays, actually came out of the Creel Commission. He was part of it, learned his lessons there and went on to develop what he called the "engineering of consent," which he described as "the essence of democracy."
The people who are able to engineer consent are the ones who have the resources and the power to do it—the business community—and that's who you work for.
A cursory scan of the media landscape gives us the impression a wide spectrum of views and opinions exist in America. However, though it’s true there’s a wide variety of publications, websites, studios and production companies the reality is that just 6 conglomerates control 90% of all the media in circulation.
This is significant, as these corporate entities are able to dictate what you see, listen to and read. They have the power to shape and mold the information we consume and even how we perceive this information. Ultimately, they are at liberty to frame the public discourse and even provide viewers with ready-made opinions on specific issues.
The population has to be driven back to the apathy, obedience and passivity that is their proper -state.
Excerpt 6
Pick the topic you like: the Middle East, international terrorism, Central America, whatever it is— the picture of the world that's presented to the public has only the remotest relation to reality. The truth of the matter is buried under edifice after edifice of lies upon lies. It's all been a marvelous success from the point of view in deterring the threat of democracy, achieved under conditions of freedom, which is extremely interesting. It's not like a totalitarian state, where it's done by force. These achievements are under conditions of freedom. If we want to understand our own society, we'll have to think about these facts. They are important facts, important for those who care about what kind of society they live in.
Finally, it really is VITAL to understand that the western media we consume is the most advanced propaganda ever devised. The versions of reality that we’re being sold are in large part productions created to direct our thoughts and energy towards areas that do not threaten the status quo and established power structures. Moreover, this propaganda aims at deterring democracy itself.
Distraction is not the full story by any means. The Bewildered Herd is being psychologically traumatized to maximize emotional control over their minds. Fear, anger, frustration, confusion, hope an even sympathy are all shepherded by sophisticated propagandists of the American media Public Relations machine.
Mass shootings occurring in our communities, churches, schools, workplaces and homes creates an ongoing atmosphere of fear. We can never know when or where violence will visit us, so we’re in constant fear. Receiving no answers from law enforcement and government officials about what their investigations uncover leaves the public in disarray and frustration.
I realize that suggesting that mass shootings and the media coverage that ensues being propaganda constructs will not sit well with many but I personally don't feel that this is beyond the pale. We've seen time and time again how these horrific events are repeating constantly throughout the US without any satisfying explanations. The oft repeated arguments of a ploy to ban all guns, proliferation of assault rifles or simply a deranged loner on heavy medication still leaves many of us seeking answers beyond the current framing of the media.
