Rhetoric, Spin, Propaganda and Lies
Rhetoric. Propaganda, Spin and Lies… we are surrounded by it. In the streets, on the billboards and bulletin boards, in the pubs, on your cell, almost everywhere you go there is rhetoric.
Taken from Wikipedia:
Rhetoric (from Greek ῥήτω�, rhêtôr, orator, teacher) is the art or technique of persuasion, usually through the use of language. Rhetoric is one of the three original liberal arts or trivium (the other members are dialectic and grammar) in Western culture. In ancient and medieval times, grammar concerned itself with correct, accurate, pleasing, and effective language use through the study and criticism of literary models, dialectic concerned itself with the testing and invention of new knowledge through a process of question and answer, and rhetoric concerned itself with persuasion in public and political settings such as assemblies and courts of law. As such, rhetoric is said to flourish in open and democratic societies with rights of free speech, free assembly, and political enfranchisement for some portion of the population.
~Where does rhetoric become lies and lies become rhetoric?~
So then we hear the coin “spin” termed in this city, over and over again.
Taken from Wikipedia:
Spin, One of the earliest definitions of PR was coined by Edward Bernays. According to him, “Public Relations is a management function which tabulates public attitudes, defines the policies, procedures and interest of an organization followed by executing a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance. “
According to two American PR professionals Scott M. Cutlips and Allen H. Center, “PR is a planned effort to influence opinion through good character and responsible performance based upon mutual satisfactory two-way communication”.
~Not exactly the kind of “spin” we have seen here… which brings us to…~
Propaganda:
Propaganda is a type of message aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of people. Instead of impartially providing information, propaganda is often deliberately misleading, using logical fallacies, that, while sometimes convincing, are not necessarily valid. Propaganda techniques include: patriotic flag-waving, appealing, glittering generalities, intentional vagueness, oversimplification of complex issues, rationalization, introducing unrelated red herring issues, using appealing, simple slogans, stereotyping, testimonials from authority figures or celebrities, unstated assumptions, and encouraging readers or viewers to “jump on the bandwagon” of a particular point of view. Propaganda was often used to appeal influence opinion and beliefs on religious issues, particularly during the split between the Catholic Church and the Reformers. Propaganda has become more common in political contexts, in particular to refer to certain efforts sponsored by governments, political groups, but also often covert interests. In the early 20th century the term propaganda was also used by the founders of the nascent public relations industry to describe their activities. This usage died out around the time of World War II, as the industry started to avoid the word, given the pejorative connotation it had acquired.
This redefinition arose because both the Soviet Union and Germany’s government under Hitler admitted explicitly to using propaganda favoring, respectively, communism and fascism, in all forms of public expression. As these ideologies were antipathetic to English-language and other western societies, the negative feelings toward them came to be projected istarted to avoid the word, given the pejorative connotation it had acquired.
At the left, right, or mainstream, propaganda knows no borders; as is detailed by Roderick Hindery. Hindery further argues that debates about most social issues can be productively revisited in the context of asking “what is or is not propaganda?” Not to be overlooked is the link between propaganda, indoctrination, and terrorism/counterterrorism. Mere threats to destroy are often as socially disruptive as physical devastation itself.
~So you can believe what is rumoured,…or you can believe what you see… or you can believe the nazis cough.~
Fools are fooled again and again and they resent those not fooled, yet are amazed by their success. How long do you wallow in the sea of misinformation until you see?
“All hail the Nazis of “spin” and the fools that keep fallin for it.
Comments
ophelia
makes the sign of the Holy Trinity..mutters booyah and meanders off to take a nap in the hay
ophelia Lokason af Gyllenstierna NiF’s Eternally Yggdrasil
Editor
oi vay
Seyda
well…JC WAS Jewish….shrug
ophelia
rocks back and forth and waits for The Water to Wine bit with her cup all ready