Wilder on Psyops and Propaganda

John Wilder's latest is entitled "Making The Invisible Hand Visible: Psyops and the War for Our Minds." The title is, I think, a nod to Adam Smith's description of prices and production being guided as if by an invisible hand. But as marketing and advertising are primarily forms of propaganda (see Lawrence Freedman's book, Strategy) the invisible hand may be invisible, but it may not be completed guided by market forces. 

    In any event, Wilder discusses the history of propaganda as a science, rooted, no less, than in the works of Sigmund Freud's nephew, Edward Bernays, who asserted that “[t]he conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society.” Bernays wrote this in 1928, showing that it hasn't been the public's democracy for almost 100 years.

    Wilder also explains how propaganda is carried out and provides some real world examples, including this about illegal immigration:

    Since the 2021 border surge, outlets like CNN and MSNBC have framed illegal immigrants as “migrants” fleeing persecution, spotlighting tear-jerking stories of families while ignoring the stunningly high costs that these people bring to our country.

    Crime stats, like DHS reports showing 66% of released detainees reoffend, are swept under the rug.  Ignore that diseases that were eradicated are again showing up in our country.

    The narrative?  Open borders are humane, and anyone who disagrees hates brown people.  This isn’t an accident.  This is a deliberate push to erode national sovereignty, weaken cultural cohesion, and make Americans feel guilty for wanting secure borders.

And there is no question but that the presentation of certain issues, the sudden use of the same language, is coordinated. If you don't believe me, here are a couple things to look up: Operation Mockingbird and JournoList. And this video: 

 VIDEO: "Multiple local news stations say the same thing verbatim"
ShootMeDead (2 min.)