Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 1158 Location: South Essex
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:06 pm Post subject: How to Brainwash a Nation
Edward Bernays and the Assassination of Democracy
Quote:
In 2002, Adam Curtis and the BBC released a four-part series called "The Century of the Self."
The series tracks how American elites have aggressively used the modern behavioral sciences to persuade, coerce and manipulate the American public into accepting the corporate-government world's version of events as their own.
This seven-minute video which I call "The Assassin of Democracy" focuses on one of the most skillful and amoral expert of all the experts in mass manipulation, Edward Bernays. Bernays got his first taste of the power of propaganda during World War I. He advised US presidents from Woodrow Wilson to Einsehower and served numerous corporations and business associations. One of his biggest fans was Hitler's propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels, a fact about which Bernays bragged proudly.
In this clip, we see a pattern that Bernays used over and over again: turn a harmless entity into a fearsome enemy through lies and manufactured news items. Then use the "threat" to justify attack. The subject of this video is Bernays campaign against the democratically elected government of Guatemala in 1953, but you'll have no trouble seeing that this very same method is being used today.
Joined: 18 Jan 2008 Posts: 56 Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:53 pm Post subject:
Yeah, the whole Century Of The Self series is literally the best thing the BBC have ever done. in my opinion.
This is a great clip - although it's definitely worth watching the entire four part series in order to gain a better understanding of Bernays'/Freud's influence on modern society and democracy. It's fair to say that propaganda was pretty much perfected through Bernays' work. He's surely one of the most influential men ever. I mean, think about how public relations and advertising in general dominates our lives on a daily basis. It's almost inescapable. But the social architects like Bernays have left a legacy of control because us cattle are too irrational to make positive decisions for ourselves, and must therefore be pacified through consumerism and bewildered by societal memes.
“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society.”
Nuff said. _________________ The promise of freedom will only come about when the last man to walk this earth lives out his days in dreadful solitude. Only then will we see the end of war.
Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 1158 Location: South Essex
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:29 pm Post subject:
Yes well said there Chris.
I'm of the opinion now that almost everything has been contrived.
The Cold War for example was merely the excuse to raise the ante of WMD's of various types,with the ultimate aim of world population reduction and control of the rest.
Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 18335 Location: St. Pauls, Bristol, England
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:51 pm Post subject:
Howard Hunt, covert CIA terrorist. As talked about in Fletcher Prouty's suppressed book The Secret Team.
During 2003 and 2004 I worked in my office in Bristol with the almost constant sound of Adam Curtis in the background.
The Century of the Self should be 'compulory' viewing for all 911 Truthers.
Curtis has had all sorts of rows with the BBC copyright lawyers who offered him a derisory sum of a few pence per DVD they sold which he apparently turned down. The series was made by Adam Curtis and RDF Television, arguably, depite the BBC.
Chris Walsh wrote:
Yeah, the whole Century Of The Self series is literally the best thing the BBC have ever done. in my opinion.
Chris Walsh quoted from "Propaganda" Edward Bernays, 1928
Quote:
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society." Nuff said.
Not quite 'nuff Chris. He goes on to say:
"Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized."
Of course he thought this was peachy, in fact necessary.
"Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society."
It's possible to interpret parts of your post as supporting this idea - PLEASE tell me I'm wrong!?
Joined: 18 Jan 2008 Posts: 56 Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:01 am Post subject:
I suppose it wasn't quite enough, simplesimon. That quote about the invisible government is crucial.
An no, of course I'm not supporting the idea - I was merely being ultra sarcastic!
I think the propaganda that Bernays and his advocates have forced on us is one of the worst things for humanity to ever go through. When I first learned of his influence on the modern world I was amazed that one man - with corporate backers, of course - could attain so much power over our the collective psyche.
It's hard to imagine a world devoid of mass public relations and consumerism. Such a place - and time - are so far removed from where we are today. And the sad thing is, unless there are some serious changes brought about through a vast public awakening, aren't we doomed to live under the black wings of this oppressive oligarghy forever? And just when we think an economic collapse might bring change enough to rid the world of crazed materialism and the dangerous lethargy of a docile, ignorant public, our masters will propose solutions that will only further entangle us in advancing global government bureaucracy. Our only chance, really, is exposing the oligarchs and their methods of consolidation and problem-reaction-solution and smashing their machinery before them, so that they cannot rule without widespread scrutiny and mass media attenton being paid to their actions. This, of course, would take something of a miracle, because to restore any kind of sanity and morality to moneymaking and power structures in general, we would have to ensure that everyone is accountable under the same rule of law and that the privileges of wealth do not guarantee a monopoly of control through the corporate State.
I'm raising a few different issues here and rambling a bit, but is it even possible to experience real democratic government with proper separation of powers and sovereignty in the world right now? As Truthers are we not proposing a New World Order of our own - albeit a freedom agenda minus corporate control, where the Individual is the centre of power?
Like I said, such a world would be very suitable to human prosperity but is so far moved from our current climate that I doubt we'll ever see such a situation unless populations of the world unite under one banner of independence. Am I being purely pessimistic again, or just realistic? _________________ The promise of freedom will only come about when the last man to walk this earth lives out his days in dreadful solitude. Only then will we see the end of war.
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