Just like it's modern equivalent, political spin, the turn propaganda is generally accepted to mean an attempt to manipulate a whole population's thoughts, attitudes and beliefs by a variety of means which include, but are not limited to, radio and television broadcasts, music, insignia, Cheer leading, speeches, rabble rousing, and newspaper articles. The difference between propaganda and the free exchange of opinions is that the propagandist is not interested in hearing any other points of view, but intends only to push forward the official line of thought. Facts become myths, lies become truths and logic is seconded to mob emotion. A propaganda exercise is stage-managed with the express purpose of blotting out as many influences as possible that can divert the audience, and prevent the message from being expressed firmly and effectively.

There are those who claim that propaganda is merely another form of education. True education however leaves room for doubt, and a good teacher should show reasons why teachings should be doubted as well as accepted, should show evidence of both the truth and possible untruths inherent in every theory or hypothesis. Furthermore, a pupil should be taught to examine the evidence available and come to an independent conclusion based upon the perceived facts of every case; there is no room for logic and examination in propaganda, which is one of its greatest strengths; most people are inherently intellectually lazy, and it is far easier to accept as inarguable truths concepts which emanate from seemingly authoritative sources, rather than to examine these concepts, dissect the claims made by the propagandist and work out counter arguments. Propaganda is therefore more effective on the idle, indolent and less intelligent than it is on those who are more accustomed to reaching conclusions and decisions of their own.

We were told that Saddam Hussein had 'weapons of mass destruction'. The message was given to us by no less a person than the President of the United States and it was repeated by the British Prime minister and the top officials of both governments. The doubts of those who thought for themselves were swept aside and the official message was repeated over and over again in newspapers and on the television and radio, at huge stage-managed political rallies and by subliminal whispering. The lie became a fact, and facts were dismissed as lies. The result has been hundreds of thousands of deaths, of men, women and children, most of whom were guilty of nothing more than being of the wrong nationality, in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

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