To help; I have an easy guide to propaganda, in simple terms,
to help you spot it. When you find propaganda, you should expose it, and stay
away from the sources.
How to Recognize Propaganda Masquerading as Truth
1. Fear-mongering - It instills
fear, rather than giving facts.
2. It resorts to
name-calling and passes it as fact.
3.
Projection/Flipping - Example: Man is cheating on his wife/ accuses his wife of
cheating.
4. Rewriting the
facts as we know them.
5. Scapegoating/Othering-
Making you feel good about demonizing a group. Giving
you a group (race, economic, education, religion,
geography, language, etc.)
to hate/put-down.
6. Bullying - (Yelling,
interrupting, not allowing the opposition a chance to get a word
in edgewise)
7. Confusion -
Making things sound so confused, you will believe it rather than
appear stupid.
8. Populism -
We are right, and those who believe differently are enemies.
9. Invoking
Religion - Throughout history, men have used religion to start wars,
encourage hated, and create
division.(Preachers excepted, when not politicizing)
10. Saturation -
Repetition for the sake of repetition. The whole group saying the
same thing, over and
over, with everyone repeating it word for word.
11. Disparaging
Education - The disdain for education and other evidence of being
trained in critical thinking are
direct threats to a hive-mind mentality, which
is why those who are educated
are so viscerally disdained by the
propagandist.
12. Guilt by
Association - (Because we all know that if you happen to be seen with
someone with
differing views, you must be one of "them") {sarcasm}
13. Diversion -
Suggesting that we "move on" rather than answer a question; asking
a question rather than answering
a question; bringing up a completely
different topic rather
than continue on the subject now
that it isn't going
your way.
14. Hostility -
towards anyone that disagrees. Name calling, cursing.
15.
Misinformation - Only using one source for all information
16. Clips -
Quoting, or showing videos of a speech or activity, but only a short clip,
without divulging the
entire idea behind it. (ex. Taking Bible passages out
of context; a speech that
includes only 1 line)
If
you find yourself doing a lot of the above, Congratulations, you are a victim
of propaganda, and you are no longer thinking for yourself.
1.
Reliable information - The speaker gives sources for their information (articles
from
reliable sources, video,
audio) Validation of the information However, beware
of video and audio if it has
been shortened to just one part of a comment.
(See 16 above)
2.
Encourages debate - It accepts input from "the other side"
If
you research before you believe; if you question things that don't make sense; if
you recognize inconsistencies; if you seek numerous additional sources for
your information; if you critically analyze the information you get; if you
discuss your thoughts with those who think for themselves; if you don't agree
with EVERYTHING from any one group . . .
Congratulations,
you still think for yourself!!!
One last thought: If you have friends that have fallen into any of the 16 propaganda techniques, they have been sucked in and will try to do the same to you. If you can't help them see what has happened, avoid using them for information.
