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Of course. We're deceived by our government, the media, commercials and the world around us all the time. Just think of how different people thought 50 or even 100 years ago. How did that happen? You were told, what was important, what was good or evil, healthy or not, what you should do what you shouldn't do. We get all kinds of messages every day from different sources trying to inform us to change our behavior etc.
I don't know about manipulation but I've often thought that some forums on the net have been set up exclusively for the purpose of studying public opinion or psychology or something more specialized.
I don't know about manipulation but I've often thought that some forums on the net have been set up exclusively for the purpose of studying public opinion or psychology or something more specialized.
Wouldn't play, been removed. However, I surmise it is a variation of the more in depth BBC documentary from early 1990s called, The Century of the Self by Adam Curtis.
I think it has been removed from youtube, but you may find portions. It was four hours long and provided an in depth look at the beginnings of Public Relations whose founding principles of manipulation were formulated by Sigmund Freud's nephew, Edward Bernays. Some names to look up besides Edward Bernays are Antonio Gramschi, Herbert Marcuse and the "Frankfurt School".
Yes indeed, the mass media is one of the prime tools for social conditioning of the populace to triggers such as jingoistic flashpoint verbiage. I'm reminded of that funny 9/11 SNL skit where the GWBush impersonator does the press conference and every response to an issue is "Nine eleven this and Nine eleven that".
A collection of quotes to ponder.
“Whenwatching men of power in action it must be always kept in mind that, whetherthey know it or not, their main purpose is the elimination or neutralization ofthe independent individual- the independent voter, consumer, worker, owner,thinker- and that every device they employ aims at turning men into amanipulable "animated instrument" which is Aristotle's definition ofa slave.” - Erich Hoffer
“A State divided into a small number of rich and a largenumber of poor will always develop a government manipulated by the rich toprotect the amenities represented by their property.”: Harold Laski (1930)
“Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is, perhaps, themost to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other.War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes. And armies,and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under thedomination of the few. “In War, too, the discretionary power of the executiveis extended. Its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments ismultiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those ofsubduing the force of the people. “The same malignant aspect of republicanismmay be traced in the inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud,growing out of a state of war…and in the degeneracy of manners and morals,engendered by both. No Nation could preserve its freedom in the midst ofcontinual warfare.”: James Madison, April 20, 1795
"Political tags-such asroyalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and soforth-are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into thosewho want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire." -- Robert A Heinlein
Balzac, “Behind every great fortune is a great crime.”, Ifind the French to English translation even better, “The secret of a greatsuccess for which you are at a loss to account is a crime that has never beenfound out, because it was properly executed.”
Historically, War has been anopportunity for lower class to elevate self through servitude as cannon fodderin hopes of bravery courage and heroism and an increased standing in life. Forthe merchant class to make money in supplying and for the banking finance classto make money from both sides. That is why war is fomented by the financialmilitary banking elites to accrue exponentially greater wealth to themselves than in ‘peace time’.
Hermann Goering, Nazi leader,has quite aptly said:
"Why of course the people don’t want war …But after all it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and itis always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy,or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship … Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, anddenounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.It works the same in any country.”
“There is no doubt the war made an enormous difference inthe American Economy. Before the war, we had 15%, and maybe, sometime more,unemployed. A very stagnant, unhappy economy and the war- war production –production of munitions, production of armaments – put enormous sums of money into the economy.” – Prof. J.K. Galbraith
“And when war did come we told youth, who had to get us outof it, tall tales of what it really is and of the clover beds to which itleads.” – Sir James Mathew Barrie
“People do not believe lies because they have to, butbecause they want to” - MalcolmMuggeridge
“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, andeventually they will believe it” – Adolph Hitler
“Naturally the common people do not want war; neitherRussia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. Butafter all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it isalways a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, ora fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice orno voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. Thatis easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, anddenounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country todanger. It works the same in any country.” - Hermann Goering, NuremburgTribunal
“See in my line of work you got to keep repeating thingsover and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult thepropaganda.” – President George W. Bush, May 24, 2005
“Man aggresses not only out of frustration and fear but out of joy, plenitude, love of life. Menkill lavishly out of the sublime joy of heroic triumph over evil… I think it istime for social scientists to catch up with Hitler as a psychologist, and to realizethat men will do anything for heroic belonging to a victorious cause if theyare persuaded about the legitimacy of that cause.” - Ernest Becker, Escape From Evil.[
“The principal secret of secret intelligence is how to getsomeone to do your bidding. Money, Sex, Fear, and the desire for revenge allwork, but none perfectly or dependably. Ideological conviction is probably thebest of all, but it is also the rarest. Holding onto spies once they’ve beenrecruited is just as difficult… One way or another, they slipped away. When oldhands in the game talk about intelligence trade craft… they talk about twothings – how to conduct operations… and how to recruit and manage agents.” –Thomas Powers, in his introduction to John Marks’ The Search For The ManchurianCandidate
Modern Culture of Business seeksto create victimization entitlement rescue blame. “Until Lions have theirhistorians, all tales of hunting will glorify the hunter” – African proverb; Inthat vain the USA has more therapists than firefighters or mail carriers, andhas twice as many therapists as dentists or pharmacists.
The legal profession / industryseeks to create more ‘victims’ as part of market demand creation. Medicalindustry focuses on disease rather than building health; Clinical Psychologyfocuses on pathologies instead of concentrating on the ‘sanities’ such ascourage and optimism; News Media focuses on negativity rather than good newsbecause ‘good news’ doesn’t sell; Insurance focuses on selling fear andnegativity; Advertising & Marketing is dedicated to making you think you haveall kinds of problems only their products can fix.
That is the workings of the system, to twistreality in such a way to make people believe they have choice and freedom, whenin fact they have none. The best way to control a people is to make them believethey are free and have free choice, while controlling their choices, behavior,desires, opinions and options through conditioning of official culture and thecontrol of Education, Media, Religion, Economy and the Banking System
“Unless you read different points of view, your mind will eventually close, and you’ll be come a prisoner to a certain point of view that you’ll never question.” –
Last edited by ciceropolo; 09-12-2013 at 11:55 PM..
Reason: formating
The shift in opinion about both abortion and homosexuality has been a result of manipulation.
It used to be unacceptable to use the US flag to make clothing or to decorate motorcycle tanks.
Making fun of the Bible wasn't accepted either but today you get hammered for making fun of anything EXCEPT the Bible. That's always good for a laugh.
Thanks to the prevailing attitude of TV in both commercials and sitcoms, men are the brunt of every joke and are made to look foolish, stupid, weak... Having two sons, that's one that always burns me up.
Heck, the stereotyping of different ethnicities keeps our opinions right where they want us. If we can focus on the age-old black and white thing, we won't even notice that the real threat is a jihadist.
Just becaue you choose to go along with the program does not mean other free thinking people who choose the "blue pill" are crazy. Oh btw, The documentary clearly states that this a psychology related issue, thus it belongs in this forum
FYI, "going along with the program" is the blue pill. Your "free thinking people" would be the red pill. If you're going to reference The Matrix, try to get the references right.
For an ostensible psychology thread, you've only talked politics--mostly paranoid fantasies. Next thing you'll start saying that microwave signals are being beamed into people's brains to make them vote in a pre-determined way. Or that you're able to see encoded messages in advertisements.
Seriously, dude, there are a lot of newer-generation meds for paranoid schizophrenia that don't have the unpleasant side effects that older ones do. You really should look into them...and into laying off the crack.
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