Tuesday, 1 November 2011

The Power of Mass Media

 

Throughout the history of man, power has always been gained and lost by various political factions, through their abilities to influence/control the masses, through the use of mass media.  And with the ever expanding technological sector within society, the ability to influence/control the masses, through the use of mass media, has never been more prevalent.    
The time is now for man to become educated and self aware (gain a better understanding of the influential powers of mass media, in order to maintain their own ideals and individuality) of the various political bullshit (smear campaigns, blatant lies, and other forms of persuasion that don't have anything to do with a parties ideology/political position), to avoid being just another piece of the puzzle in the quest for ultimate power.  And no bigger example of this exists today, than Hitler's infamous political campaigns throughout 1930's and 40's.  
Do you really that Hitler would have been as influential and as powerful as he was, without the aid of mass media?  The answer should be a resounding NO!!!!  If it wasn't for mass media, this blog probably wouldn't even exist today, as Hitler's ideologies would not have been spread worldwide and thus ignored as a notable event within history.  Hitler knew the importance of spreading his image and ideologies, in order to obtain power, and thus monopolized and controlled the mass media platforms within Germany, during World War 2, according to the University of Twente.  He controlled the radio waves, the television broadcasts, and the news reports to assimilate the German ideals to his own, essentially turning them (the German people)  into an extension of himself.  
Or in other words, as the quote below puts it, he lied enough times until it became absolute.
Hitler used mass media to control and influence, gained power, and ultimately showed how true power is not obtained solely on the merits of an individual or a party, but by their ability to control the minds of the masses.

Another major example of mass media being used to control the masses, would be George W. Bush's inaugural speeches declaring/pertaining to the US war on Iraq.

George bush and his administration emphasized and publicized the fact that Iraq was in possession of weapons of mass destruction, and thus a threat to the greater good of man.  He used scare tactics, on agitated American citizens, in order to gain support and thus justify the implications of his actions.  He also, as the above video shows, promised the fact that innocent lives would not be harmed, and thus played the sympathetic card in order to further gain the support of his citizens.     
And as we all know, no weapons of mass destruction have been discovered within Iraq, leaving the infamous legacy of one George W. Bush to questioned throughout the rest of time.  And leaving citizens with a dark reminder of the extent of the influential power of mass media.    
My final example of how mass media can be used to control the masses, comes in the form of political smear campaigns.  And for this I decided to merely show you the political bullshit in action, in an attempt to help you gain a further understanding as to what constitutes as political bullshit. 





Overall mass media has become a powerful political tool, as it has the ability to shape how an individual thinks and believes.  People need to gain a better understanding of the various political tactics (smear campaigns, and propaganda) directed at them, or as previously stated become more self aware, in order to sift out all the political bullshit or lies from the actual truth.  The world has had enough self interested leaders, elected through the use of influential tactics, and now is the time to set the world in the right direction and quit repeating the mistakes of our past.       

We need to be electing/reelecting leaders who care for us (Obama and Lincoln), I know that is easier said than done, but remember vote off of your own ideals and not the ideals bombarded upon you.  THINK FOR YOURSELF, use common sense, and hope for the best.