(http://www.reference.com/search?q=propoganda)
This week we covered the first chapter of Thussu’s novel, “ The Historical Context of International Communication”, which heavily focused on the historical development of communication technologies and its tight relationship with international politics. During lecture we began with a discussion of the nation state and contemplated the significant role that communication systems have played in influencing the nation state throughout history. The chapter provided a thorough account of the historical relationship between the early communication forms such as the telegraph and radio and their tight connection to the structure of international politics and international military action. What specifically caught my interest was the examination of radio and its role as a predominant and important tool for broadcasting early forms of propaganda. Thussu described the radio’s integral interrelationship with propaganda and its use in disseminating information during many historical war periods to gain dominance; the Russian communists utilized the radio to broadcast their interests and promote their political views, the German Nazi’s also participated, heavily relying on radio as a prime tool for perpetuating their anti-semitic ideologies. Thussu explained the amount of power that this early communication form possessed during these highly intense political time periods, contributing greatly to the manipulation of the beliefs and values held by those within various nation states. Essentially, the radio provided these politics groups and other forms of government with the means to acquire power and perpetuate their ideals in a way that was both effective and efficient, providing them with the opportunity to reach incredibly broad audiences. Crossing the boundaries of neighboring nation states, the Nazis in Germany could disseminate propaganda across the globe and garner supporters. Radio, although a primitive and early communication medium, provided these types of political groups with exactly what they needed at that time, an essential means to disseminate their propaganda in order to manipulate public opinion.
When I reflect and think about more modern forms of propaganda, I instinctively think of military advertisements and commercials. I think of recent commercials I have seen for the Canadian Military or the American Armed Forces; I rarely think of propaganda functioning on an international level for other international political or military purposes. However, without a doubt, there proves to be a significant appearance of propaganda within modern political conflicts, mainly observed in conflicts between the U.S and the Middle East. As part of the United States ‘strategized plan’, the U.S recently incorporated the use of propaganda as a technique to manipulate the values and beliefs of the citizens of the Middle East. The U.S essentially planned to develop an intensified propaganda program to help ‘win the hearts and minds’ of the people of the Middle East and basically try to get them to favor the American way of life. Their propaganda model has been thought to include things like: the establishment of a radio station to broadcast pop music, Eminem, and an American slant on the news to young listeners, the creation of Arabic-language web sites, and the placement of U.S. government-sponsored commercials and advertisements in Middle Eastern media outlets. These types of modern propoganda techniques initiated for political manipulation prove to be very interesting given their distinct similarity to previous historical methods utilized during the 17th and 18th century. Some things just have not changed. As a global leader, the U.S, following the footsteps of previously powerful nation states, have attempted to manipulate the values and beliefs of another nation state to essentially gain power and dominate; a trend that obviously and evidently continues to plague throughout history.
- Another interesting and recent instance where the U.S utilized propoganda as a means of control, involves the conflict between the U.S troops and the Taliban. The U.S used the early communication technology of the radio to communicate to the Taliban troops and manipulate them to surrender; specifically broadcasting messages reinforcing the surrender of the Taliba troops in Afghanistan;
Here's a complete text of one broadcast that I thought would be interesting to include on my post: "Attention Taliban! You are condemned. Did you know that? The instant the terrorists you support took over our planes, you sentenced yourselves to death. The Armed Forces of the United States are here to seek justice for our dead. Highly trained soldiers are coming to shut down once and for all Osama bin Laden's ring of terrorism, and the Taliban that supports them and their actions.
"Our forces are armed with state of the art military equipment. What are you using, obsolete and ineffective weaponry? Our helicopters will rain fire down upon your camps before you detect them on your radar. Our bombs are so accurate we can drop them right through your windows. Our infantry is trained for any climate and terrain on earth. United States soldiers fire with superior marksmanship and are armed with superior weapons” (http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/10/17/ret.us.propaganda/)
The US troops thought that by broadcasting these messages over and over via the radio, they could manipulate the Afghani troops to surrender. Unfortunately these messages proved to be unsuccessful, but they are clear examples of how relevant the use of the radio is for the international broadcasting of modern propoganda. It seems relevant and proves to be interesting to examine these communication mediums such as the radio etc in terms of international politics as they greatly contribute to the structure of military functioning between and within nation states.
Thussu, Daya Kishan. " The Historical Context of International Communication." International Communication: Continuity and Change. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/10/17/ret.us.propaganda/
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB78/essay.htm
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB78/essay.htm
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