Propaganda and Psychological Warfare, a classic written by Terence Qualter in the 1960s, defines propaganda as the deliberate attempt by some individual or group to form, control, or alter the attitudes of other groups by the use of instruments of communication, with the intention that in any given situation the reaction of those influenced will be that desired by the propagandist.  

(The late French philosopher Jaques Ellul claimed (in Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s Attitudes):“Propaganda by its very nature is an enterprise for perverting the significance of events and of insinuating false intentions… First of all, the propagandist must insist on the purity of his own intentions and at the same time, hurl accusations at the enemy. But the accusation is never made haphazardly or groundlessly. The propagandist will never accuse the enemy of just any misdeed; he will accuse him of the very intention that he himself has and of trying to commit the very crime that he himself is about to commit.”

When focussing on the manipulative aspects of that kind of communication it is easy to overlook that propaganda need not be used for nefarious purposes only. Admittedly bad intentions seem to be the regular mode. But it can be used for the greater good as well – a case in point is the link below, a propaganda film made in the late 40s in this country.  I chose it, of course, in light of the despicable events from last week, as evidence that we, as a society, are seemingly moving backwards rather than forwards. I wish Fox News or whatever other channel you-know-who watches would show this clip.

Not that I think it would make much of a difference. Charlottesville is the tip of the iceberg, and the tragedy on Saturday is not just about the violent and murderous actions of some heinous fringe element, or even the tacit support they receive from the highest places in government.

The tragedy is the underlying complicity of so many millions of voters and hundreds in Congress not regarding the violence but regarding the general goal of returning to a predominantly White, Christian and preferably male dominance in this nation. White supremacy is not just about yelling Nazi slogans in the street. It is about the belief that Blacks and their culture, deep down, are not equal to Whites. It is about the belief that voter registration laws, mass incarceration, private prisons, housing and school segregation and so on are desirable political tools to separate the races, elevating one over the other. These days I think of American racism as a field of lava bubbling over a widespread area underground, with the occasional outburst through a hole around the hotspots of the alt-right. Everyone decries the explosions, but is in fact part of that lava field that steadily increases the heat.

Here is commentary from a young woman who defines some of the complicity; I admire her insight and outspokenness.

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/jia-tolentino/charlottesville-and-the-effort-to-downplay-racism-in-america

 

Racism kills

Returning to propaganda, though, my point is that clever communication has enormous consequences, from war movies to advertisement. Governments use propaganda, movements use it, individuals use it, and being aware of our constant exposure to it matters, both to protect oneself from undue influence or to realize that one has to stretch beyond advantageous beliefs and stereotypes. I’ll stop before I sound like a propagandist myself.

The problem is called racism – to remember means to fight!