[Oberon]

I'll have to have a look at this. Sounds interesting.

I think part of the problem is what the media is allowed to say. I mean, reporters have to be careful what questions they ask certain people so as not to cause offense, but yes, I noted the careful absence of casualty figures for protesters in the tuition fees protests lately.
I would not be entirely surprised if such misleading reporting has been going on for years now, and only the people caught up in the event know any difference, but now that those people can go on the internet and say what they saw, the general public are able to piece together the picture for themselves without the news corporations piecing it together for them in their own particular way. Of course, it's not done in drastic ways like changing entire events, but subtly not mentioning things, or drawing more attention to one thing over another, it's easy to manipulate people through mass media, it always has been...

Originally Posted by Goering

Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.

Originally Posted by Hitler

All propaganda must be so popular and on such an intellectual level, that even the most stupid of those toward whom it is directed will understand it... Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way around, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise.

Originally Posted by Goebbels

“The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over”

The agendas may be different, but the principle is the same.