It’s ironic how election season exposes those who actually hate “self-governance.” These are politicians who constantly spout the now-known “seven common propaganda devices.”
“Now known” because America watched a corrupt German regime use these very devices to manipulate an otherwise hospitable, enlightened and hard-working people into unspeakably atrocious acts while all humanity stood shocked in disbelief.
In 1937, as Hitler and Nazism rose to power, patriotic American business leaders, teachers and philosophers supportive of the “American experiment” joined to form “The Institute for Propaganda Analysis,” the first (and in my view, better for you) IPA. IPA’s mission was to call out Nazi propagandist “tricks,” revealing their immaculately disguised lies.
IPA‘s second publication listed the now-famous “seven common propaganda devices.” At the heart and center of the list was the Führer’s favorite go-to: “glittering generality.”
Glittering generalities are defined as “emotionally appealing phrases (such as ‘freedom’, ‘honor’, or ‘justice’) associated with highly valued concepts that carry conviction, but without supporting information or reason.” When such words are bandied about without detail, they whip up emotion lacking purpose, strong feelings for later manipulation and misdirection.
The danger of “glittering generality” was one of the main themes in George Orwell’s novel “1984.” In that novel, society’s manipulators constantly promoted Peace, Freedom and Strength. But by peace, they meant war. Freedom was actually slavery, and strength was their term for ignorance.
Here are some examples of glittering generalities being tossed out in this year’s politics:
“Local control” means Boise legislators tell your local librarian where to shelve books and your local planning and zoning how many homes to stack on an acre.
“Fiscal responsibility” means taxing you to pay for more newsletter writers and social media managers so your legislators can do a better job of “oversight.”
“Freedom” means creating a massive new state bureaucracy to tax and regulate sales of an herb the FDA deems has minimal pain relief value, but does serious long-term harm to mental acuity, undermining in youth their ability to judge right from wrong.
In every case, the problem is lack of specifics and no clarifying definition. “Peace through strength” is a glittering generality right up until the logic is defended, historical parallels cited, and specific examples provided. Then it describes a military posture that is “prepared” so foreign aggressors don’t see weakness, and military conflict is swift and decisively resolved.
The Idaho Republican Party officially endorses detail and not glittering generality. A permanent resolution unanimously enacted and announced by the full 200+ central committee on the steps of Idaho’s Capitol asks that all legislation be subject to five lines of inquiry. They are:
Secure the blessings of liberty. Does this bill enhance or detract from personal responsibility, freedom or liberty?
Uphold the Constitution: Is state government constitutionally responsible for this service, program or activity? If so, does it duplicate any existing state function? Could the private sector perform the function more cost-efficiently and effectively?
Promote the common good: Does this bill service one or more broad public purposes? In what ways?
Weigh costs: Do short- and long-term benefits from this bill outweigh its short- and long-term costs?
Measure results: What measurable results are expected from this bill? How and when will they be measured? Who is responsible for measurement? (IRCC Resolution 01-03)
Keep these questions in mind. The next politician saying, “Vote for me, I’m for liberty,” ask if “liberty” is government services no one pays for, or pollution and reckless behavior that puts life and property at risk without consequence.
Sometimes a candidate is just a newbie, unaware of details. But “newbie” image, also called “I’m just one of the folks,” is another IPA-identified trick. More likely, the candidate considers themself smarter than you and counts on you not recognizing the propaganda.
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