Blog #181--Letting Go of Attachment to Propaganda
I was a baby boomer, born shortly after the end of World War II. America was still celebrating its victory when I started to school. I remember marching around my first grade room with classmates while singing “When the Caissons Go Rolling Along,” “Anchors Aweigh” and other military favorites. The country was proud of its accomplishment, and many of my generation quickly became patriots.
I remember eating in a restaurant one time when a parade went by outside. I couldn’t see it, but I knew there were multiple American flags passing our location, so I stood up out of respect. I was taught the rules for taking care of the flag properly. It should be taken down at dusk and kept down until the next morning. It should be taken down during rain and snow storms. If it touches the ground, it should be burned or buried. Of course, few people today know about these rules. Perhaps it doesn’t matter in the long run, but part of me is still bothered by any lack of respect merely because I was so well indoctrinated when young.
During the Vietnam War, flag burning was a type of protest that got people’s attention, and I realized flag burners had the freedom to use that form of protest in a democracy. Given how soldiers were used for cannon fodder and guinea pigs for reasons other than what was announced publicly, and finding out how peace was delayed six years through secret and highly unethical negotiations, supporting the military and government also became more difficult. Little by little, I began to realize a difference between unfettered patriotism and a more balanced perspective that judges people by their actions rather than their self-aggrandizement.
Advertising has long been a form of propaganda, and the general public is easily swayed by a good spiel or catchy tune. For instance, I still remember a toothpaste commercial from long ago: “Crest has been shown to be an effective decay preventive dentifrice which can be of significant value when used in a conscientiously applied program of oral hygiene and regular professional care.” I heard it so many times, it still rattles around my brain. But upon closer examination, one realizes most any toothpaste would be somewhat effective if one brushes daily and sees a dentist frequently. The statement no doubt boosted sales because people wanted to believe it, not because it said anything of value to them.
There are many others: “Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun;” “Where’s the beef?;” “Greasy kid stuff;” “You’ll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent;” “It’s a candy mint. No, it’s a breath mint. You’re both right...it’s two mints, two mints in one;” “Tastes great. Less filling,” on and on ad infinitum. These phrases stick in our memory, so when we need things, we are apt to buy the ones we have heard about most frequently or impressed us with their advertising genius.
Once we decide to trust a government leader, advertiser, doctor or whomever, we automatically believe what they tell us and fight against anyone taking an opposite position. That makes us suckers for propaganda. So does fear. Perhaps the best means of perpetuating propaganda is when it is accompanied by fear-inducing words and situations.
Once we succumb to the fear, we are easy prey for those wishing to manipulate us. Take this medicine or you might develop a horrid disease. Vote for me or you may be destroyed by the dictatorial aspirations of my opponent. Barry Goldwater was wiped out during the 1964 presidential election in part because a commercial connected his name with an atomic explosion.
Unfortunately, there is rarely a correlation between propaganda and quality. Propaganda works because we want to believe, and it’s repeated endlessly until it dominates our thoughts. Most of us pay little attention to the daily news, and even that has become more infomercial than hard fact.
With laws protecting the balance between opposite perspectives now removed from the books, one can choose highly biased news sources that skew the news to fit their political agendas. Media these days are often mouth-pieces for a secretive government rather than a fourth estate that serves as unbiased referees to report all sides of issues accurately and fairly. How do we know what we are hearing is true and what is propaganda?
First of all, we need to think for ourselves and ask hard questions. Does this make sense? What is the agenda of the individual or group making the statement? Is the rule of law being followed precisely? Are those accused of a crime considered innocent until proven guilty through a fair judicial process, or are they pronounced guilty and punished without allowing them to face their accusers in a court of law? Are those responsible for our security and upholding the law doing their jobs fairly, or are they overly enamored with their own power? Are they providing an accurate accounting of their expenses, or are cost overruns hidden from public view?
Most of us don’t want to be bothered by all these details, but that makes us highly vulnerable to those who manipulate details for a living. If you like to follow others blindly despite the harm they might cause you, then you need not bother thinking for yourself. It is your choice. But if you are tired watching your loyalties challenged by untrustworthy leaders, then you have a right to check out alternative news sources and ask probing questions not only to leaders but to friends and family as well. Generating a group discussion often helps us focus our thoughts.
It can be difficult to determine what is propaganda and what isn’t. But it is even more difficult to live with all the complications caused by those who wish to manipulate us. When we come to that realization, we can let go of the excess attachment we once considered important to us. For instance, I still believe in the ideals set down in the Constitution of the United States and its Bill of Rights. I have great respect for the Founding Fathers and those who have led the United States through difficult times.
But I no longer stand for an invisible flag. I no longer march around a room singing military songs. I still love my country, but I'm no longer naive enough to remain blinded by its imperfections. I examine the morality and hidden agenda of a political candidate and not just his or her political party preferences or silver-tongued rhetoric. I no longer buy something just because a commercial sounds good. I refuse all solicitations but am willing to consider their products or services among my options should I need them.
Becoming a free agent may seem a little scary at first, but we will meet a lot of interesting new people once we break away from our limits. After all, they have let go of their attachments also and will now be visible to us. And there's a good chance we will recognize a much larger world teeming with life undergoing the same process as ourselves.
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