Is Propaganda the Greatest threat to America’s Democracy?

[FreakinDJ]

Given the lack of the “Fairness Doctrine”, Media – deregulation, the 24/7 FUX News channel propaganda, the Bill Oriely Dis-information program, the Oxycotton Rush Republicans absorbing lies and spewing “Hate” across cyber-space – can we actually lose this most precious experiment in Democracy our forefathers bestowed to us?

Call me crazy if you will – but I firmly believe it is the “Greatest Threat” to the American way of life this young democracy has seen all of its 232 years

[RethugAssKicker]

1. It already is lost..... The propaganda is

so overwhelming, so complete... I just don't see how to defeat it.
We are truly an empire run by corporations with a shadow government.

[FreakinDJ]

4. Ever feel it is CIA / NSA Psych-Ops

Or at least former members of the Psych-Ops division now employed under front companies or Corporate Defense Contractors conducting this assault? You got to admit looking at the Big Picture – the Chain Emails, Rumor mill books, and even cyberspace it is just too well thought out, too complete to happen by mistake

I’ve been seeing this crap since Poppy Bush came in with Reagan

[RethugAssKicker]

5. They've perfected marketing strategies.... The same

marketing techniques they use to convince us to buy Tide Detergent or Crest toothpaste are the same techniques they are using in politics....to convince us that liberalism is "bad" and conservative is "good"....

[madokie]

2. I also believe that to be true

without the use of propaganda nothing else they are doing is possible.

[lifesbeautifulmagic]

3. yes, i agree with you - although I would phrase it as the

corp owned, republican slanted, media is the country's biggest enemy.

[azul]

6. Might as well complete the horror show:

Corporate-politico-military media that is putting up illegal propaganda, and the justice department just looks the other way. The complete cycle of corruption.

It's like the Nazis learned from their mistakes and are back with a new disguise. But too bad they killed the financial machine before they really got rolling.

I think the real threat to the US constitutional democracy is the mis-interpretation of the 14th amendment that gave corporations the legal status of "persons". The last hundred years or so has been the steady progression of the corporate takeover of the government by using such corporate propaganda tools as religion, race, wars, and the media to get legislation that favors businesses over people.

[BlooInBloo]

7. Nah. The American people are.

[Uncle Joe]

9. I don't believe the American People would be without an overwhelming propaganda war

being waged against their sensibilities, dumbing them down to the lowest common denominator instead of lifting them up or enlightening them.

[benEzra]

8. Possibly. And unfortunately, fear sells.

Look at the buildup to the Iraq war, the "War on Terrah", or the "assault weapon" bait-and-switch.

[FreakinDJ]

11. Ultimately none which would have been possible

had the media been doing their job....

Objective reporting USED to be an ideal upheld by media in this country. Now days the media merely parrots talking points and one sided press releases issued by BushCo.

The 1938 FCC Act was real, it had purpose, the authors of that act in the face of a coming World War II realised the threats to our Democracy an stood to prevent abuses

[DailyGrind51]

10. The word itself is threatened by Bush's pronunciation of it!

[Cleita]

12. Most oligarchic dictators have always recognized the value of

propaganda to get them into power and keep them there. Hitler wrote about it extensively in "Mein Kampf". I don't think the news media should be allowed to spread it and should legally be held to higher journalistic standards on the penalty of law. However, there are those who disagree with me that it's violating the First Amendment rights of those propaganda pushers. I really don't think those are the entities that the First Amendment is protecting.

[FreakinDJ]

13. be held to higher journalistic standards on the penalty of law

Opinion - should be lawfully required to verbally provide a disclaimer every 15 minutes of their broadcast. AND they may not "Mix" News and Opinion (15 minutes News - 15 minutes Opinion.

Let them have their 1st Amendment rights but make them call the kettle black

On Edit -

Thanks for your reply - During my time serving the Armed Forces we were heavily indoctrinated by our intelligence division as to the threat of Russia's propaganda machine. So when I see propaganda here in the USA it gives me a "Defensive" reaction