Sometimes I'm surprised the US doesn't produce propaganda like other countries do

[GreenCardSeeker]

On Swedish state TV, we're spoonfed propaganda productions regularly, mostly with an anti-American bias, every scandal in the US that takes place gets extensive coverage. They feed people images of hordes of poor people, people that have served long prison sentences yet are later found to be innocent, etc etc. The government here makes sure the people are fed at least a weekly dosis of everything that's bad(objectively or subjectively) about the USA. The average Swede knows all about the importance Cheney has had in Bush's presidency, about Karl Rove, the supposed danger of the Christian right in the US and so on. Since US media actually report on the negative stuff in America, there's plenty of stuff for other countries to turn into propaganda.

On the other hand, Swedish massmedia and especially the state TV neglects to cover the bad sides of Sweden, the atrocities the government commits against Swedish citizens with the CPS laws, "hate laws" etc. Essentially they're just producing propaganda against the US to make up for shortcomings of the system here.

It struck me that the US doesn't seem to produce propaganda in its own defense, unlike the European countries. On Fox news or possibly other news channels, you might hear negative description of European societies, but I don't think I've ever seen actual propaganda productions depicting countries in a bad light, the kind we're being flooded with here in Sweden about the USA. It would be against the principles of the US form of government to produce peacetime propaganda of course, but you'd figure at least some private institutions were willing to pick up the torch and bring out all that's bad about European socialist societies. There's so much dirt to dig up.. I only have brief insight into other European countries, but I know that there's dirt there too that doesn't get covered, and Sweden has so many skeletons in its closet that could be internationally exposed yet aren't.

So the question is - why does the USA let itself get so smeared by other countries, and not even retaliating by doing the obvious and criticize the countries spreading the propaganda? The country should defend the traditional American way.

[Lovecraftian4Paul]

On Swedish state TV, we're spoonfed propaganda productions regularly, mostly with an anti-American bias, every scandal in the US that takes place gets extensive coverage. They feed people images of hordes of poor people, people that have served long prison sentences yet are later found to be innocent, etc etc. The government here makes sure the people are fed at least a weekly dosis of everything that's bad(objectively or subjectively) about the USA. The average Swede knows all about the importance Cheney has had in Bush's presidency, about Karl Rove, the supposed danger of the Christian right in the US and so on. Since US media actually report on the negative stuff in America, there's plenty of stuff for other countries to turn into propaganda.

On the other hand, Swedish massmedia and especially the state TV neglects to cover the bad sides of Sweden, the atrocities the government commits against Swedish citizens with the CPS laws, "hate laws" etc. Essentially they're just producing propaganda against the US to make up for shortcomings of the system here.

It struck me that the US doesn't seem to produce propaganda in its own defense, unlike the European countries. On Fox news or possibly other news channels, you might hear negative description of European societies, but I don't think I've ever seen actual propaganda productions depicting countries in a bad light, the kind we're being flooded with here in Sweden about the USA. It would be against the principles of the US form of government to produce peacetime propaganda of course, but you'd figure at least some private institutions were willing to pick up the torch and bring out all that's bad about European socialist societies. There's so much dirt to dig up.. I only have brief insight into other European countries, but I know that there's dirt there too that doesn't get covered, and Sweden has so many skeletons in its closet that could be internationally exposed yet aren't.

So the question is - why does the USA let itself get so smeared by other countries, and not even retaliating by doing the obvious and criticize the countries spreading the propaganda? The country should defend the traditional American way.

Well, I'm not sure about attacking the societies of most other countries, but media plus government definitely produce propaganda here in the US. Investigative journalism for anything that really matters is all but dead. Today, all the major media stations tend to eat up any line from the government without really questioning it. This instant token of credibility from the government given to it by media just feeds the state line to the people, many of whom rarely question government positions unless they're prompted to do so by others.

[GreenCardSeeker]

Well, I'm not sure about attacking the societies of most other countries, but media plus government definitely produce propaganda here in the US. Investigative journalism for anything that really matters is all but dead. Today, all the major media stations tend to eat up any line from the government without really questioning it. This instant token of credibility from the government given to it by media just feeds the state line to the people, many of whom rarely question government positions unless they're prompted to do so by others.

Yep, that's the case in all countries sadly. The socialist states of Europe go one step further and attempt to make other countries look worse to make themselves look better. What would be nice is having some institution in the US producing propaganda in defense of what America is about, and pointing out how much better it actually is than those self-promoting socialist states.

[Truth Warrior]

Arrogant Propaganda: US Propaganda During The First 10 Days of the US-Iraq War


by Paul de Rooij



April 1, 2003

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Articles3/DeRooij_Propaganda.htm

[ChickenHawk]

There are just too many competing media outlets in the US for them to produce full-on propaganda. If they did they would be exposed by the competition. That's not to say they don't produce propaganda. They just try to keep it close enough to the truth (or at least the perceived truth) that it's debatable.

Unfortunataly the propaganda that comes from foreign media is often used as proof that the US medai isn't reporting the truth. Some America hating news outlet in Europe or the ME will publish a story and the "God damn America" crowd will just lap it up while claiming everthing on Fox or CNN is lies.

[Truth Warrior]

PROPAGANDA

By EDWARD L. BERNAYS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays)

("The Father of Modern Public Relations")
1928
CONTENTS

I.Organizing Chaos

II.The New Propaganda

III.The New Propagandists

IV.The Psychology of Public Relations

V.Business And The Public

VI.Propaganda And Political Leadership

VII.Women's Activities And Propaganda

VIII.Propaganda for Education

IX.Propaganda in Social Service

X.Art and Science

XI.The Mechanics of Propaganda

http://www.pentaside.org/article/propaganda-bernays-1928.html

[RickyJ]

Sometimes I'm surprised the US doesn't produce propaganda like other countries do

What planet are you living on?

The USA government and America's main stream media produces non-stop propaganda!

They are the masters of it. Every other county is mere ammeters compared to them.

Their biggest propaganda piece recently is that 19 Arabs hijacked planes and took three skyscrapers down and hit the Pentagon.

[phixion]

On Swedish state TV, we're spoonfed propaganda productions regularly, mostly with an anti-American bias, every scandal in the US that takes place gets extensive coverage. They feed people images of hordes of poor people, people that have served long prison sentences yet are later found to be innocent, etc etc. The government here makes sure the people are fed at least a weekly dosis of everything that's bad(objectively or subjectively) about the USA. The average Swede knows all about the importance Cheney has had in Bush's presidency, about Karl Rove, the supposed danger of the Christian right in the US and so on. Since US media actually report on the negative stuff in America, there's plenty of stuff for other countries to turn into propaganda.

On the other hand, Swedish massmedia and especially the state TV neglects to cover the bad sides of Sweden, the atrocities the government commits against Swedish citizens with the CPS laws, "hate laws" etc. Essentially they're just producing propaganda against the US to make up for shortcomings of the system here.

It struck me that the US doesn't seem to produce propaganda in its own defense, unlike the European countries. On Fox news or possibly other news channels, you might hear negative description of European societies, but I don't think I've ever seen actual propaganda productions depicting countries in a bad light, the kind we're being flooded with here in Sweden about the USA. It would be against the principles of the US form of government to produce peacetime propaganda of course, but you'd figure at least some private institutions were willing to pick up the torch and bring out all that's bad about European socialist societies. There's so much dirt to dig up.. I only have brief insight into other European countries, but I know that there's dirt there too that doesn't get covered, and Sweden has so many skeletons in its closet that could be internationally exposed yet aren't.

So the question is - why does the USA let itself get so smeared by other countries, and not even retaliating by doing the obvious and criticize the countries spreading the propaganda? The country should defend the traditional American way.

Are you insane?

How about how the US media reports/has reported on:

9/11
al-Qaida
Iraq
Iran
The Bailout
Russia
Bush Impeachment

Let us also not forget how they ignored the Ron Paul phenomena.. the biggest modern political change and following to occur in American politics in decades.

The mainstream media the majority of Americans are subjected to is patently under control of special interests including but not limited to the US government, notably the CIA and the presidents office.

If you believe otherwise you are mistaken.

Pete

[sailor]

So the question is - why does the USA let itself get so smeared by other countries, and not even retaliating by doing the obvious and criticize the countries spreading the propaganda?

1. Because Americans are self-centered and don`t care about what goes on abroad.

2. Because Americans already know they live in the "greatest country on earth".

3. Because what goes on in Sweden is not really important. It is not a superpower.

4. Because Americans already expect that they should have it the best way. It does nothing for them to show them other places have it worse.

[GreenCardSeeker]

Are you insane?

How about how the US media reports/has reported on:

9/11
al-Qaida
Iraq
Iran
The Bailout
Russia
Bush Impeachment

Let us also not forget how they ignored the Ron Paul phenomena.. the biggest modern political change and following to occur in American politics in decades.

The mainstream media the majority of Americans are subjected to is patently under control of special interests including but not limited to the US government, notably the CIA and the presidents office.

If you believe otherwise you are mistaken.

Pete

I guess I could have been more clear. What I meant was the things that are vital to the longterm perception of the country, not what the government has the news channels say to push through a specific measure. Things like the American dream, the reasons so many people want to come to the country, the protection the legal system gives the individual from the state and so on. And contrasting this with how life is in the socialist countries that don't enjoy these freedoms. I mean, if Americans in general had insight into how Sweden really is, they wouldn't let people praising it as a model country remain uncontradicted. The propaganda the country could use is critical depictions of other countries, so Americans would know why their country is great. That would also provide the hope people need to reclaim their country from measures such as the patriot act, knowing that at its core, the USA has superior traditions, it's way ahead of the European countries.

[sailor]

What planet are you living on?


Are you insane?

You people didn`t understand what he was talking about. Russian evening news actually have a part called "Not only in Russia" (something like that) towards the end where they will show how something is even more messed up in some other country than in Russia.

American media just doesn`t do that. Yes they will demonise Iran, but only from the position of ignorance. The media itself has absolutley no knowledge of the Iranian domestic politics and society. And it doesn`t care.

Europeans on the other hand know relativley much about America and always like to get to know even more so they can feel superior to the "stupid", "racist", "redneck" Americans. Americans however don`t care to know about the Europeans.

[Ozwest]

GreenCardSeeker,

You are taking the piss. :D

[SeanEdwards]

I think shrugging off external criticism is a sign of strength and confidence.

Consider the contrast between America's national indifference to negative reporting from Sweden, with China's obsessive repression of any criticism. It's now come to light that Chinese authorities filter and record the content of online peer to peer chat programs, to block any mention of Tibet, or Taiwan, and to track down the individuals talking about such forbidden ideas so they can be "re-educated". China is taking a very active hand in squashing any negative commentary about their society, and all of their efforts just seem to highlight the fragility of that society.

[Ozwest]

GreenCardSeeker,

Bring your research team to Australia (include some of your female friends), they love our sunshine.:)

[Ozwest]

GreenCardSeeker,

Why would you want to leave Sweden when you are blessed with the most beautiful women in the world?

[heavenlyboy34]

GreenCardSeeker,

Why would you want to leave Sweden when you are blessed with the most beautiful women in the world?

To find better looking, smart ones in Russia! ;)

[Ozwest]

To find better looking, smart ones in Russia! ;)

No way! Swedish women are smart and sexy.

And..

Tan so beautifully.

[Chabsfromcanada]

The USA doesnt need long term propoganda. Anything that needs to be "told" to the American people can be told in one evening on the news. It would seriously take one or two days to change public perception of a story or event. And after that evening, the people would be ready to go to war if thats what they were told was necessary.

[Ozwest]

A lot of Swedish backpackers in Australia.

I've partied with a few, and they are good people.

[Dr.3D]

I tend to wonder if the U.S. doesn't produce propaganda. Propaganda is seldom noticed by those it is aimed at.

[Ozwest]

I tend to wonder if the U.S. doesn't produce propaganda. Propaganda is seldom noticed by those it is aimed at.

Are you kidding?

[Dr.3D]

Are you kidding?

You don't believe the United States produces propaganda?

[Ozwest]

You don't believe the United States produces propaganda?

"The good Lord gave you a body that can stand almost anything. It's your mind you have to convince."

Vince Lombardi ---

[Dr.3D]

"The good Lord gave you a body that can stand almost anything. It's your mind you have to convince."

Vince Lombardi ---

I don't see how that was an answer to my question.

[Sarge]

You have got to be kidding. MSM shoves propaganda down your throat every day with what they are told they can or can not say.

No more Ed Morrow, reporting, who would not bow down.

If not, Dr. Paul would have been allowed to speak. They did everything they could to shut him up.

How quick people forget.

[Ozwest]

I don't see how that was an answer to my question.

What do you reckon I think?

Would you like to carve this up into little pieces and dissect each minutia?

[RockEnds]

If the stuff on the 'news' 24/7 isn't propaganda, I don't know what it is. We are absolutely bombarded by propaganda. It's hard to talk about the weather without someone spouting some talking point from the MSM. We are drowning in propaganda.

[heavenlyboy34]

No way! Swedish women are smart and sexy.

And..

Tan so beautifully.

you must not know many Russian women. Trust me, they're faaaaabulous! ;) Very smart ladies. The ones I know are linguists, classical musicians, writers, and such other intellectuals. Not to put down Swedes or anything, since I haven't met one in person...JMHO

[RockEnds]

I don't have cable, so most of what I hear from the MSM is through news websites or YouTube. A couple weeks ago, I took my youngest son to the doctor, and there was a news channel on the tv in the waiting room. I left my glasses in the car, so I couldn't see the station id in the corner, but I heard 'Satan' mentioned so many times in a row, I determined it must be FOX news. I got up to check, and sure enough it was.

I was left wondering how anyone could possibly take that stuff seriously. I mean, WWF does a better job at making things appear real.

[Perry]

On Swedish state TV, we're spoonfed propaganda productions regularly, mostly with an anti-American bias, every scandal in the US that takes place gets extensive coverage. They feed people images of hordes of poor people, people that have served long prison sentences yet are later found to be innocent, etc etc. The government here makes sure the people are fed at least a weekly dosis of everything that's bad(objectively or subjectively) about the USA. The average Swede knows all about the importance Cheney has had in Bush's presidency, about Karl Rove, the supposed danger of the Christian right in the US and so on. Since US media actually report on the negative stuff in America, there's plenty of stuff for other countries to turn into propaganda.

On the other hand, Swedish massmedia and especially the state TV neglects to cover the bad sides of Sweden, the atrocities the government commits against Swedish citizens with the CPS laws, "hate laws" etc. Essentially they're just producing propaganda against the US to make up for shortcomings of the system here.

It struck me that the US doesn't seem to produce propaganda in its own defense, unlike the European countries. On Fox news or possibly other news channels, you might hear negative description of European societies, but I don't think I've ever seen actual propaganda productions depicting countries in a bad light, the kind we're being flooded with here in Sweden about the USA. It would be against the principles of the US form of government to produce peacetime propaganda of course, but you'd figure at least some private institutions were willing to pick up the torch and bring out all that's bad about European socialist societies. There's so much dirt to dig up.. I only have brief insight into other European countries, but I know that there's dirt there too that doesn't get covered, and Sweden has so many skeletons in its closet that could be internationally exposed yet aren't.

So the question is - why does the USA let itself get so smeared by other countries, and not even retaliating by doing the obvious and criticize the countries spreading the propaganda? The country should defend the traditional American way.

Why should we need to defend ourselves?
We are the greatest people on earth. In fact we know that we are so great and so superior to other peoples and nations that we don't even hear you dis us.

If I have one person screaming in one ear and one person whispering in the other who am I going to hear?

The truth is that we don't listen because we are a great and civilized people and anyone who thinks lowly of us is either a dirty foreigner or simply jealous.

[Ozwest]

you must not know many Russian women. Trust me, they're faaaaabulous! ;) Not to put down Swedes or anything, since I haven't met one in person...JMHO

Nothing against Russians, but down in the land of Oz we get many backpackers, and the Swedes are a good lot. :D

[Dr.3D]

What do you reckon I think?

Would you like to carve this up into little pieces and dissect each minutia?

Again, you don't give any kind of an answer. I guess you don't have one.

[Ozwest]

Again, you don't give any kind of an answer. I guess you don't have one.

I lived in America for 17 years.

I used to do "duck and cover" drills for Nuke attacks.

Does that answer your question?

[Dr.3D]

I lived in America for 17 years.

I used to do "duck and cover" drills for Nuke attacks.

Does that answer your question?

Yes, and I guess you would probably remember how they used to point at the Soviet Union and China and say, they were bad because they had government controlled television, radio and press. Of course we know now, the U.S. also has government controlled television, radio and press too.

[Ozwest]

I just turned 50.

[Ozwest]

Sirens, sticking your head under the desk.

Propaganda?

[Ozwest]

Yes, and I guess you would probably remember how they used to point at the Soviet Union and China and say, they were bad because they had government controlled television, radio and press. Of course we know now, the U.S. also has government controlled television, radio and press too.

Guess we are on the same page.

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

Sometimes I'm surprised the US doesn't produce propaganda like other countries do

I'd say they're much better at it. In the US, they don't do it on "state TV" because that would be too obvious. They do it on what is believed to be independently owned TV stations. And they often disguise it as news stories, just like companies also produce paid advertisements that are cloacked as news stories.

[Ozwest]

I'd say they're much better at it. In the US, they don't do it on "state TV" because that would be too obvious. They do it on what is believed to be independently owned TV stations. And they often disguise it as news stories, just like companies also produce paid advertisements that are cloacked as news stories.

In case you didn't realize, GreenCardSeeker was having a "go" or "winding you up."

In yank terms, it was a cross between a "cut down," and being facetious.

Good fun.

[Ozwest]

A Swedish GreenCardSeeker?

:D

[Maverick]

I'd say they're much better at it. In the US, they don't do it on "state TV" because that would be too obvious. They do it on what is believed to be independently owned TV stations. And they often disguise it as news stories, just like companies also produce paid advertisements that are cloacked as news stories.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_news_release

I wrote a paper on these once.

[Mini-Me]

On Swedish state TV, we're spoonfed propaganda productions regularly, mostly with an anti-American bias, every scandal in the US that takes place gets extensive coverage. They feed people images of hordes of poor people, people that have served long prison sentences yet are later found to be innocent, etc etc. The government here makes sure the people are fed at least a weekly dosis of everything that's bad(objectively or subjectively) about the USA. The average Swede knows all about the importance Cheney has had in Bush's presidency, about Karl Rove, the supposed danger of the Christian right in the US and so on. Since US media actually report on the negative stuff in America, there's plenty of stuff for other countries to turn into propaganda.

On the other hand, Swedish massmedia and especially the state TV neglects to cover the bad sides of Sweden, the atrocities the government commits against Swedish citizens with the CPS laws, "hate laws" etc. Essentially they're just producing propaganda against the US to make up for shortcomings of the system here.

It struck me that the US doesn't seem to produce propaganda in its own defense, unlike the European countries. On Fox news or possibly other news channels, you might hear negative description of European societies, but I don't think I've ever seen actual propaganda productions depicting countries in a bad light, the kind we're being flooded with here in Sweden about the USA. It would be against the principles of the US form of government to produce peacetime propaganda of course, but you'd figure at least some private institutions were willing to pick up the torch and bring out all that's bad about European socialist societies. There's so much dirt to dig up.. I only have brief insight into other European countries, but I know that there's dirt there too that doesn't get covered, and Sweden has so many skeletons in its closet that could be internationally exposed yet aren't.

So the question is - why does the USA let itself get so smeared by other countries, and not even retaliating by doing the obvious and criticize the countries spreading the propaganda? The country should defend the traditional American way.

A few months ago, a Russian citizen explained the difference very well during the midst of the Georgia/Russia conflict and all of the anti-Russian, pro-Georgian western propaganda. (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4535173.ece)

“In the old days under Soviet rule we didn't believe a word of our own propaganda but we thought that information was free in the West and we longed for it,” said Katya, a middle-aged Muscovite. “But we have learnt since that the West has its own propaganda and in some ways it is more powerful because people believe it."
American propaganda is so effective because it's subtle enough that hardly anybody questions it. More blatant propaganda spots on TV would ruin the effect.

[Truth Warrior]

PROPAGANDA

By EDWARD L. BERNAYS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays)

("The Father of Modern Public Relations")
1928

http://www.pentaside.org/article/propaganda-bernays-1928.html

[v00513]

According to history books, nothing after May 09, 1945 is propaganda. It's just news and entertainment -- I'll leave you blokes to figure out their distinctions. ;)

[lucius]

"Our Western history is every bit as distorted, censored and largely useless as that of Hitler's Germany or the Soviet Union or Communist China..."

Dr. Anthony Sutton, a Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institute