Reading and Understanding a text: PROPAGANDA

1. Tone of voice : Persuasive/ Informative
2.  Key points:
   - The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the masses
   - Invisible government
   - Ability to supply needed ideas
   - The way our democratic society is organised
   - Party machines
3. Key quotes :

- Society:" Some of the phenomena of this process are criticised- the manipulation of news, the inflaction of personality, and the general ballyhoo by which politicians and commercial products and social ideas are brought to the consciousness of the masses. The instruments by which public opinion is organised and focused may be misused. But such organisation and focusing are necessary to orderly life ". (Bernays E. 1928, 12) 

- Culture: " As civilization has become more complex [...] the technical means have been invented and developed by which opinion may be regimented ". (Bernays E. 1928, 12)

- Technology: " With the printing press and the newspaper, the railroad, the telephone, telegraph, radio and airplanes, ideas can be spread rapidly and even instantaneously over the whole of America".
(Bernays E. 1928, 12)

- Politics: " Modern means of communication [...] of getting quick replies and effective discussion- have opened a new world of political processes. Ideas and phrases can now be given an effectiveness greater than the effectiveness of any personality and stronger than any sectional interest".  ( Wells H. 1928, 12)

- History: "But the American voters soon found that without organisation and direction their individual votes would produce nothing but confusion ". (Bernays E. 1928, 10 )


The main intention of Bernays in this text is to clarify and analyse the structure of the mechanism  which manipulates the mind of our society. This mechanism  is formed by a countless amount of groups and organisations ( As Bernays mentioned in the text, no a complete list has ever been made)  and also and no less important, by the special pleader who " seeks to create public acceptance for a particular idea or commodity" (Bernays E.1928, 18).

This invisible government had managed to develop numerous ways to get the attention of society in a global way, able to transmit multiply message to different parts of the world at the same time, almost instantly. The new advances in technology ( such as the printing press, the newspaper, the railroad, the telephone, etc) during these years made this phenomena possible and effective.
"Modern means of communication [...] of getting quick replies and effective discussion- have opened a new world of political processes. Ideas and phrases can now be given an effectiveness greater than the effectiveness of any personality and stronger than any sectional interest".  ( Wells H. 1928, 12)

To summarise, society is cattle. The manipulation of our minds through propaganda make people think that we might have free will or choice but what we do not realise is that our choices had been already made by the system.

(Fight Club By Chuck Palahniuk)