Eric Hoffer, in his work The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, had this to say about the use of persuasion and coercion:
We tend today to exaggerate the effectiveness of persuasion as a means of inculcating opinion and shaping behavior. We see in propoganda a formidable instrument. To its skillful use we attribute many of the startling successes of the mass movements of our time, and we have come to fear the word as much as the sword....
The gifted propagandist brings to a boil ideas and passions already simmering in the minds of his hearers. He echoes their innermost feelings. Where opinion is not coerced, people can be made to believe only in what they already "know." (page 105)
Atrios posted a link to a short film that highlights how the GOP have used 9/11 to perpetuate their mismanaged war on terror (the invasion of Iraq) and along with it invoked fear. The clips used in the short film were taken from talks at the Republican National Convention in August by George Bush, Dick Cheney, Laura Bush, Pataki, McCain, Arnold, Zell, and others. It is a clever method to analyze their talks by focusing on how many times they used specfic phrases and talking points to achieve what they desired.
To see the short film, click here.
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