Propoganda: How to fight it effectively

[linazelle]

What do Swift Boat, 16 words, flip flopper and the ever nasty word, liberal all have in common? They are very effective messages that have come from the right wing that have left our side flailing to respond and explain away RW accusations and lies. I believe we have failed to fight back effectively because we aren't fighting fire with fire. And maybe we aren't fighting fire with fire because we don't know where the fire is.

I submit that the fire is in the phraseology. The RW has successfully condensed serious messages into one or two words consistently. So effective are they that when you say the words Swift Boat, the whole story comes to mind. The same thing happens when you utter "16 words."

The RW has become expert at using propoganda. Some of the key elements of propoganda are that it is designed to appeal to the least educated people. While there are many forms of propaganda, and many approaches, the one the RW seems to favor is simplification--distilling complex issues two a few words or with name-calling which they repeat ad nauseum.

That old adage about sticks and stones breaking bones but words doing no harm was wrong. It if was accurate, Newt Gingrich wouldn't have spent years coming up with words to label the left--even changing the word Democratic to Democrat.

It's time we come up with a list of zingers and one-liners that sum them up in a nutshell so to speak. I know that when I used the phrase "Bush Lied..." it really got to many a freeper. They hated it which attests to the phrase's effectiveness. We need our own proactive messages. Screw responding to their propoganda, that's reactive and it's weak.

How about trying out some effective messages here? I say we continue to use "Bush Lied" as long as they demonize the word "liberal" (or as long as Bush is in office whichever happens first). What else can we use?

[DannyRed]

1. Printers.

Use your printer.

Use your copycard or local kinko's.

Print out Kerry's Medal Citation, print out Bush's TANG records. Pictures of Kerry in country and Bush chewing bubble gum.

Photocopy them a thousand times, and plaster them all over your town.

Make a strong, clear, impactful flyer, post it here, there and everywhere.

Bush is a liar. Bush is a coward. Bush didn't serve.

Kerry is honest. Kerry is a hero. Kerry stood up and was counted.

[Erika]

5. Kerry Talked the Talk

and walked the walk.

Every time the right wingers challenge Kerry, ask them what Bush was doing during the same time period. Repeat it. What did Bush accomplish while Kerry was in Nam and public service his whole life?

[linazelle]

7. I like it, because you know they will be speechless.

:evilgrin:

[Nite Owl]

8. Back in Newt's time

we printed up bookmark size papers with "Neuter Newt" on them and put them in books at the library and on supermarket shelves.

[murielm99]

2. Awol; he stole the election

Support our troops, bring them home.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. "Convince me!"

Getting victims of propaganda to try to convince you is an excellent way of shaking them free from it. I'd estimate that it works about 75% of the time. What seems logical going into the brain doesn't always seem so logical coming out of it!

The RW also likes to "inoculate" issues by claiming that the Left practices the dirty tricks that the Right does. Therefore, the Right is let off the hook. This is why there is so much "Pot-calling-the-Kettle-black" propaganda from the Right.

How to fight this? "Give me some examples" works pretty well. Then list a few of your examples.

It's also worth using their own technique against them. With the SwiftLiars at work, I think more liberals should accuse Republicans of hating America and not supporting the troops.

But in general, our side needs to become more proactive. That means instead of trying to figure out how to counter the RW lies, we ought to simply go on the attack with the truth. Once we get THEM answering all charges, that's when we will start to win.

--bkl

[Nite Owl]

4. Bush is a coward.

That would really get to them. And he certainly is, he has to have others do all the dirty work and then act like he knows nothing. He'll send others off on his war venture but wouldn't go himself (remember he checked that box on the form) Then of course there's chickenhawk. That pertains to the whole group of them. Thing is whenever it comes up and a Dem is asked outright if * lied they back off. There have been opportunities. Sen Harkin called the Dick Cheney a coward the other day and it was a good opportunity for others to start picking it up but they refused.

[Erika]

6. Everytime

Kerry is questioned, ask what W was doing during the same time period. Shut the right wing down hard and fast. Dr. Dean could be a great help.

[sweetheart]

9. disengage it

Not buying their newspapers and unplugging the television works.

Unlike the republicans, a consciencous liberal starts at home,
with their own mind. Do not let the propaganda in to start with.
Disempower it, and write your own propaganda. Register voters,
help out at a homeless center.

Liberal propaganda speaks substance on the ground. They talk the
talk, and we walk the walk. The magnetic force of one person doing
justice by their own mind is more powerful than a million lies.

"Never, they own all the TV stations and there is no way that one
person can make a difference by switching off."
THAT is the subliminal propaganda talking.

The power of ones words is only as powerful as ones life, and the
repukes, for all their money, are a feeble cowardly lot.

[linazelle]

12. I want to believe that if we do the right things then it will all turn out

OK. But, I have become more of a cynic than I ever thought I'd be. The way things have gone since 2000, I'm not sure that everybody can live happily ever after just because we do good.

[sweetheart]

15. it won't turn out OK

Even with a Kerry win, it will take a generation to de-nazify the
republican congress. They will be spinning up lies and propaganda
deception for the next century.

I'm cynical as well, and am well aware of the lies, but rather
i treat their propaganda as "biohazard" and only handle small doses
with rubber gloves, to discover antidotes as you do by writing
here.

In sorcery and the black arts, the only way a dark agent can attack
you is by you letting them in. I don't mean your house, but your
mind and your life force. To defeat such a force, takes iron will
of disengagement. Turn them in to a tantrum 3 years old who mummy
is not listening to anymore. Scream scream scream proaganda.

Give me attention, give me your time, your conscience and your
life force... that is the problem. They leech the force to survive
out of the liberal public by feeding on them. All i suggest is
that they are kept from feeding on YOU by keeping the energy
attending to their screaming elsewhere. Your living power is magical.

Have faith. We all die in the end, and all we are is what we
lived for and loved. A warrior lives happily ever after by
dying well. It will turn out, that everything we fight for
is ultimately lost. To pin ones life hopes to winning is to
miss pinning the tail on the donkey. Winning is having faith.

[linazelle]

10. Heartless Republicans

They've taken away veteran's benefits; they have run the deficit up for future generations to pay; they promised to leave no child behind and did just that... Oh and their mascot? Dick--The Tin Man/If-I-Only-Had-A-Heart--Cheney.

:evilgrin:

[Maple]

11. It's called 'framing the language'

The scientific community lost the battle when they said 'global warming' instead of 'climate change'

Now on every cold day, they look like they're wrong.

They lost another battle when they chose 'genetic engineering'.

It's not nearly as effective as 'Frankenfood'

In politics, the word 'taxes' carrys all kinds of baggage.

Instead it should be the 'dues' you pay for being able to live in a civilized society.

'Tax and spend liberals' is a byword. How about 'not taxing, yet still spending'? That's what conservatives do, but nobody points it out.

It's all in the presentation.

In the old days, you could take time to spell something out, to have nuances, to explain a solution to a complex subject.

Today, you have a 20 second sound bite.

You either hit your mark in the time alloted, or you lose.

It's something the 'right wing' figured out, and the 'leftwing' hasn't as yet.

[linazelle]

13. Very well said and on point. n/t

[Erika]

14. How's This?

Where was George Bush while Kerry was in Nam? Where was Bush for the next 20 years? Does Bush get a brownie point for being a self declared drunk until he was 40?

[lostnfound]

17. Someone here said 'borrow and spend Republicans'

I thought that was really effective. Nicely parallels the 'tax and spend' idea so it's an easy one to remember...like an adbusters campaign!

[IdaBriggs]

18. Please start a separate thread for this wonderful message.

Its beautiful! :) Best, Ida

[AgadorSparticus]

16. how about..."no facts Iraq administration"? i like it because it rhymes

and it is catchy.

or the 'loose lips administration' for the plame leak

or "bushbait-n-switcheroo"

or "neocon-artists" (i saw this somewhere)

when i think of more, i'll come back and add them...

edit: ok. one more. "the bush botch job" in reference to whatever you want. he's screwed up so many things.

[DUreader]

19. This should be a weekly DU thread

a "sound-byte session?"