Propaganda is widely used in the world, and there are always benefits to propaganda. It depends on which side of the propaganda being shown you are on. Propaganda can be used by a dictator to put himself in a better light to his people, how Kim Jong Un does to his people. Propaganda can also do the direct opposite, and show the flaws of a type of system of government or criticize something that needs to be shown to the world that people don’t know about. Many cartoonists post political cartoons to show the flaws of a politician or of the government as a whole. It’s benefit there is that it’s notifying the people of an event that they would have not noticed if not for that propaganda, or for someone trying to encourage people to do something that would be convenient for the other side. For example, the government used propaganda of Uncle Sam to recruit soldiers for wars, or propaganda displaying the enemy in a negative light so the people would fund and help war effort. For each instance, propaganda has a beneficial side and a detrimental side. It affects one side negatively, impacting their way of doing things, form of government installed, etc. Then there’s also the positive side of propaganda, where it helps people realize things, influences people into doing things, helps government display a better image of them. There’s always a positive and negative side to almost everything, and propaganda is no exception.
I think the range of examples you used in this response really gets at the core principle of propaganda, it can be truly used for any different point of view and the examples you provided really show that.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you looked at multiple sides and perspectives to propaganda. It can be used for both bad and good. It all depends on who's looking at it. The US government's use of Uncle Sam is a great example of this. Most Americans wouldn't see it as a negative type of propaganda. But to a foreigner it might be seen as manipulation.
ReplyDeleteEven though I do understand and agree where you are coming from with propaganda can be both negative and positive. Do you believe propaganda is truthful even when the propaganda is encouraging? Like the Uncle Sam poster for war. Does it deceive young people and glorifies war rather than inform them the harsh reality of death and misery and hardship they will have to see in war.
ReplyDeleteI like how you explored both sides of propaganda. I think it is important that people see how both sides of it can work, for both the good and the bad. Propaganda usually comes with this negative connotation attached to it, and people fail to miss the good side of it.
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