Propaganda - Good or Bad?

I’ve always found it interesting to study propaganda posters and imagines when they have been presented in my history classes. I’m sure we can all recognize the famous American propaganda images from World War II.

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 Most would agree that these images may seem a little over the top or ridiculous; particularly the poster on the right in that it’s wildly racists. However, these type of images were produced with the goal of getting Americans into the war effort. They were used to motivate, inspire, and occasionally put fear into the hearts of a people. With images like these, along with odd social incentives, Americans really did get into the war effort. People saved rubber, children collected tin foil from abandoned cigarette packs, and women went to work. Ultimately, the goal of the images worked. The people themselves began to understand that there was an enemy that needed to be feared and combatted against.

What’s interesting to consider is that American propaganda is not unlike any other countries’ material. It may be unsavory to consider it, but our methods of manipulation to gain support are not unlike the methods used by the Nazi party and the Soviets. The supposed enemy is demonized, and hard work and dedication to the war-effort is exemplified. Transnationally, the methods seem to be identical. However, it is examples such as these that give propaganda a negative connotation, when really it is simple a forward for of rhetoric.

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 It’s a type of rhetoric that is seemingly used only in dire times. Such blatant bias is rarely displayed in times of peace, political or otherwise. To take a modern example, though it’s not on the same level as world war propaganda, we’ve all seen propaganda-esqu posts on the Internet associated with the SOPA/PIPA act, and now the ACTA proposition. Some people have even changed their profile picture to something that references SOPA’s censorship. It’s fair to say that these posts and images have the same intention of war propaganda, and they are indeed propaganda. People opposed to SOPA/PIPA and ACTA hope to gain support by developing harsh imagery usually associated with censorship so people will support their cause, and oppose the legislation. 

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It is still interesting to consider that perhaps propaganda is a “last resort” form of rhetoric to convince and indoctrinate people. Most advertisers prefer to use less noticeable methods to sell their product or idea.