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Propaganda is Overrated

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posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 04:23 PM
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Propaganda is overrated


1).

We are under a constant barrage of propaganda. Whether it comes in the form of art, advertisement, film, politics, news, public relations, propaganda is ubiquitous wherever there are words, sounds and imagery.

But with authoritarian entities such as the European Union, Russia and China cracking down on “illegal content”, “fake news”, “hate speech” and other crimes of expression, it’s high time we understand if we really need protection from these types of propaganda, or if our leaders are disguising their authoritarian impulses beneath a façade of scaremongering.

Taking the common conception that propaganda has a manipulative effect on human beings, and considering the sheer volume of it out there nowadays, one might expect that we’d all be routinely marching to the strum of someone else’s instrument. According to the authoritarians, for instance, propaganda such as “hate speech” or extremist rhetoric will ultimately lead the recipient to hatred.

But that isn’t the case. At least in liberal democracies, hate speech routinely incites the opposite response: hatred towards the hate speech and the marginalization of the one who spoke it. Even speech not intended to be hateful, but as a joke, can lead one to lose her job.

This is true even in America, where hate speech and extremism are still protected by her constitution. There, hate speech and extremism aren’t criminalized, but neither are they taken seriously. Their hateful propaganda, though legal, rarely reaches anyone outside their own circles and they are mostly ignored in the public square, except for whenever the media trots them out during election time.

On the other hand, wherever hate speech, extremism, holocaust denial and the like are criminalized, the work is taken seriously, so seriously in fact that the speaker can be jailed, gets to claim martyrdom in the press, and their works are given undue publicity because of it (See Chomsky on this topic in the video below). No one would have heard of David Irving or Robert Faurisson had their works not been criminalized. Furthermore, we are denied the opportunity of seeing their works made foolish by reasonable debate and refutation.



2).

People can and do think for themselves. Nobody, no thing, and especially no propaganda, can do the thinking for us. The problem isn’t the information we come across or the intention behind it, but what we do as a society when we come across it.

Do we censor it, hide it away, and criminalize those who believe in it? Do we make it illegal? Or do we win the argument, and in the process allow truth, not force, to dictate its influence?

Propaganda is overrated. The demonization and censorship of propaganda is far more dangerous than propaganda itself, simply because one man's propaganda is another man's argument. It isn’t effective marketing, public relations, or state warmongering that influence us, but our own cognitive distortions and lack of critical thinking that leave us susceptible to believing everything we read.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 04:31 PM
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a reply to: Aphorism

I like to think the good will most likely prevail with most propaganda. I just get sick of some of it sometimes.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 04:34 PM
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originally posted by: watchandwait410
a reply to: Aphorism

I like to think the good will most likely prevail with most propaganda. I just get sick of some of it sometimes.



Luckily we can just ignore it.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 04:38 PM
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a reply to: Aphorism

Ignoring it is a hassle and it is a pain in the ass, especially if you think it is common sense.

Everyone has their own opinion but at what point does it become hostile to a persons well being?

We have freedom of speech so it is better to have that then none.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 04:45 PM
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originally posted by: watchandwait410
a reply to: Aphorism

Ignoring it is a hassle and it is a pain in the ass, especially if you think it is common sense.

Everyone has their own opinion but at what point does it become hostile to a persons well being?

We have freedom of speech so it is better to have that then none.



It doesn't become hostile to a person's well being.

Liberty is a hassle and a pain in the ass. But if liberty is important to us, we should acquire the skills to navigate it better instead ruining it.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 05:41 PM
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This censorship push is because the traditional sources of propaganda don't like the fact thier whole 10 or 100 million dollar campaign (on whatever) can get punctured by one guy with a really great meme. They don't like tools of mass influence uncontrolled in the hands of the public.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 06:18 PM
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Propaganda (noun): The science of mass persuasion and / or diversion.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 09:12 PM
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a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

propaganda

NOUN

1mass noun Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
‘he was charged with distributing enemy propaganda’




And this period of ten years or so in which literature, even poetry, was mixed up with pamphleteering, did a great service to literary criticism, because it destroyed the illusion of pure aestheticism. It reminded us that propaganda in some form or other lurks in every book, that every work of art has a meaning and a purpose — a political, social and religious purpose — that our aesthetic judgements are always coloured by our prejudices and beliefs. It debunked art for art's sake. But is also led for the time being into a blind alley, because it caused countless young writers to try to tie their minds to a political discipline which, if they had stuck to it, would have made mental honesty impossible.


George Orwell, The Frontiers of Art and Propaganda



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 09:14 PM
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originally posted by: justwokeup
This censorship push is because the traditional sources of propaganda don't like the fact thier whole 10 or 100 million dollar campaign (on whatever) can get punctured by one guy with a really great meme. They don't like tools of mass influence uncontrolled in the hands of the public.



That’s a very valid look at the whole mess. Much of it might be a struggle of power and economics between the traditional outlets of propaganda and the man in the street. For a time they had the monopoly on influence.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 09:39 PM
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a reply to: Aphorism

Haha, you just try to ignore it, the best of us modern Hu-Man are just meat storage for propaganda.

Edit- i think our programming is a form of propaganda, just to clarify my insomniac reply.
edit on 19-9-2018 by solve because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 10:03 PM
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a reply to: Aphorism



Freedom of speech and expression, therefore, may not be recognized as being absolute, and common limitations to freedom of speech relate to libel, slander, obscenity, pornography, sedition, incitement, fighting words, classified information, copyright violation, trade secrets, food labeling, non-disclosure agreements, the right to privacy, the right to be forgotten, public security, and perjury. Justifications for such include the harm principle, proposed by John Stuart Mill in On Liberty, which suggests that: "the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others."

en.wikipedia.org...

Back in the good old days we've had a mutual understanding of honor as well. I'd be fine to let all those liars talk and insult the victims, rendering them mere frauds like it's just another "marginal" thing to say, if I can throw a glove at them and demand a duel afterwards.
People tend to treat others more carefully when you can literally die for your freely uttered speeches.



Do we censor it, hide it away, and criminalize those who believe in it? Do we make it illegal? Or do we win the argument, and in the process allow truth, not force, to dictate its influence?


Serious question: did you ever even try to win an argument with a staunch holocaust denier? Spoiler-alert: you can't! All you can do is mock the crap out of it, your whole thread relies on a silly superstition with no bearing on the hard facts of life.



It isn’t effective marketing, public relations, or state warmongering that influence us, but our own cognitive distortions and lack of critical thinking that leave us susceptible to believing everything we read.


That's kinda revealing. You folks always argue from a rather egocentrical consumer standpoint and disregard any and all empathy for the victims dignity. The lack of critical thinking you mention is marginal compared to the lack of empathy in this society, or in Chomsky for that matter.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 10:12 PM
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a reply to: Aphorism

The only way to defend yourself from the propaganda is to be aware of its existence:




posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 10:18 PM
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originally posted by: Aphorism
Propaganda is overrated. The demonization and censorship of propaganda is far more dangerous than propaganda itself, simply because one man's propaganda is another man's argument. It isn’t effective marketing, public relations, or state warmongering that influence us, but our own cognitive distortions and lack of critical thinking that leave us susceptible to believing everything we read.


I so completely disagree with your statement propaganda is overrated. Scapegoating and other propaganda techniques are the proven to work. Here is a link to Gustave Le Bon's 1896 masterpiece for public manipulation: "The Crowd"

socialsciences.mcmaster.ca...

Voters and populations around the world have been played like musical instruments since Le Bon outline the basic principles.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 11:13 PM
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a reply to: Aphorism

Thats just my personal short definition. I can go on for hundreds of hours of films...

But propaganda = TV commercials, political leaflets, political speeches, print ads, political rallies, demonstrations, the "news", rioting, deflection, derailment, acts of terrorism, etc, etc.

And the entire world as we know it is the product of propaganda. "Dosed to the gills" as they say. Balls to brain. Etc.



posted on Sep, 20 2018 @ 01:26 AM
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a reply to: Aphorism

but our own cognitive distortions and lack of critical thinking that leave us susceptible to believing everything we read.


And that's what life is about. Individual responsibility. And at it's core, individual responsibility is our duty to ourselves and our brethren to search for and mend our own cognitive distortions. If we don't, those distortions can take control of us as we sink deeper and deeper under their spell.



posted on Sep, 20 2018 @ 09:03 AM
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a reply to: Aphorism

You make some good points and I think I understand where you’re coming from, I’m fairly certain advertising has no effect on me for example.

The trouble with propaganda is when it used to manipulate people’s beliefs, persuading them to think or do something they otherwise wouldn’t have.

The good news is there has been so much of it dished out from all sides that people are not as susceptible to it any more. It might not seem so right now but it’s definitely going that way. Any clamping down on this that or the other will just make people sit up and take notice of that which is being suppressed.



posted on Sep, 20 2018 @ 11:21 AM
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Firstly, your avatar is awesome. The lines... colors.. a pleasure to look at.

If we examine how Russian propaganda effected our last election, it becomes clear that it is a problem.
It was a big problem in the 2016 elections, with people buying into it with a seemingly insatiable appetite, which still exists, and which is seen everyday on the internet.

There are people, apparently millions who are unable to discern what is real, from what isn't, and that realization is being taken advantage of, and will only become more advanced now that it is has been established how susceptible to it the American public is.



posted on Sep, 20 2018 @ 11:26 AM
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apes easy guide to wingnut buzz words :

" propoganda " - anything i disagree with

" teh troof " - anything i agree with



posted on Sep, 20 2018 @ 11:49 AM
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a reply to: angeldoll




Firstly, your avatar is awesome. The lines... colors.. a pleasure to look at.

Why thank you, I’ll take that even though it wasn’t directed at me.

What’s actually happening is the MSM doesn’t have all the cards in the propaganda playbook anymore. They realised that when they were shown the trump card.

What happens when your propaganda doesn’t work? Censorship. But in the Information age that won’t work either.

edit on 20-9-2018 by surfer_soul because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 20 2018 @ 01:01 PM
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a reply to: surfer_soul
The trouble with propaganda is when it is used to manipulate people's beliefs, persuading them to think or do something they otherwise wouldn't have.
What a beautiful sentence. That in a nutshell is the world's religious books and actions. And I wish you extremely good luck in trying to convince their adherents that their books are propaganda.




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