Propaganda Prisons

Breaking The Bars

Tom Rizzi

• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781638143499
• Topic: Política y relaciones internacionales
• Subtopic: Política

This book discusses the identification, spread, and countermeasures for propaganda presented through technology and in many other aspects of our daily lives.

Social media makes it easy for individuals to create or disseminate propaganda. Media platforms do not encourage independent judgment. They do not present a variety of viewpoints that allow the viewer to investigate all perspectives. Instead, the propagandist, through various methods, uses facts and information selectively, transmitting only those ideas that help accomplish their goal.

Our country is in a crisis with respect to democracy and social change. Much of the information we receive through technology, media, educational institutions, and advertising is presented in such a way as to steer our thought processes in a direction that limits free thinking, alternate perspectives, and factual conclusions. Violence and propaganda are slowly becoming an integrated phenomenon and is being magnified by the use of technology. People are no longer using their minds to fight back. We are in danger of transforming our nation through a deception of acceptance.

Is this behavior an indication of the direction our society is moving toward with respect to the communication of information? This book was inspired by a belief that media and technology have lost their way in the reporting of factual news. Information is now disseminated with a healthy dose of opinion. The ability to distinguish news from opinion and propaganda becomes particularly important when the audience becomes immersed in social, cultural, or political causes.

Propaganda Impact and Influence

Propaganda is a part of our culture, and it will remain incessant. It is believed to have its origin in Europe with the work of Catholic missionaries under the leadership of Pope Gregory XV in 1622. Although the term “propaganda” may have a date of birth, the concept of propaganda cannot. It is not a creation. It is a constant. It is like evil—you can never destroy what was never created. It will always be present. The human race has always been involved in trying to alter or create attitudes and opinions. Propaganda was in existence long before it was given a name and was given a negative connotation. It was looked upon as being self-centered, subversive, and dishonest. The techniques used in propaganda have become very sophisticated and are used in the sale of products and services that we are all told are a must and a necessity. In the world of advertising, the concept of propaganda has a more neutral and positive acceptance. After all, it’s part of doing business.

One thing for certain, it will always be with us because it has always been with us. It impacts every area of a culture, and the effects are sometimes enormous. We can grasp the concept better when viewed through the lens of the different aspects of our society. We talked in some detail about its use in politics, ideology, media, artificial intelligence (AI), and advertising. But, as mentioned, its influence permeates all aspects of society. A breakdown of just how propaganda wields its influence in various areas of both society and culture will be briefly reviewed. There is evidence pointing to the conclusion that something in our culture and society is going radically and unexpectedly awry. Much of today’s conversation presents America’s future as falling from a state of democratic grace, and propaganda is one of the main catalysts.

Attempting to control thought is as old as human history from the story of the serpent telling Eve that eating the forbidden fruit would give her godlike power and knowledge. The battle to control the mind is very old, indeed. Wherever differences exist, propaganda exists as well, all for the purpose of both shaping and controlling human opinion. Any systematic widespread circulation or advancement of particular ideas, doctrines, or ideologies to support a cause or to destroy an opposing one through deception or distortion is the essence of propaganda. It may take many different forms, including speeches; books; films; and visual or artistic venues such as posters, paintings, sculptures, or public monuments.

Its sway can be found in, among other areas, theater, music, art, movies, religion, education, finance, health, fashion, the legal system, race, immigration, freedom, history, war/peace, lotteries, the war on drugs, science, love/hate, journalism, and most recently COVID-19.

Theater

With theater, the social, ideological, and political point of view of most playwrights wind up in their work. Most, by an overwhelming majority, are focused within the liberal spectrum. They basically are a venue to explain to us and reinforce what we want to hear about one liberal view or another. A play that seeks to persuade an audience to take a specific point of view on a subject, whether it be political or cultural, is no longer a play but falls into the category of being a manifesto. The purpose of theater is to creatively portray a world but oftentimes becomes obsessed with portraying a point of view as well. It often depicts life as it is and at the same time suggests life as it should be according to the author. For example, in many plays, there is a strong sentiment against capitalism. There is a covert, if not overt, element of moral pressure. The full complexity of a problem or issue that is the main topic is often simplified and painted with the brush of persuasion. The purpose is to make their personal point of view known even if it means taking liberty with how a story is presented. It is as if the playwright has an already preconceived notion of how an audience will think, and their work takes for granted their concurrence. Disagreement with the playwright is not only considered wrong but an indication that you are the type of person who just doesn’t get it and should be excommunicated from the genre. The principal goal is to persuade the audience to accept a cause and that the progressiveness of the playwright and their view of the world is all there is. All this is accomplished through a reductionism of truth and presenting only that information that reinforces a progressive principle.

There is beginning to emerge a group of artists who have grown unaccepting of plays fostering political correctness and actually poke humor at the concept. They have become cheerleaders against the telling of a story that only shows one side of an issue. The world of theater has always had a liberal ideology. This is truer with theater found in large city areas such as New York. The focus is usually on a social or cultural issue, and you leave the theater clearly being educated on the only way to think about the subject. The liberal viewpoints on such issues as immigration, sanctuary cities, and open borders are not subtly presented. The perspective being fostered explodes on the stage. One has to look far and wide to find a play with an unbiased agenda. It seems that they are being created to change or challenge one’s thought process or point of view. The lives and actions of our forefathers are being examined and criticized using the contemporary standards of today with disregard for the standards that were actually in place and very much accepted in the time frame examined.

Plays that have a conservative perspective are conspicuously missing. Artistic directors of regional theaters and playwriting programs throughout the country are one sided in choosing playwriting themes. If you are looking to find a play that has a conservative slant or, for that matter, a middle-of-the-spectrum approach, you will, more often than not, be very unsuccessful. You really cannot discuss the history of our country and those involved in shaping it without including a discussion of conservative social and political movements. Doing so distorts reality. Part of the problem may lie in the fact that plays with conservative or right of center material is less likely to make it to the theater stage. Such plays exist, but their popularity is lacking. It limits subject matter and point of view to the extent that it excludes half of the audience. Plays that challenge the predominantly broad-based culture are truly lacking. The liberal philosophy is that everything in society is wrong and needs to be addressed and remedied with no acceptance of opposing viewpoints. So one has a pretty good idea of how this affects motivation to even “right” a play with a “right” of center viewpoint. The question remains, Will there ever be more room for both political and social diversity in American theater?

Music

Music has been used throughout the world as a means of delivering a social, political, or cultural message to a targeted audience. It’s the type of message that has the ability to become imbedded in one’s memory and to be easily recognizable. Music messaging is a very powerful tool. It can be put to use as a harbinger of good or can act as a conduit for propaganda or a specific ideological viewpoint. It flows through the mind as a leisure activity without any obvious threat or conspicuous agenda, but it is sometimes used to send a political or social message. It can influence our emotions as well as alter the way we view a political or social concern. It is by no means a catalyst for critical thinking but rather for emotional thinking. The music we choose to listen to can affect how we feel about an issue. Therefore, music can be an attractive venue for the dispersal of propaganda. Songs and concerts continue to be used to raise funds and to foster humanitarian aid as a response to a social or catastrophic crisis. Musical concerts continue to be a powerful venue to raise humanitarian awareness and financial support. It speaks to the emotions and can be an effective mobilizer. It can unite people in a common cause.

On the other hand, a protest song is one that is associated with action for social change. One of the common threads uniting protest songs is the opposition to various forms of injustice (human rights, civil rights, gay rights, unpopular wars, and so forth). The purpose is to hold people accountable for their mistakes. There is most always a villain involved whether it be an ideology, a person, or an institutional structure. The object is to point out an injustice or wrongdoing. Music can be extremely influential in the delivery and acceptance of a message. Audiences often find an escape in music, a way to relate to the world around us or simply a form of relaxation. Many view it as a necessity in their lives. Some music contains a message which can be either positive or negative. We all are aware that it can send a message that can actually influence an audience. It does have a capacity to affect how we see ourselves, the world around us, and the culture we are a part of.

We are all aware of the drug epidemic that engulfs our society, and music audiences are sometimes exposed to references and messages promoting the use of drugs. There are some songs that contain references to substances such as methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as references to more common substances such as alcohol and marijuana. Unfortunately, much of this music containing drug references portray a more positive than negative consequence related to substance abuse. As repeatedly established, propaganda is the spreading of information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, which is used to promote or reinforce a particular point of view. In this case, the point of view is that taking drugs is a really “cool thing.” Therefore, we can say that substance abuse propaganda is used to extoll the virtues of taking drugs regardless of the harmful effects on impressionable young adults and teenagers. But most music is extremely influential, enjoyable, and comforting, and has become an important part of teen activity. During this crucial stage of personality and attitude development, it can play a big role as a determining influence.

Women are fighting for the right not to be looked upon as subservient to men. Music portraying women as subordinate and promiscuous, capitalizing upon for their looks and their bodies, is not constructive. Musical lyrics and videos that promote young women and girls to meet male expectations instead of their own sense of worth and well-being are detrimental, and impressionable young minds can be easily influenced by these messages. In videos, women are seen in provocative clothing involved in a choreography that centers on acting and dancing in a suggestive manner, all of which is directed at impressing and satisfying men. As an added consequence, a negative stereotype of men is promoted as well. They are viewed as lacking in morals, disrespectful, and callous to women and are only motivated by sex as to the main reason for interaction. At this critical time in their lives, women should view themselves with respect and communicate to others a strong sense of self-confidence as they strive to become recognized as an equal, integral, and valuable part of society. Heavy metal band music has often been given a bad rap throughout the years because of their use of dark imagery. It has been blamed for increased violence, crime, and suicide. It is often described as satanic, evil, and a promoter of debauchery. But there is no verifiable evidence to support this. And there is a flip side as well. Heavy metal bands also write songs that range from fighting drug addiction to dealing with physical abuse or personal loss. Although most people think it is the personification of anger, there are some heavy metal lyrics focusing on love and dealing with pain and sorrow. The message in many of the lyrics is to relay to the audience that nobody is perfect and even if you are going through a difficult time you will get through it. At many heavy metal concerts, the artists will often tell their fans how important they are and that they can get through any of the negativity they experience in life.

The first thing that comes to mind when mentioning rap and hip-hop music, if you are not a devotee, is a negative connotation. It has developed into a prolific form of communicating feeling. Hip and rap promote violence, drugs, murder, and other nefarious activities. Again, the music cannot all be lumped into one basket. Many of the songs have positive messages and purpose as well. It has increased the awareness of issues that many of those living in inner cities face. It has promoted both social and political awareness among young people. Individuality, the importance of education, and believing in yourself are some of the more positive themes. Hip-hop’s primary purpose is to express the artist’s feelings through the telling of a story or describing a situation. To be sure, there is some positive messaging, but it is far and few in between and has a more difficult time of gaining recognition since they are less recognized by the recording labels. For a recording company, there is more popularity and financial reward promoting a negative lyric than a positive one. For this reason, most artists are magnetized to negative message lyrics than positive ones. The positive side of both hip-hop and rap has to gain more exposure.

America can be considered the birth mother of country music. It is often associated with the red, white, and blue. Songs involve patriotism, country pride, freedom, women’s rights among others, and the breaking of hearts as well as the opening of hearts. It has the ability to stir both sentiment and emotion with respect to an intended message. The allure of gospel music is rooted in a deep spiritual belief that Christianity can provide a fundamental message through music. It was a way to answer the counterculture of other forms of music where irreconcilable differences were felt to exist. The desire to listen to music is part of human nature. It provides its own personal perspective on culture and an interpretation of what is happening around us. It is the universal language that is used to deliver a message and point of view.

Art

Art is looked upon as visual creativity. It shares with social media the common purpose of sharing information, ideas, and viewpoints. They are both venues that allow people to communicate emotion, feelings, passions, and reactions. They both have the ability to reach large audiences and can influence both thinking and perception. There is a link between both propaganda and art. For example, during World War 1 and World War 2, art was used as a motivating force to unite our national war sentiment. Conversely, it has been used to depict the horror and misery of war. Works of art have been created that vividly depict the destruction war causes in the lives of those innocently caught in its grip.

There are art movements that feel art should remain a pure construct, that it should be totally separated from an ideology and should be based solely on the inner emotion of the artist. The art should come from the aesthetic outlook of the artist, from within him or herself. It should not encompass an external political or social ideology or reference point. As an example, one need not look further than the art of abstract expressionists such as Jackson Pollock. And even in this instance, freedom from a message or ideology is not completely escapable. His art was looked upon as a response to the rigid, pragmatic, and structured socialist art coming from Russia (Soviet Union) and other countries. To some extent, art cannot exist outside a social or political framework, and attempting to completely separate art from propaganda is futile. It is the eye of the beholder that connects the dots. As long as someone can have a thought about a piece of artwork, a connection can be formed to analyze it through a personal belief structure. Art perception is always discerned by the minds of viewers who bring to it their ideologies; prejudices; and political, cultural, and religious beliefs.

Protest art is a means to arouse the emotional buy-in of audiences and to create a visual representation to be used as a persuasion device. Such art finds a nich...

Table of contents

• Introduction
• A Narrowly Focused View
• Empathy and Perspective Taking
• Empathy through Questioning
• Ideology, Deception, and Moral Persuasion
• Reporting News or an Agenda
• Free Speech and Propaganda
• Propaganda and Emotion
• Shadow Government, Disinformation, Misinformation
• Advertising
• Algorithms and Memes
• Who’s at the Helm?
• Election Impact
• Truth versus Alternative Truths
• Misinformation and Alternate Viewpoints
• Culture, Propaganda, and Fact Bubbles
• Diversity, Conformity, Purpose, Organization
• Information Assimilation
• Capitalism and Democracy
• Ideology and the Media
• Campus Bias and Partisanship
• Issues: Second Amendment, National Debt, Censorship
• Propaganda Prisons
• Politics, Media, Democracy
• Delivering the Message
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• One-Sided Approaches
• Propaganda Impact and Influence