“Fortunately, the sincere and gifted politician is able, by the instrument of propaganda, to mold and form the will of the people.” Edward Bernays
This chapter lays out the skeleton of how big business and politics have been linked together for years. Without a doubt Donald Trump proved this to be true. I have seen many 'election' campaigns come and go. I have seen people who were invigorating get ignored and pushed under the rug.
Let's look at the 2016 Presidential Campaign. Around about mid-February, it became clear that someone like Marco Rubio wouldn't be a choice candidate for the average American citizen. Marco is good-looking, well-dressed, and well-spoken. While he sang the Republican party bullshit song, he was too young. Arrogant to no end. Donald Trump was kind of the polar opposite. Like Marco Trump is well dressed and when he wants to be he can be well-spoken. When it comes to egos they are both the definition of narcissism. The difference is their approach to matters. Marco Rubio had that respectful and polite mannerism that Hispanic people are known for. Trump can bullshit with the best of them. He can be as demeaning as anyone else in this country. To be honest he represents the personality of most Americans. Most Americans liked Trump's crassness. His biggest bullshit campaign promise he had zero intent on carrying out was "Hillary for Prison". That was his slogan. That and he painted himself as a 'Washington DC Outsider'. Also, there was the 'Drain The Swamp' and 'Make America Great Again' slogan. Okay, so he borrowed the last two from prior presidents. At the inaugural dinner, Trump did something that should've been a hint to where his loyalties lie, he thanked Hillary and her husband for their years of service. Not only did he fail to drain the swamp, but he put sideboards on it and made it deeper.
This is just one case of big business having learned to use propaganda and political business failed to do so. A good example of this is 'The Future of Work' dilemma we as a society are facing. The big business realized quickly in 2020 they will have to make changes. That's changing the way we work. Some people who worked in offices with children were able to work from home. As you remember in 2020 schools were closed and parents who had child care no longer had it. Most businesses took maybe a week (or two) to make adjustments to their software so they could monitor their employees during work hours. Many people were drawing unemployment for a year because their jobs permanently ended. However, politicians, the very people who caused this disaster, decided to throw corporations a bone valued in the billions. You and I got an approximate total of $3k that's combining two checks at or over a thousand and one at six hundred. The result: we all know how much corporations got. While some received a 'hazard' pay, many companies demanded that money back. Yeah! Now there's a worker shortage because people are pissed off and are starting to refuse to work for these assholes. That makes me happy. While corporations are learning who does the real work and who doesn't, politicians are operating in a nutshell which prohibits them from getting that idea.
Many things have changed dramatically since 1928 when this book was originally published. We have the technology they didn't have then. However, what hasn't changed is how arrogant politicians are. Actually, they are worse now. We have hit a point where propagandists are the puppets at the broadcast desk. And vice versa. Politicians now are completely useless except for brainwashing and populist control. It's pathetic. We have become the laughing stock of the world. Unfortunately, Ukrainian citizens are being dragged along.
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