The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Another example of classic propaganda techniques

JimR · May 15, 2000, 05:23 AM

Here's a quote from Rosie:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>But Miss O'Donnell, who appeared on ABC's "This Week," said, "The fact is, most of the guns that are purchased are purchased at gun shows . . . where they don't have the checks they have in stores."
The Washington Times, 5/15/00[/quote]

One, I don't think most guns are purchased at gun stores. But second, I know the checks on purchases at gun shows are the same as at anywhere else.

This "gun show loophole" issue is a classic use of modern propaganda techniques as discussed by Hitler in Mein Kampf and perfected by Hitler and Goebbels in the 30's. The statement is demonstrably false, yet we hear it over and over and over again, hammer, hammer, hammer. I believe this is intentional, and is part of a well-thought-out propaganda campaign that shows a great understanding of these techniques.

Some key quotes from Mein Kampf on this subject:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>All propaganda must be presented in a popular form and must fix its intellectual level so as not to be above the heads of the least intellectual of those to whom it is directed. Thus its purely intellectual level will have to be that of the lowest mental common denominator among the public it is desired to reach. When there is question of bringing a whole nation within the circle of its influence, as happens in the case of war propaganda, then too much attention cannot be paid to the necessity of avoiding a high level, which presupposes a relatively high degree of intelligence among the public.

The receptive powers of the masses are very restricted, and their understanding is feeble. On the other hand, they quickly forget. Such being the case, all effective propaganda must be confined to a few bare essentials and those must be expressed as far as possible in stereotyped formulas. These slogans should be persistently repeated until the very last individual has come to grasp the idea that has been put forward. If this principle be forgotten and if an attempt be made to be abstract and general, the propaganda will turn out ineffective; for the public will not be able to digest or retain what is offered to them in this way. Therefore, the greater the scope of the message that has to be presented, the more necessary it is for the propaganda to discover that plan of action which is psychologically the most efficient.

The great majority of a nation is so feminine in its character and outlook that its thought and conduct are ruled by sentiment rather than by sober reasoning. This sentiment, however, is not complex, but simple and consistent. It is not highly differentiated, but has only the negative and positive notions of love and hatred, right and wrong, truth and falsehood. Its notions are never partly this and partly that. English propaganda especially understood this in a marvellous way and put what they understood into practice. They allowed no half-measures which might have given rise to some doubt.

Hitler, Mein Kampf[/quote]

Again, I maintain that the anti-freedom team is well aware of these maxims, and hammers away on simple, emotional points, even if these points are demonstrably untrue. It doesn't matter if they are untrue, as the masses are not likely to put forth the intellectual effort to discern this, and may not even be able to do so, thanks to 70+ years of state control of the bulk of the educational apparatus.

What does this mean to the pro-freedom team? I believe we must concentrate our efforts on no more than four or five "sound bite" arguments and quit trying to be so intellectual. We need the intellectual arguments available in the background, but we should try to agree on these 4-5 mediagenic points and hammer, hammer, hammer away on them so that the masses get it. This is a large part of the reason why we are where we are, as the anti's "get" this. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to get the independant, intellectual, freedom minded people engaged in the pro-freedom effort to agree on 4-5 points (this is akin to herding cats), but it is crucial we do so.

Only by understanding the enemy can we defeat him. We must use the effective media techniques of the neo-fascists/statists to prevent a repeat of the past.

[This message has been edited by JimR (edited May 15, 2000).]

May 15, 2000, 05:23 AM	#1
JimR Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 1999 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 909	Here's a quote from Rosie: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>But Miss O'Donnell, who appeared on ABC's "This Week," said, "The fact is, most of the guns that are purchased are purchased at gun shows . . . where they don't have the checks they have in stores." The Washington Times, 5/15/00[/quote] One, I don't think most guns are purchased at gun stores. But second, I know the checks on purchases at gun shows are the same as at anywhere else. This "gun show loophole" issue is a classic use of modern propaganda techniques as discussed by Hitler in Mein Kampf and perfected by Hitler and Goebbels in the 30's. The statement is demonstrably false, yet we hear it over and over and over again, hammer, hammer, hammer. I believe this is intentional, and is part of a well-thought-out propaganda campaign that shows a great understanding of these techniques. Some key quotes from Mein Kampf on this subject: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>All propaganda must be presented in a popular form and must fix its intellectual level so as not to be above the heads of the least intellectual of those to whom it is directed. Thus its purely intellectual level will have to be that of the lowest mental common denominator among the public it is desired to reach. When there is question of bringing a whole nation within the circle of its influence, as happens in the case of war propaganda, then too much attention cannot be paid to the necessity of avoiding a high level, which presupposes a relatively high degree of intelligence among the public. The receptive powers of the masses are very restricted, and their understanding is feeble. On the other hand, they quickly forget. Such being the case, all effective propaganda must be confined to a few bare essentials and those must be expressed as far as possible in stereotyped formulas. These slogans should be persistently repeated until the very last individual has come to grasp the idea that has been put forward. If this principle be forgotten and if an attempt be made to be abstract and general, the propaganda will turn out ineffective; for the public will not be able to digest or retain what is offered to them in this way. Therefore, the greater the scope of the message that has to be presented, the more necessary it is for the propaganda to discover that plan of action which is psychologically the most efficient. The great majority of a nation is so feminine in its character and outlook that its thought and conduct are ruled by sentiment rather than by sober reasoning. This sentiment, however, is not complex, but simple and consistent. It is not highly differentiated, but has only the negative and positive notions of love and hatred, right and wrong, truth and falsehood. Its notions are never partly this and partly that. English propaganda especially understood this in a marvellous way and put what they understood into practice. They allowed no half-measures which might have given rise to some doubt. Hitler, Mein Kampf[/quote] Again, I maintain that the anti-freedom team is well aware of these maxims, and hammers away on simple, emotional points, even if these points are demonstrably untrue. It doesn't matter if they are untrue, as the masses are not likely to put forth the intellectual effort to discern this, and may not even be able to do so, thanks to 70+ years of state control of the bulk of the educational apparatus. What does this mean to the pro-freedom team? I believe we must concentrate our efforts on no more than four or five "sound bite" arguments and quit trying to be so intellectual. We need the intellectual arguments available in the background, but we should try to agree on these 4-5 mediagenic points and hammer, hammer, hammer away on them so that the masses get it. This is a large part of the reason why we are where we are, as the anti's "get" this. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to get the independant, intellectual, freedom minded people engaged in the pro-freedom effort to agree on 4-5 points (this is akin to herding cats), but it is crucial we do so. Only by understanding the enemy can we defeat him. We must use the effective media techniques of the neo-fascists/statists to prevent a repeat of the past. [This message has been edited by JimR (edited May 15, 2000).]