Disinformation and Propaganda
It is common knowledge that misinformation, propaganda and fake news are tactics used to bring confusion and take advantage in infiltrating the other side i.e., the other political party, the competitor, the enemy, even your husband etc. “Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance”. George Bernard Shaw. Even in the Garden of Eden the archangel Lucifer used misinformation to “seduce” Eve which caused the original sin and the Fall of Man. That constitutes that both terms are as old as time.
Especially totalitarian as well as authoritarian regimes are using such tactics in order to preserve their status in controlling and maintaining their power. All governments and political parties in east and west, north and south tend to disperse propaganda through newspapers, movies, television, music, art and literature. They know that such tactics have the great potential to affect and polarize public opinion, stirring up hatred and violence or hate speech and ultimately undermine the status of democracy and foster mistrust in the democratic policies. “The point of modern propaganda isn't only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.”
― Kasparov Garry
The masterpiece of the art of propaganda is how governments manage to convince their own people that war and is in their best interests. Oftentimes the aggressor is playing possum and they may make you feel you are the victim rather than the offender and victimizer. Propaganda and misinformation can make a big lie appear as true and this is achieved through constant repetition and fake information. Their subordinates have to suffer the decapitation of truth and critical thinking, the violation of their human rights and the right choice to be informed the truth and only the truth. "There is nothing in the record of the past two years when both Houses of Congress have been controlled by the Republican Party which can lead any person to believe that those promises will be fulfilled in the future. They follow the Hitler line - no matter how big the lie; repeat it often enough and the masses will regard it as truth.”
― John F. Kennedy
As long as our political system cultivates and sustains such unbearable inhuman regimes which have nothing to do with democratic principles, we are destined to experience such phenomena. The vision to see a rather unified world that functions beyond political, ideological and cultural borders is a long way to go, but within our bounds. In such regimes, dissidents, opposing parties, the literary elite are all enemies who are dangerous for them to stay in power. To get them out of the way is described by the quote: “To declare that in the administration of criminal law the end justifies the means to declare that the Government may commit crimes in order to secure conviction of a private criminal would bring terrible retribution’’.
--Louis D. Brandeis
Our future leaders should above all be democratically elected, reflect a charismatic personality and be equipped with religious, social and moral values and place the interest of their countries not above the interests of the world and our extended world community. Common understanding and cooperation in all fields will bring prosperity to all members of our society with respect to human rights which should be a priority. It is our primary goal and vision to create a world of peace and make this world a better place for all.
