The conservative propaganda machine

[Gen Stonewall]

There is something radically wrong with you, Jhhnn. Your programming doesn't seem to have taken. Have you ever been tested to see if you can be hypnotized. I suspect you cannot. Anyway, you are definitely an odd ball and must surely realize the danger of that. Watch out that they don't put you away. And don't stray too far from the mother ship.

I have a question regarding propaganda I'd like to ask you. Are not the techniques used to sell product the same as those used to sell ideology, and if, somehow, people generally were able to see what's going on as you seem to, what would happen to sales? Would our economy collapse and create a disaster because people couldn't be manipulated to consume what they really have no need for at all? It often seems to me that one of the major reasons we don't teach people how to spot and inoculate themselves against propaganda despite the tremendous dangers it presents, is because it would also ruin the capacity of advertisers to create a false sense of need with untoward consequence to the capitalist system. Capitalism is all well and good till there becomes a profit to be made in running people off a cliff.

Are you referring to Coca-Cola's attempt to sell their product or to the runaway sexual immorality that appears on nearly every minute of MTV programming?

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Stonewall

Originally posted by: Jhhnn
Attacking Lakoff on the basis of his tenure at Berkeley is an excellent example of just how this propaganda machine works. Don't bother with what he has to say, worry about where he works. Play on existing belief and prejudice, even folklore and urban myth, provide an irrational emotional component to any argument as a way to predispose the audience to take your side.

It's a way to make any question or issue a loaded question, and is often successful at concealing the added psychological component of the message. It is a linguistic artform, often losing its impact when carried to a different language or culture. Koranic verse still overwhelms the intellect of even highly educated speakers of Arabic, but often falls flat in translation. Hitler's speeches rendered an entire generation of Germans into drooling idiots, but was obvious drivel to their French and English neighbors. It's all about cultural and linguistic context, and playing on the underlying irrationality of belief. People have certain prejudices and beliefs, playing on them w/o the subjects realizing it is key to any propaganda campaign.

So we get phraseology designed to obfuscate the underlying intent and simultaneously smear any opposition with an argument not even presented.

"No child left behind"

"Clear skies initiative"

"Healthy forest program"

"Tax relief program"

"Homeland security"

"Patriot Act"

It even extends into the realm of the oxymoronic-

"War on terror"

"Death tax"

What's in a name? In this context, everything. These guys could sell road apples as candy and strychnine as rapture if they could just find the right name for it...

Propaganda also involves exaggeration and broad generalizations.

Oh, like your post in this thread:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=52&threadid=1320934&enterthread=y

 

[LordMagnusKain]

Originally posted by: AntaresVI
I don't see what's wrong with this. If the liberals got on their horse, they could do it too.

and did.

Mites in a cheese organize to eat the cheese. Of course eventually the cheese collapses and the mite civilization dies. The conservative is bout MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME

liberal is about keeping the poor poor.

Originally posted by: Zebo

Originally posted by: Format C:
"Berkeley" ....No further comment necessary.

Ya you need higher than a 2.5 GPA to attend which keeps most conservatives away.

hard to keep a 2.5 when 2 points of your GPA is agreeing with the liberal propiganda in your english class.

Their whole message appeals to vanity vs. collectivism and inclusion

actualy it's self-relyance vs. government dependence.

"No child left behind" "Clear skies initiative" "Healthy forest program" "Tax relief program" "Homeland security" "Patriot Act" "War on terror" "Death tax"

i love that stuff man, more proof big government, no matter who it's from, is a never a good idea.

their revolution is over and has failed

no man, in berkly it's still alive and well.

now:

Why do conservatives appear to be so much better at framing?

Because libies believe in a nanny state that's smarter than the common man's ability to comprehend. Liberalism is predicated on the idea that the elite know better than the many, conservatism is predicated on the idea that each person can succeed if he works hard.

So one natural appeal to the indomitable human spirit, the other to the spirit of laziness in man... I guess American?s just aren?t French enough.

 

[Gen Stonewall]

Oh, like your post in this thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=52&threadid=1320934&enterthread=y

I meant that as sort of a joke; plus it carries a lot of truth, and I wasn't attempting to preach doctrine.