On Propaganda and Advertising 13-24

13. On Victims
Other than the innocent or those fallen prey to circumstances, many victims have chosen their role by failing to overcome their defects. Just like the learned helplessness of a tortured dog, no other way seems possible. Hence, victim tailored propaganda need only appeal to the supposed need for protection rather than as a call to arms against an oppressive system. Hence, the static system remains unchanging and vested interests will never be threatened by those at the bottom. Both winners and losers see their role affirmed. Nobody would ever admit being held down by propaganda. It accordingly becomes an affair of choice.
14. On Trivialization
Mass media is particularly effective for over-espousing the usual and obvious. Paranoia may be either distilled or alleviated through these avenues by flogging dead mules. Even the deviant or unusual can be made normal by endless repetition. One sees endless stories concerning crime and concludes a necessity for an increased police presence. An old problem becomes a new threat. Children have always murdered. However, looking at the mass media one would be tempted to conclude this a new phenomena. Hence, the citizenry stays inside and passive while failing to see the reality outside their walls is not much different than before (whenever that was).
15. On Self-Deception
Many people prefer to view reality through the distorted lens of their own self-perception. Their own creations are valued as the highest of virtues. Propaganda can attach itself to these tendencies in leach-like fashion for all it is worth. The self-deceivers will never admit it were not their own reason.
16. On Religion
Like it or not, religion is a strong component of culture, and has evidenced real staying power. Faith is a strong attraction which even proves addicting to some, and any complementary appeals are extremely powerful up to the point of instilling fanaticism. General appeals often have wide exposure. The religious addict will respond to those utterances which appeals to the addiction. Immediate gratification is sought. The compelling voice must have the strong moral authority imparted by the pulpit, and is therefore limited in scope if not depth. Even the blatantly manipulative or ridiculous may be accepted by the religious addict when spoken by the priest, minister, rabbi, etc. For the faithful, a soldier of god may do no wrong, including stealing from the collection plate or molesting young children. (Of course, the blatantly anti-clerical will seize upon such transgressions for maximum advantage, including justifications for the liquidation of all clergy.) An agitated fanatic may even be willing to martyr themselves for the cause, thus proving the power and extent of propaganda. The most powerful lies are the enduring.
17. On Military Rebels
The military indoctrinates its troops to instill unit cohesion, obedience and efficiency. Loyalty is infused. Under fire, unity is crucial. Both crude and sophisticated propaganda techniques are employed to these ends. Those weeded out during the process are examples which strengthen the message. Once military service is ended, the returning soldiers will often remain faithful to the values imparted by the military. Few would admit they fought and died for a lie. Nonetheless, those former soldiers who do become disillusioned may be among the most dangerous rogue elements. The Oklahoma City bombing illustrates this point. However, their actions may still be negated (if not undone) by damage control and reactive propaganda. Even the most violent and dangerous enemies have their uses. Only massive violence on the scale of war accomplishes anything.
18. On the Police
Although the police force necessarily has paramilitary features, cops are not soldiers. Their function is to maintain internal order in the civilian population through the legitimate use of force. Their actions must be propagandized on a personal rather than global level. Crime must be shown as rampant to justify widespread and invasive repression of undesirable elements. In the land of the free, the world's largest prison population is proof of the success of such approaches. An increasingly isolated general population accepts the false reality of the television screen and barricades itself inside. Their blind, dumb acceptance will someday come home to haunt them. An opportunist will someday seize that moment.
19. On Micro-Propaganda
Generally, the term propaganda conjures imagery of mass manipulation. Its deployment may be directed toward small groups, as in Maoist China, but its target is the population at large. However, more sophisticated technologies and techniques have been developed which allow propaganda to be specifically tailored to small groups and even individuals. Essentially, an environment has been created where propaganda has become so persuasive and unquestioned, that a certain susceptibility exists within all. Yet none would admit it. The ego will not allow it. Hence, ready to be utilized and exploited for maximum advantage by the willing opportunist, certain triggers exist in large segments of the populace. Blatant manipulation is not always preferable or desirable. A little knowledge of applied psychology, minus the ethical component, is extremely helpful in the process of peering within and ripping apart that which is held most dear. Most targets will never admit it. The specifics will necessarily vary, but preying upon the fears and insecurities of others is generally the path of least resistance. Micro-propaganda is tailored toward specific targets and based upon on that which is already believed and encouraging any resultant misapprehensions. It isn't pleasant, but niceness is for the weak and stupid who deserve everything they get. The pain of others is always exploitable to maximum advantage by using the pre-placed or conditioned effectively. Coupled with isolation, cult programming is similar, although more obvious to outside observers, because the instilled doctrine is not societal in extent. The propagandist plays, rather than twists apart the susceptible. One cannot go to far against the grain. A life-long republican will never accept Marxist dogma and rhetoric, but may still fear the ramifications of unemployment in a capitalist society. Frame-of-reference is important. Micro-propaganda must be spoken in the same language of the target, often tailored to specific archetypal personalities without much difficulty. Basic motivations and interests are worn on the sleeve and easy to identify. Human beings are not that mysterious. Another approach involves the creation of verbal worlds, sometimes centered around the propaganda, which can then be pulled out from under the target like a rug with agitating results. Those stupid enough to care are easiest to destroy by such methods. Betrayal is so devastating, especially after being told it was all a lie followed by malicious laughter at the expense of idiots. The resultant disorientation will be emotionally charged, which is the entire point. The victim may even respond violently, thus offering the potential excuse of self-defense in a court of law... In any case, it works.
20. On Conditioning
Over time, behavior may be conditioned. Subtle propaganda is a powerful tool. Courser methods agitate faster, but the potential for backlash exists. These lessons have been learned through experience by public relations disasters like the Vietnam War. The glory of war died and will never return. From the standpoint of the opportunist, subject populations are better removed from the natural rather than having their nose rubbed in it. Chewing cud, the herd appears most content to passively observe events rather than take an active role. Life is complicated enough without contemplating non-immediate concerns. The abstract is less worrisome. In addition, sheer over-stimulation leads to exhaustion. A middle-ages peasant worked less, but few question whether progress is worth the price. One forgets, what one has never seen is never missed. Kentucky Hillbillies never knew they were poor before television told them so. The middle class works itself to death, but thinks itself superior because they have a longer life expectancy. How many would admit those extra years (and then some) are wasted in the yoke? Perhaps dying young and economically idle would be better. The opportunist will attempt to promote the opposite. So much is culturally conditioned by the sheer pervasiveness present in the marketplace. Unlike totalitarian states, a million opportunists constantly spread their propaganda, and almost all believe it the absolute truth. Some are just larger than others. Those controlling the resources are the winners and the victims of their own success. The present is the only conceivable reality. Fundamental change is unthinkable or wistful at best. Any major shift will eliminate those incapable of facing reality. A return to nature is never going to voluntarily occur. Society will be forced along a different path. Some dinosaurs will become extinct. The new barbarians will be freed and seek vengeance for a time. The herd instinct fears the prospect (with good cause). Anxiety caused by the fear of collapse is exploitable. Anarchy has become a dirty word tied to any destructive actions and used to justify the police state. What exactly is the thin blue line? The opportunist will always evoke such simple minded rhetoric, because it has proven effective. Meanwhile, the opposition often stupidly attempts an appeal towards reason and is completely ignored. Of course, no attempt is made to silence critics. No one is listening very hard. The spectacle is something far away. Respectable opponents are passive, reasonable and essentially impotent. Perhaps the opposition should adopt a new approach. Few have the motivation. Mitigation is impossible.

21. On Choice
The perception of choice appears to be emotionally satisfying. Bonds are best chosen. The actuality of is far less important than the feeling of control. Totalitarian systems will always suffer open discontent and periodic unrest by their insistence in suppressing choice. Their efficiency is a mirage. The American system could care less about the path as long as the ultimate destination is the same, and jails more than China to ensure it. Few care. The incarcerated deserve it. Indeed, the power system is strengthen by the legitimacy conferred. Although not without concessions, satisfaction is relative and manageable. Mandatory military service will not be seen for a long time, but high education costs will provide a ready recruitment base. Due to its anti-cyclical appeal, the military will always swell if needed during poor economic times. Voluntary World War II enlistment was not all about patriotism. Mutability is an essential requirement for stability or the appearance thereof. Leaders change, but their policies all have the same ends through (slightly) different means. Stability is prime. Simplistic Comparisons attract the lowest common denominator in all things. Happiness and fulfillment are defined from above by the state of the economy. More than two become many and proven through statistics thrown at a mathematically illiterate population. The target chooses to be passive and calls it his own choice. The propagandist enables the abstract impression of choice imprinted on a concrete world. All roads lead to the same destination. The opportunist exploits the results for maximum advantage in all things possible. The populace has made this choice and deserves the consequences. The organized opposition has made their choice as well, and nothing changes. The true opponent should ignore it all.
22. On Uniqueness and Unity
Every individual is unique but reducible by propaganda to lowest common terms. Language is the means. The pragmatic opportunist never discounts the power which reduces human beings to abstractions. Through conditioning, even the target will believe it. Language allows common ground for necessary social interactions, but propaganda goes a step further by promoting unity over all. In the United States, market capitalist media conglomerates provide the glue. Unity is never along class appeal. The rich are free. Anger is directed toward the front lines. The police force bleeds. The system which trains, outfits and condones their actions is made stronger. The camera lens distorts all. Does the soundbite suite or condition short attention spans? Over-stimulation is common; substance is not. Rendered ineffective by negation, very little need ever be officially banned. Official censorship just draws attention. Screams in a vacuum make very little noise. Silence invalidates. Common frames are conveyed and based on the cheapest appeals. Unity is achieved through common conditioning. The natural world is sidestepped. Those encapsulated know nothing else. Disagreement concerns detail. Even a minor voice, like a ballot, will keep most from ever stepping over the line. The remainder are the new barbarians pounding at the gates from whom the populace must be protected. Shifting patterns solidify. Only motion matters. Directions are nothing. Only the unity of the herd thundering mindlessly to and fro' remains. The opportunist scales a slight height to gain the advantage of view. Meanwhile, Mohammed looks down from the mountain and sighs...
23. On Ambition
Ambition is an esteemed virtue. Its virtue is maintained via propaganda by uplifting stories concerning those who made it through gumption and hard work. As if time and place never change, the circumstances are almost always left from the context. Consequently, the American Dream is a myth almost as large as progress. Most believe it. Comparisons may always be made with other systems. Fringe elements have no real power. All roads serve the power structure. Those streets are not necessarily one way. Violence, terror, intimidation and lies may be counter-acted by the same. Principles have no systemic consideration or legitimacy. The power structure cares about the ultimate good. In fact, the machine is not human and cares about nothing. Both revolutionaries and demagogues are a product. An overworked populations fears losing their hard earnings. Only the idle start revolutions.
24. Propaganda was developed out of opportunistic necessity to shape the formation of mass attitudes. Counter-action is more propaganda. Competing verbal worlds collide. All systems insulate. Vectors permeate all human and cultural interactions. Listening is conditioned. Propaganda shapes all. No shield exists. Decay may be hidden but not reversed by propaganda. Mutability is required. Worn messages fall on death ears. Zeal cannot be maintained indefinitely. Familiar enemies become familiar and less feared. A successful verbal world allows threats to be changed like a pair of socks and more easily forgotten. Optimally, response should be reflexive. However, the instantaneous is too much to expect. Generally, maximum advantage dictates less invasive methods except for agitation during crisis situations. Fundamental myths are simply assumed with total confidence in their validity. Details are fluid. Only definitions are debatable. Ignorance confers a certain mystical (if not magical) quality. The weak and lazy have always looked toward a higher power. Technology is more encompassing. Disbelief only applies to application. Only the delusional could be the equivalent of a technological atheist. Rejection is another matter. A bomb kills whether believed or not. Physical existence is simple to verify. One may not touch an idea...