For those who really want to understand what is going on in our world, this is another important history lesson. And, like all my other posts dealing with complicated issues, it will require you to spend a little time to get through and absorb the information I will present. However, this post is a little different. If you read much of my writing, you will hear me telling you that Progressives will openly admit to what they believe and why, and will even explain exactly how they intend to go about achieving their goals. All we have to do is listen. It helps to know where to look, but – once we know what to look for – we will find we don’t have to look hard. They are more open about their agenda than we realize. It’s just that, once we know what to look for and where to look, we find it takes a great deal of courage to accept them at their word – because what they believe is not easy for an American to accept. But this time, on this subject, the connections across time and different schools of the same ideology is so clear and so easy to demonstrate that we might be too quick to dismiss them. So, if you will give me a few minutes, I will show you one of the biggest ‘open’ secrets in our society today: the wide-spread and coordinated use of government-directed propaganda for the intentional purpose of shaping and directing public opinion!
DEFINING PROPAGANDA
As always, we start with the dictionary definition of the term:
2: the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person
3: ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one’s cause or to damage an opposing cause; also : a public action having such an effect
THE ORIGINS OF PROPAGANDA
If you were to ask the average American about propaganda, it is very likely that they will quickly mention something about NAZI Germany. If they are more knowledgeable than most, the name, Joseph Goebbels might even come up. This is because Goebbels was Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda. But do you know who Goebbels credited for the majority of the ideas he and the NAZI’s to create their propaganda ministry? Goebbels gave the majority of the credit to n American by the name of Edward Bernays:
Propaganda Part I: Bernays and Goebbels
I remember a book I read called PR: A Social History of Spin. The author discussed how the Nazi Minister of Propaganda, Dr. Josef Goebbels, was an ardent student of Mr. Bernays, despite the fact that Mr. Bernays was Jewish. Goebbels desperately wanted to meet Mr. Bernays and apparantly sent numerous books to him to be autographed. We don’t know if Mr. Bernays autographed them, but Goebbels claimed that he did. Goebbels, who had a PhD in philosophy (which is crucual in terms of understanding how he was able to understand Bernays and apply his writings in the way that he did), apparantly had an even larger library on propaganda than Mr. Bernays and had not only read all of his books, but had largely memorized a good deal of them as well. Goebbels was able to utilize Bernays’ ideas on propaganda in a manner that was the most malicious and homicidal ever seen in the 20th century: to support the Final Solution.
Edward Bernays was the father of what we now know as “Public Relations.” But he was much more than that. He was also a founding father of the American Progressive movement and was intimately connected to Woodrow Wilson and Walter Lippmann, the revered American elder of American journalism. And there’s still more. All three of these men saw their work as the result of applied sciences. They made a science out of learning how to manipulate the masses. Now, I could write books about these three men and the effects of their legacies on American government and society, but I will constrain myself to a single web site. But first, I remind you: the fruit of a bad tree can never be good. Now, take a moment and give this site a read, because – while you and I may not necessarily agree with the agenda on this site — the majority of the information on it is true. This actually happened in America first, years before it spread to NAZI Germany:
Edward Bernays, Walter Lippman, Woodrow Wilson, Karl von Weigand
Adolf Hitler’s Nazi salutes and Nazi behavior came from the USA >
THE JUSTIFICATION OF PROPAGANDA
Whether in America or Germany, and whether it was for the nominal purpose of preserving democracy or the nation, propaganda is always justified by the government’s need to control the people. As you read the following quotes, notice the reoccurring theme and justifications between them, and keep in mind, all of these men were part of the same spirit behind a larger body of political thinking that, in this country, we now call Progressivism:
The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the [public] is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.’
— Edward Bernays
The public must be put in its place, so that it may exercise its own powers, but no less and perhaps even more, so that each of us may live free of the trampling and the roar of a bewildered herd.
–Walter Lippmann
It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion.
— Joseph Goebbels
So, according to these men, the control of public opinion is necessary for their own good. In considering what these men believed, it is less important to concern ourselves with why they believed the manipulation of public opinion was justified and more important to focus on the fact that they were willing to manipulate and control – period. After all, if one claims their goal is good, but is willing to do evil in pursuit of that goal, why should we believe the goal is good? Furthermore, why should we consider the person advocating evil in pursuit of that goal is good, either? This is what is meant by the fruit of the tree: if what we do is evil, then it means we are evil.
DIRECTING PROPAGANDA
If you study the Progressives, Fabians, Socialists, Fascists and Communists, you will find they almost always pay lip service to ‘the will of the people.’ However, this is all it is: lip service. None of them actually believe in leaving society to the whim of popular will. This is the whole purpose for their ‘science’ of propaganda: so they can form, shape and direct public opinion to their own purposes. But it doesn’t stop there. As they perfected their ‘art,’ they sought to do so in a way that leaves the average person believing they are acting of their own free will. This is yet another ‘shield’ against their sword (i.e. political agenda). Now consider this quote:
The efficiency of the truly national leader consists primarily in preventing the division of the attention of a people, and always in concentrating it on a single enemy.
–Adolf Hitler
Here, Hitler’s is speaking about the very spirit of the argument contained in Woodrow Wilson’s essays (Leaders of Men, The President of the United States and The Study of Administration) where – essentially – he argues that the proper role of the American President is to be the will of the people.
If you have time, read these three essays. They will explain the very heart and soul of the American Progressive movement, and they will confirm much of what you will ever hear me tell you about the Progressives. For example: I have told you the Progressives openly stated that they saw their work as being driven and supported by ‘science.’ In his essay on administration, Wilson says this:
“I suppose that no practical science is ever studied where there is no need to know it. The very fact, therefore, that the eminently practical science of administration is finding its way into college courses in this country would prove that this country needs to know more about administration, were such proof of the fact required to make out a case… It is the object of administrative study to discover, first, what government can properly and successfully do, and, secondly, how it can do these proper things with the utmost possible efficiency and at the least possible cost either of money or of energy. “
Since democracy is chaotic, it is in direct conflict with Wilson’s stated goal of improving the efficiency of government. This means, while he needs to appeal to democracy for public support, he must also find some means to control how the public votes so he can direct it. Otherwise, efficiency is a moot point. When you read the essays, you will see that Wilson was advocating for what we would now call an elected dictator.
This is where the need for propaganda enters the Progressive equation, but there is a closely related aspect that we need to consider here as well: that of ‘sacrifice.’ Wilson’s understood that ‘efficient administration’ was also in opposition to the luxuries of a free society. ‘Efficiency’ requires sacrifice. In his day, the most efficient way to get the people to willingly sacrifice their luxuries was to tie it to the defense of the nation – war. But, to his credit, Wilson abhorred the destruction of war. This is why he embraced of a concept known as ‘the moral equivalence of war’. Once again, though it is in different form, Wilson is showing that he and Hitler were of like mind:
Terrorism is the best political weapon for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death.
–Adolf Hitler
The war made possible for us the solution of a whole series of problems that could never have been solved in normal times.
–Joseph Goebbels
Also, understand the connection to this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=vji48Hejgzg
A crisis provides a focal point which then makes it easier to manipulate public opinion. In other words, a crisis makes propaganda more ‘efficient.’
Now, understand something: Wilson is the ring leader of the Progressive movement in the early 2oth Century. These are the same Progressives Clinton refers to in this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=vji48Hejgzg
Hopefully, by now, you will accept that these people are tied across time and distance by the common themes they all shared.
CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE
Now that you have seen why these people believe propaganda is essential and who they thought should control and direct it, let’s look at how they believe it should be directed. First, you cannot have opposition to your narrative:
The bourgeoisie is many times stronger than we. To give it the weapon of freedom of the press is to ease the enemy’s cause, to help the class enemy. We do not desire to end in suicide, so we will not do this.
–Vladimir Lenin
Without some form of censorship, propaganda in the strict sense of the word is impossible. In order to conduct propaganda there must be some barrier between the public and the event.
–Walter Lippmann
Second, you have to control not only how a story is presented, but whether or not a story is presented at all. Propaganda is as much about what is not said:
Not every item of news should be published. Rather must those who control news policies endeavor to make every item of news serve a certain purpose.
–Joseph Goebbels
Next, you have to spread the narrative across as much of society as possible. This means that you must employ a consistent message using every possible social institution:
In relation to the political decontamination of our public life, the government will embark upon a systematic campaign to restore the nation’s moral and material health. The whole educational system, theater, film, literature, the press and broadcasting – all these will be used as a means to this end.
–Adolf Hitler
Finally, you have to be able to spread this consistent message without too many people being aware that you are doing it. This is where ‘political correctness’ enters the equation. Remember, what we call political correctness is the shield that protects the political agenda. It creates the ‘group think’ and the peer pressure that keeps everyone marching in lock-step. Now, keep this in mind as you read the words of another founder of the Fabian/Progressive movement and ask yourself if he isn’t explaining political correctness better than I just did:
At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to state this or that or the other, but it is “not done”… Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with surprising effectiveness. A genuinely unfashionable opinion is almost never given a fair hearing, either in the popular press or in the highbrow periodicals.
–George Orwell
The only thing left now is the narrative, itself. But when it comes to the message, the only thing that really matters is the message. The truth is irrelevant. Whether or not anything is actually done or any problems solved is irrelevant. The individual is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is the message, and even then, only so long as the message furthers the political agenda:
The Party is not interested in the overt act. The thought is all we care about.
–George Orwell
The size of the lie is a definite factor in causing it to be believed, for the vast masses of a nation are in the depths of their hearts more easily deceived than they are consciously and intentionally bad. The primitive simplicity of their minds renders them a more easy prey to a big lie than a small one, for they themselves often tell little lies, but would be ashamed to tell big lies.
— Adolf Hitler
For those who did not bother to finish reading this post:
What luck for the rulers that men do not think.
–Adolf Hitler
The Oil for Your Lamp 
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