Propaganda Blog Post

While looking at the propaganda ads from World War II, I thought about how this propaganda is very straight forward, not trying to get anyone to think about what it says, just saying it flat out. During the era of World War II, rhetoric wasn't used a subtly as it is today. Everything was very straight forward but also played on people's emotions and logic.  In today's society, propaganda ads aren't as straight forward but instead use rhetoric subtly to influence the American people. Over time, propaganda has come a long way since the days of World War II. We have technology now like television, radio, internet, magazines, billboards, and many other things. When you turn on a television there is an ad of some sort, when you listen to the radio there is someone announcing a new product or talking about an issue in the world. If you get on the internet there are ads in every piece of open space on either side and top and bottom of the page. We don't really use posters anymore but instead use instruments that reach large amounts of people. For example, if we used posters they would only catch the attention of a passerby but if we put a propaganda advertisement on CNN news or in a commercial shown on ESPN then millions will see it. Today, propaganda is continued to be used by our government in many big issues. Some of the issues that propaganda is used for today are the war on Iraq, the BP oil spill in the gulf coast, women in the workforce, the mosque at ground zero, the elections and even hurricanes threatening to hit our coasts. For example, in the war on Iraq there are commercials, ads, and news casts about Iraq and 9/11 being connected, about Osama Binladin, and suicide bombers. These ads use rhetoric to try to get us to either be for or against the war in Iraq. One ad that would turn the American people against the war is one showing the debt our country has gone into fighting this war and the lives lost fighting this war. Another issue that is a target in propaganda today is the BP oil spill, there are t-shirts, bumper stickers, commercials, and so forth with BP signs that are half black, as if they had been covered with oil. I have seen a t-shirt that says "BP, bringing oil to American shores" this is negative propaganda against BP oil company. Propaganda is even used in coastal towns during times of threatening hurricanes. There are announcements and signs saying to evacuate the coast, how to board up their homes and how to be safe in a time like that. Because of propaganda, advertisements, and radio announcements the people of 2010 believe that they should fight either for the war (be a soldier) or against the war (be a civil activist), they believe they should be afraid of anyone wearing a turban because of propaganda from 9/11 and they feel threatened by the governments power to reform their healthcare. Here is one example of 2010 propaganda: