UFOs, Moonbats, and Other Sky-High Hoaxes

It's no secret to anyone that sometimes the least well-informed people are the hardest to convince of the truth. What's more, even though most of us can personally identify a situation in which we were forced to interact with one of these people, we can rarely (or are unwilling to) identify a time in which we were on the other side of the argument, simply because we tend not to think of ourselves as lacking information or being misinformed. Up until this chapter of unSpun, however, it had never occurred to me that there might be some sort of neurological explanation for why we tend to make the mistakes and hold the opinions we do, and this revelation is both uplifting and depressing. On one hand, I can partially blame the mistakes I make in thinking on something that is initially beyond my control - the natural reactions of the brain. On the other hand, however, there are now two things I must overcome when processing new information: my own natural laziness, AND the product of thousands of years of evolutionary brain biology.

What I found most interesting in chapter four was the section entitled 'This Is Your Brain on Politics.' Studies have showed that not only are our brain willing and ready to accept propaganda that supports our views without questioning, but that rather than reasonably considering this information, we feel emotionally rewarded when we reformulate such (often incorrect) information to meet our needs. I am intensely curious as to how this function of the brain developed and evolved within our species, because I can see no reason why it would help us to survive, especially if it keeps us from processing information we may need to survive. Did it develop in early humans when rival tribes fought in order to keep ourselves from being easily tricked? Was it some form of a defense mechanism? In any case, it is a dangerous shortcut key that our computer minds should be sure to avoid, because though it may be naturally present in us, it is like a cancer that, should it be allowed to take control, could very well lead to terrible outcomes.

I don't really know if this counts as propaganda, but at the very least they're suggesting that Russians like Lynard Skynard and epic choral arrangements.

http://www.tothepointnews.com/content/view/3114/85/

Response the First

The most interesting part about this book so far for me is that it has presented propaganda in an entirely different manner than I've always thought of it. For some reason, the word has always called to mind brainwashed zombies, hundreds of thousands of soldiers in uniforms marching together in some ridiculously elaborate goose step, or some other equally horrifying, epic image of colossal obedience. What I did not realize, however, is how much of what goes into making commercials and the like - the framing, weasel words, eye candy, glittering generalities and whatnot - is actually really propaganda. In my head, the practice had always just been a part of advertising, which goes to show you the power words can have in situation. Advertising is a method of making a living, a career field. Propaganda is what has caused some of the worst atrocities in history, and the very sound of it brings to mind something evil.

But propaganda can work in quiet ways, and indeed it seems to work best when it is silent, stealthy, and personalized; it is easiest to convince people when they believe they have come to the decision themselves. This can very much be seen in advertising in this country, where so many commercials are aimed directly at the audience member viewing them. Instead of expounding on the product's own intrinsic value for its own sake, companies will write commercials that go something like "How many times has this happened to YOU?", forcing viewers to inadvertently make a personal connection. Advertisers do some of their most effective work when they pair personal connection with audience members' own insecurities, as the wildly successful Listerine bridesmaid campaign reveals. This can also be seen in situations such as makeup and diet commercials, where uncommonly gorgeous models are generally used to show people what they really should look like, and (possibly) could if they bought the company's product. So far, reading this book has shown me that pretty much all a company has to do to create an effective propaganda-filled commercial is make it inconspicious, force their audience to relate, and make sure it's in a way that leaves them feeling either insecure or paranoid. No truth or assembly required.