this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2025
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[–] JohnDClay 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

What do you define as propaganda? Anything could be if your definition is too broad.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)
[–] JohnDClay 5 points 2 days ago (2 children)

From the first one

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. 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 are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.

Sounds like it's referring to any marketing or public communications from any company government or individual. I'd qualify that as overly broad.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (19 children)

In some languages “advertising” and “propaganda” are the same word, and not for nothing. Bernays worked in both advertising and politics. It’s the same set of tools whether its to sell cigarettes or war.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Hollywood's role is propagate the owner class views upon the wagie population to create obedience with a few exceptions... And they don't make those movies anymore.

Lastime they did it was jocker and elites go to scared that they ensured to ruin the prequel. That vibe changed real quick lol

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

So no Luigi movie for us is what you’re saying 😞

[–] JohnDClay 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Hollywood's role is to make money. They do that by making movies that appeal to people so that they'll pay for them, while not alienating their funding. There isn't some top down directive to portray oligarchs well, it's just part of the ballance. Another factor is that directors, at least established ones, tend to be rich, so they have that perspective in their work.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

The profit motive certainly is a major aspect, maybe even the largest, but there’s more going on than just that. For instance, the US military-intelligence-industrial complex gets directly & indirectly involved, and this is well documented.

[–] JohnDClay 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Through money. They don't let people film with their equipment unless they have some say in the outpout. But again, it isn't a conspiracy, it's factors and pressures that sometimes effect the output.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Okay sure, they conspired, but again, it’s not a conspiracy 😂

It seems like you’re jumping through hoops to maintain some kind of Panglossian, high school civics worldview.

Michael Parenti, Dirty Truths:

Those who suffer from conspiracy phobia are fond of saying: “Do you actually think there’s a group of people sitting around in a room plotting things?” For some reason that image is assumed to be so patently absurd as to invite only disclaimers. But where else would people of power get together – on park benches or carousels? Indeed, they meet in rooms: corporate boardrooms, Pentagon command rooms, at the Bohemian Grove, in the choice dining rooms at the best restaurants, resorts, hotels, and estates, in the many conference rooms at the White House, the NSA, the CIA, or wherever. And, yes, they consciously plot – though they call it “planning” and “strategizing” – and they do so in great secrecy, often resisting all efforts at public disclosure. No one confabulates and plans more than political and corporate elites and their hired specialists. To make the world safe for those who own it, politically active elements of the owning class have created a national security state that expends billions of dollars and enlists the efforts of vast numbers of people.

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[–] JohnDClay 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I'd define propaganda as misconstruing the truth towards political ends. If it's commercial ends rather than political, it's false advertising. If it's not misconstruing, then it's advertising or public communications. Just to set a baseline.

I can't find what your sources are defining as propaganda from a brief look, let's compare to my definition.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

it doesn't need to be misconstrued. the best propaganda imho is totally true and in context. spreading it with some kind of political goal is still propaganda.

[–] JohnDClay 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Cool, I wouldn't call that propaganda, but we can work with that.

Do the Captain America movies have an irl political goal? What would it be?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I haven't seen them, but I do know they work with the pentagon, so my guess is they aim to legitimize American hegemony and military spending

[–] JohnDClay 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I have seen them, and the government is the bad guy, with the overreach of public surveillance being major topic. You'll need to be more specific, but that would probably entail watching them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I have no interest though. do you have a point?

[–] JohnDClay 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It doesn't seem to fit with the criteria of being for political ends, so it wouldn't be propaganda.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

not having seen it, I obviously can't tell you what is messages are.

[–] JohnDClay 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

So I don't think it should be on this list, and I guess you don't disagree.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

I'm confident it is propaganda, but not having seen it, I don't know what politics it is pushing.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (6 children)

In this case, all bullshit Yank media that makes you think America are good guys and cops help you.

[–] JohnDClay 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I don't think that's a good definition, since Holocaust documentaries would be propaganda since it makes America look like the good guys.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (5 children)

That would definitely be propaganda since it was the Soviets who actually did all the work while the American's ratlined the Nazi's into their country, allowed them to transform their government institutions, consolidated power during the red scare and became a Nazi Empire over the next 80 years.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

American’s ratlined the Nazi’s into their country,

FYI, the Soviet Union also recruited Nazis into their ranks - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Osoaviakhim

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