“Your’e either with us or your’e with the terrorists”

Above is a famous quote from George W Bush following the fateful events of 9/11 and a very strong example of what modern-day propaganda is all about. Surely you can disagree with the US governments decision to invade Iraq and Afghanistan, and the imposition of the patriot act and homeland security without supporting the “supposed” terrorists? Nowadays propaganda, through the power of media, is about polarising opinion, painting issues as black or white. If you disagree with the EU superstate you are xenophobic, if you express an opinion on immigration you are racist. These examples, and many others are clearly not correct, your problem with an EU superstate may have nothing to do with your feelings about other European citizens, your argument against immigration may be because you believe immigrants are being exploited, or genuine concerns that the welfare state cannot cope with more non-working migrants.

Propaganda is the art of manufacturing or creating consent or agreement. The grandfather of propaganda was Edward Bernays (1891 – 1995) a nephew of Sigmund Freud.