REQUIRED READING – PROPAGANDA

 

Propaganda is a familiar word to most people.  It has a negative connotation, but many don’t know why it does.  The term was an everyday word, but after the Nazi rise to power, due largely to the actions of the Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, the term fell out of favor.  The term became more familiar, “marketing,” or “public relations.”

The funny part of the story is, the principles outlined in this very book were used to substitute “marketing” and “public relations” for its title.

Edward L. Bernays was a genius, make no mistake.  He taught Joseph Goebbels everything he knew, either directly or indirectly.  He engineered the idea that women should be allowed to smoke.  He made Betty Crocker a household name.  He is the reason the military / industrial / entertainment complex has been so successful not only in the United States, worldwide.  He is the reason we have rabid sports fans and passionate political supporters.

This is his manifesto.  It is required reading for the simple fact that, not reading it means you’re more susceptible to the practices of those who manufacture the propaganda.  Every ad that seems to be aimed directly at the consumer as if they know you and all the techniques used by the propagandists of today started here.

Enjoy…

Propaganda is a dirty word until you know what they call it now.