"Bernay's honest and practical manual provides much insight into some of the most powerful and influential institutions of contemporary industrial-state capitalist democracies"
—Noam Chomsky
From the book cover:
Edward Bernays Propaganda
A fascinating and controversial look at how government and corporations control how we think and act, Propaganda outlines Edward Bernays's eerily prescient vision for regimenting the collective mind.
Originally published in 1928, this manual of mass manipulation provides a detailed examination of how public discourse and opinion are shaped and controlled in politics, business, art, education and science.
In a world dominated by political spin and media manipulation, Propaganda is an essential read for all who wish to understand how power is used by the ruling elite of our society.
About the Author
The nephew of Sigmund Freud, Edward Bernays (1891-1995) pioneered the scientific technique of shaping and manipulating public opinion, which he called "engineering of consent." During World War I, he was an integral part—along with Walter Lippmann—of the U.S. Committee on Public Information (CPI), a powerful propaganda machine that advertised and sold the war to the American people as one that would "Make the World Safe for Democracy."
The marketing strategies for all future wars would be based on the CPI model.
Over the next half century, Bernays, combining the techniques he had learned in the CPI with the ideas of Lippmann and Freud, fashioned a career as an outspoken proponent of propaganda for political and corporate manipulation of the population, earning the moniker "father of public relations."
Among his powerful clients were President Calvin Coolidge, Procter & Gamble, CBS, the American Tobacco Company and General Electric. In addition, his propaganda campaign for the United Fruit Company in the early 1950s led directly to the ClA's overthrow of the elected government of Guatemala.
Front Cover
Only through the active energy of the intelligent few can the public at large become aware of and act upon new ideas.
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Propaganda bears the same relation to education as to business or politics. It may be abused. It may be used to over-advertise an institution and to create in the public mind artificial values. There can be no absolute guarantee against its misuse.
A presidential candidate may be "drafted" in response to "overwhelming demand," but if is well known that his name may be decided upon by half a dozen men sitting around a table in a hotel room.
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Governments, whether they are monarchical, constitutional, democratic or communist, depend upon acquiescent public opinion for the success of their efforts and, in fact, government is government only by virtue of public acquiescence.
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As civilization has become more complex, and as the need for invisible government has been increasingly demonstrated, the technical means have been invented and developed by which opinion may be regimented.
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Nowadays the successors of the rulers, those whose position or ability gives them power, can no longer do what they want without the approval of the masses, they find in propaganda a tool which is increasingly powerful in gaining that approval.
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Democracy is administered by the intelligent minority who know how to regiment and guide the masses.
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An entire party, a platform, an international policy is sold to the public, or is not sold, on the basis of the intangible element of personality.
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ISBN 0-9703125-9-851395
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