From Episode Two of the film series "The Century of the Self" by Adam Curtis. The nephew of Sigmund Freud, Edward Bernays started his business life as a publicist. While still in his twenties, he was part of the propaganda effort that drove the United States into in World War I (WW I.)
He personally advised several US presidents starting with Woodrow Wilson and counseled numerous corporations and business associations. Hitler's propaganda chief and Nazi henchman Joseph Goebbels was a reader and fan of Bernay's writing in particular Bernay's book "Crystalizing Public Opinion."
In this short excerpt from Curtis's film we see one example of Bernays at work.
Bernays was one of the engineers of the Cold War. He perfected the technique of manufacturing a distant but ever-threatening enemy and then creating a constant state of fear by generating false news reports that endlessly re-stated and exagerated the threat.
The stated purpose of Bernay's methods was to give those in power greater control over what he called "the mass mind." It worked well in the 1950s and sadly, it appears to be working quite well today... but maybe not forever.
For more free films visit: http://www.BrasscheckTV.com
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 at and is filed under Videos.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
January 7th, 2009 at 19:01:11 Yes, the conditioning was used to make the dog do specific tasks on the sound of a bell. Salivate and so fourth. Now what happens when you slap a 'buy one get one free' sticker on an item in a shop. The masses flock around it as though the reality of buying something to get something free is REAL. It's an outcome derived from a continuous exposure to the same bullshi* that overrides all our senses to make us act a certain way. Aka advertising.
January 7th, 2009 at 19:24:10 This is why the world will and will continue to hate america!!! The people are just blind and dumb.
January 7th, 2009 at 19:47:09 ...compartMentalizing minds of the people. Like more sycretic work needs to be done in universities, there's similar overspecialisation in docu films, as if each cause was a separate bandwagon to trumpet. But the sources of our causes/problems are not so disparate, rather they're damn near the same sliver of each nation's population. I thought operant conditioning was Pavlov's dog trick, the crux of all conditioning operating on the body politic, keeping a deadbeat populace we must resurrect.
January 7th, 2009 at 20:10:08 Yes, Margaret Atwood, a Canadian author, once wrote a poem, It's Dangerous to Read Newspapers. Yes, the mainscream news is negatively framed, not to mention most other program content. But even in progressive documentaries I notice clarity of focus on the problem and fuzzyness & scant mention of solutions, that which could give us hope. Projects to embark on, positive examples to set, directions to sustainability, how to maybe dissolve the glass ceiling. Then the problem of too narrow focus...
January 7th, 2009 at 20:33:07 We did. We just don't have as much say in our 'democracy'. I should also point out, we know what Obama actually IS. I'll clue you in: It's called Operant conditioning, you are MEANT to like what he stands for - he is everything Bush wasn't. It's that change you voted for, but DON'T BE FOOLED. He has gone back on the oil tax, the poor tax and the Fed as well as the war in Iraq and he's not even in OFFICE YET! Please be aware, trust in yourself and God eh ;) Our press is all negative too.
January 7th, 2009 at 20:56:06 Obama has plenty to deal with at home, like the rightwing nuts the US civil service is stacked with. His being "inexperienced" is refreshing to me, considering what the seasoned politicians have done to the country and to the world. What should shock Americans here is this documentary series and The Power of Nightmares are BBC, like PBS. This reflects how much more free the UK press is compared to US. But then why didn't better informed Britons better resist going to pointless heinous war?
January 7th, 2009 at 21:19:05 mystrat0, yeah I meant Obama is very inexperienced and this was further confirmed based on his cabinet choices of highly experienced officials and Pulitzer winning scientists. I really hope Obama stands up to genocidal maniac, authoritarian dictators like Putin. By the way, Putin doesn't have a lawn, he has a carpet made from Chechen skulls and babies.
January 7th, 2009 at 21:42:04 This posted against the wrong entry... was trying 2 post against yer earlier "obama is greener than my lawn." Did you mean green as in inexperienced? I took it as he was environmental, which is killing us all. I guess it could have meant, he's a German Green Party member? I don't think he's a pacifist so that doesn't quite fit but ya never know, he does like consensus. Now Putin may muscle some people, but never fear Hillary would land a helicopter on Putin's lawn and pee on his camelias
January 7th, 2009 at 22:05:03 mystrat0, wtf are you talking about? I hate Bush. He is the reason for so many problems and for our current international unpopularity, among dozens of other problems. I just hope Obama is not all talk and doesn't piss his pants when someone like Putin tries to muscle him.
January 7th, 2009 at 22:28:02 Dear Iverielii - you may want to get your head out of polluted sand. If we don't move past oil industry propaganda of hybrid & get to pure electic cars we're all up the spout. Just because Bush suppressed the scientists voices does not mean they are not recognizing what is happening to the world. It's hot!! And directly due to fossil fuel. Last time I saw people idolize a politician? I haven't. But it would have been Dwight Eisenhower, & before that, Winston Churchill. WAKE UP OSTRICHES
January 7th, 2009 at 22:51:01 Interesting but Curtis overstates the argument
January 7th, 2009 at 23:14:00 THIS VIDEO TRIES TO BRAINWASH YA :P Lol
January 7th, 2009 at 23:36:59 ghufnage, lets make something clear for you: 1. McCain wasn't a brave American hero because he was a pilot. He was a hero because he could have been released from torture of Vietnam prison camps before his fellow soldiers but he refused, ending up as a POW for over 5 years. Not to mention all his other service for this country. 2. If you cant tell the difference between Putin and Bush, you have MUCH to learn. Being born in the USSR, take it from me. 3. 90% of American media/TV is liberal.
January 8th, 2009 at 23:59:58 @Iverieli: 1. McCain is surely not a brave american hero. As a pilot he was throwing bombs on innocent people who tried to get rid of the colonial french aggressors. 2. Where is the difference between Putin and Bush? Both are war criminals who ordered genocide. 3. Obama has indeed no chance for change: Right now the Filibuster´s of the republican party won the majority in the senate. Together with the PR-Agencies of the rich they will prevent any democratic movement.
January 8th, 2009 at 00:22:57 mccain was hot in his youth days .saw him when he was released from viet?we shudnt idolize politician i agree with u
January 8th, 2009 at 00:45:56 Bernays believed that people's motives are irrational. No better proof of human irrationality than Bernays himself.
January 8th, 2009 at 01:08:55 Have you seen McCain in his youth, in his military career? He makes Obama and your whole family look like inbred swine. The point of my comment was we shouldn't be idolizing politicians. Only people like Hitler and Putin do that kind of crap.
January 8th, 2009 at 01:31:54 McCain is too ugly to be on a shirt
January 8th, 2009 at 01:54:53 How to convince people 1 + 1 = 3? You attack their sense of self, through guilt/doubt, (govt and religion's staple tactics), you subject them to a constant state of defense and reaction until exhausted, and then you present them with false "choices". (such as "Vote for McCain, or Obama".) (or "who should pay MORE tax"? until people argue THAT instead of taxation itself). "Nothing is better than a juicy steak". "Stale bread is better than nothing". "Stale bread is better than a juicy steak".
January 8th, 2009 at 02:17:52 even if McCain was no better than Obama...I would trust a hero of the U.S. and a highly decorated veteran with heavy experience over a hybrid sucker Obama who is greener than my lawn. promises are easily stated by politicians....you just have to face the reality of which is more plausible and realistic. all weve heard from Obama is fairy tales which everyone wants to hear. whens the last time youve seen people idolize a politician?? they sell Obama shirts with his face on it.
January 8th, 2009 at 02:40:51 i hope the "generated event" that biden guaranteed us would occur shortly after the election kills the whole lot of those scumbags. songbird mccain is no better than obama.
January 8th, 2009 at 03:03:50 I hope McCain wins. Colin Powell, who was the biggest advocate for the Iraq war, is now endorsing Barrack Obama, who has been against the Iraq war since day one. Obama has even critized those who were for the Iraq invasion. Now Obama said that if he wins, Colin Powell will be his adviser. The same Colin Powell who was the strongest supporter of the invasion of Iraq. Obama is a hypocrite. He speaks empty words and promises which he plans to accomplish with his 0 experience?
January 8th, 2009 at 03:26:49 "Everyone is pushing something" yah thats what im saying. learn to read.
January 8th, 2009 at 03:49:48 sorry did i type greeks i meant geeks
January 8th, 2009 at 04:12:47 The only NAZI you need to worry about is the 4th grade teacher demanding that you turn in your homework.