Edward Bernays & The "Engineering of Consent"
June 16, 2014
Edward Bernays (1891-1995) provided the Illuminati with tools for persuasion and control of the masses.
Ken Anton describes how tactics developed in wartime
are used against us.
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of."
--Edward Bernays Propaganda
By Kenneth Anton
(henrymakow.com)
Edward Bernays, the godfather of modern public relations, says "the invisible government which dictates our thoughts, directs our feelings and controls our actions." He combined individual and social psychology, polls, political persuasion and advertising to construct 'necessary illusions' which cabalistically became 'reality' for the gullible masses.
WORLD WAR ONE: THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC INFORMATION
President Woodrow Wilson was re-elected to his second term in 1916 as a peace candidate. On the hustings, Wilson said, "this is a government of the people, and this people is not going to choose war." But soon after winning the election he led America decisively into World War I shocking and bewildering his peace-loving supporters.
So, why would Wilson revert from a Peace platform to a policy of engaging in a brutal War on another continent? The truth is that he was under the strong influence of the Jewish banker elite who engineered his first election for the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. After his second election, they wanted to profit from arms exports and ensure that England wins the war, a bargain they made in return for the Balfour Declaration.
However, convincing the peace-loving public was another matter. Wilson utilized Bernays' propaganda techniques to reverse public sentiment by stirring up anti-German fervor. In fact, it was Bernays who concocted the slogan, "Make the World Safe for Democracy".
In April 1917, the President created the Committee on Public Information (CPI) to carry out a nationwide campaign of propaganda. Spearheaded by journalist, George Creel, the CPI comprised members from business, media, academia, writers and artists. Utilizing mass psychology, it disseminated pro-war propaganda based on emotional appeals and demonization of the enemy on a scale normally associated with totalitarian regimes. Although the CPI offered 'voluntary guidelines' to the news media, these guidelines became mandatory. Pacifists and dissenters were silenced through threats and accusations of being traitors. Hence a majority of Americans embraced the war with fervor and dedication.
The US involvement was short. On November 1, 1918, the Allies won the 'War to End all Wars' with the signing of the Armistice. The tools and Bernays and the CPI used to manipulate the public thru the mass media in wartime would continue to be used in peacetime and again during WWII and the many wars that followed.
Bernays from his book "Propaganda":
"In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind."
Bernays from "Psychology of Public Relations":
"...the group mind does not think in the strict sense of the word. In place of thoughts it has impulses, habits and emotions. In making up its mind its first impulse is usually to follow the example of a trusted leader [an icon or celebrity]. This is one of the most firmly established principles of mass psychology. But when the example of the leader is not at hand and the herd must think for itself, it does so by means of cliches, pat words or images which stand for a whole group of ideas or experiences."
THE MECHANICS OF PROPAGANDA
From Edward Bernays' 'The Institute for Propaganda Analysis'
*Name-calling (ad hominem)
Links a person or idea to a negative trait or concept: e.g. commie, fascist, yuppie, bum, terrorist, anti-Semite, conspiracy theorist (usually without evidence).
*Glittering Generalities
Positive associations used to enhance a person or concept: e.g. civilization, democracy, religion, patriot, motherhood, science, medicine, health, love
*Euphemisms
Used to water-down strong negative associations: e.g. collateral damage instead of civilian casualties. Post war: PTSD instead of shell shock.
*Transfer
Use of authority or prestige from a symbol like church (cross), democracy (statue of Liberty), our nation (uncle Sam) to support a program or campaign. Also medicine or science used to back a concept: e.g. "More doctors smoke camels..."
*Testimonial
Citing a reputable source (NY Times), celebrity (Angelina Jolie) or sports figure (Mohammed Ali) to endorse a product or concept by association
*Plain Folks
Politicians, wealthy entrepreneurs pose as ordinary citizens to attract popular support
*Bandwagon
Appeal to join the crowd, follow the herd: everyone else is doing it, so should you.
*Fear
Disaster just around the corner, cold war is back, 9/11 = fear of terrorism. (Note: patriots and dissenters are now called terrorists by Homeland Security.)
*Phoney Polls
Used to back a platform or concept but the results can be biased depending on the parameters and questions
*Peer reviewed Studies
Can be fraudulent within a system controlled by powerful entities like Big Pharma
*Lies become Believable by Repetition
Thru power of the media, lies are made believable after continuous repetition and reinforcement by other channels of the consolidated media.
*A modern day example of Name-calling: "Conspiracy"
The elite bankers attained their wealth and power by establishing central banks in the UK and the US. Naturally, they don't want the public to look too closely at their nefarious plots such as starting endless wars, so one tactic is to label 'conspiracy theorists' as people to be shunned. Such is the immense power of the controlled media that they can establish parameters for acceptable behavior and the masses who want to be accepted by their peers tend to conform. Hence this phrase now carries a strong pejorative association.
CONCLUSION
Today, the banker elite (TPTB or Illuminati) hold majority interests in the six mega corporations that own 90% of the mainstream media. Thus, they control the news and influence our perceptions, even how we think and judge others. One cannot underestimate the power of a consolidated media because it signifies controlling reality itself as Bernays has stated.
Having a small elite group directly control the media, represents a serious threat to American democracy and culture. It directly influences the minds of all age groups and how they perceive the world. Consolidation in business, banking, the media and politics over the last hundred years has allowed the Federal Government to be taken over by an oligarchy of elites with unlimited assets, influence and psychological control of the minds of Americans. The media also serves as a protective shield, isolating the elite bankers from scrutiny and challenge.
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Kenneth Anton is the author of "Popsicle Man - Solving the Puzzle of a 200 Year Conspiracy"
and "Cancer Vortex" Exposing the Cancer Industry and Obamacare."
First Comment by Dick P:
Thank You! This guy needs more and repeated exposure to help people understand what they are actually thinking, why and where it may have come from.
As Freud's nephew he had an unusual grasp of mental processes and was right on target, literally. So very few people know the name or the game. Even some of my doctor and PhD neighbors don't know the name and ignore him and me and are so indoctrinated as to not even do an internet search and look at the results. I have only a 40 year doctorate in blue collar labor and am ignored by these "intellectuals" although I have a higher IQ than most of them and the experience and curiosity to find out why things are the way they are. The curiosity came from four-years experience in the military and two tours in Vietnam that led me to question everything, regardless of source or believability. I wasn't allowed to question anything while in and was sworn to secrecy by being ordered to do so with the threat from even flag officers of winding up in Leavenworth after the court martial. Most of the secrecy was not explained and I didn't understand why and still don't. Much of what has been put out about Vietnam war is Bernays influenced control.
RR said (June 19, 2014):
I think it's high time we turned the heat around and focused it on the conspiracy DENIERS, those inept morons that are too lazy or simple to investigate truth for themselves and allow the spin artists to rule their minds, filling them with garbage that wouldn't pass inspection if they only applied a little mental effort.
Too often a great truth is buried under the laughter of witless idiots, all clamoring to be the first to lynch the only sane voice in the group. When truth does become known, these fools quickly change gears and say they always felt it was truth, or they simply evaporate... disappear, completely. Shills infiltrate every public forum, hoping to discredit and... yes... label anyone that hits too close to home.
We shall always have the stupid among us. As much as it pains me to say this, those of us in the know have (ugh) a duty to try and help these witless wonders... to a point. After all, one of those things we claim to uphold is the right to free thought, which includes with it the privilege of being a dumbass, if we (they) so choose to be. It's then only a matter of working around the buffoons to get to those that are worth saving.
Anyway, it's time every 'tinfoil hat' joke is met with a 'dunce cap' joke rebuttal, a term which aptly describes the sheep-head capacity for non-thinking, only parroting the dogma their elitist handlers spoon-feed them. The conspiracy 'theorist' needs to move over for the new guy on the block... the conspiracy 'denier'. The same amount of vilification needs to be applied to this new guy, who exemplifies limited cranial capacity and gullibility.