Could someone add a brief note with the etymology of the word? It comes from a Catholic Church congregation, the "Congregatio Propaganda something", the congragation for the propagation of faith. I don't do it myself because i don't remember the exact name.
Congregatio de propaganda fide; propaganda is a future participle, meaning that which ought to be propagated.
A great example for scapegoating is a joke I know: When Kruschev was forced out of office in the Soviet Union, he wrote two letters for his successor. One was addressed, "Open me if you have a crisis." The second one was addressed, "Open me if you have a second crisis." Sure enough, something went wrong and Kruschev's successor had a crisis. He opened the first envelope, and it said, "Blame it on me." So the successor blamed it all on Kruschev, and everything got better. Not long after, a second crisis came up. The successor opened the leter, and it began, "Write two letters..."
- D
I don't agree that propaganda is generally most extreme within totalitarian systems, if only because it seems unnecessary whenever a person can be executed or "disappeared" for dissension. I'd have to argue that propaganda seems more necessary in "open" societies. But again, I'm neither a sociologist nor a, um, political scientist, and I'm sure data in this area--especially data to be trusted--are hard to come by.
- Propaganda, like censorship, is generally most extreme within totalitarian systems, and probably can be expected to increase, or decrease, as a government becomes more, or less, despotic.
I've removed this from the main page, because it's a controversial claim, which is not attributed or supported. I think propaganda techniques are used very commonly outside totalitarian governmental systems.
In fact most of the propaganda I see comes from large corporations. All you need to do is take some time looking at advertising, and you'll be able to find examples of nearly all of the propaganda techniques explained on the main page. Moreover, the use of film, radio, television, and print media in a concerted way -- which is typical of a large scale propaganda campaign -- is also characteristic of a major advertising blitz. MRC
I agree. Personally, I think the definition above has it backwards, and that within totalitarian systems there's less need of propaganda, since the consequences of dissent are both extreme and swift, whereas in a democracy or republic the best way to keep the natives down is to indoctrinate them. Yes, IMHO, this includes the U.S. :-) --KQ
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