Friends,

Ignorance is not bliss. It is the handmaiden of tyranny.

Here is some useful material on propaganda and its study since 1937.

I note that if you rely on RSS feeds to bring you the latest news, far too many of the main stream sites do not yet support RSS. Not ACT. Not Center for American Progress. Not either of the sites below. Also note that the PropagandaCritic site has not been updated since 2002.

We can not reclaim our democracy if we are disconnected and stay invisibly below the radar.

An excellent site that is current and has an RSS feed is Media Matters at

www.mediamatters.org

Ignorance is not bliss. It is the handmaiden of tyranny.

Introduction
The Institute for Propaganda Analysis

This site [PropagandaCritic] is inspired by the pioneering work of the Institute for Propaganda Analysis (IPA). In 1937, the IPA was created to educate the American public about the widespread nature of political propaganda. Composed of social scientists and journalists, the IPA published a series of books, including:
• The Fine Art of Propaganda
• Propaganda Analysis
• Group Leader’s Guide to Propaganda Analysis
• Propaganda: How To Recognize and Deal With It

The IPA is best-known for identifying the seven basic propaganda devices: Name-Calling, Glittering Generality, Transfer, Testimonial, Plain Folks, Card Stacking, and Band Wagon. According to the authors of a recent book on propaganda, “these seven devices have been repeated so frequently in lectures, articles, and textbooks ever since that they have become virtually synonymous with the practice and analysis of propaganda in all of its aspects.” (Combs and Nimmo, 1993)

snip …… more at

Also, see Political Research Associates

Welcome!
Political Research Associates is an independent, nonprofit research center that studies antidemocratic, authoritarian, and other oppressive movements, institutions, and trends. PRA is based on progressive values, and is committed to advancing an open, democratic, and pluralistic society. PRA provides accurate, reliable research and analysis to activists, journalists, educators, policy makers, and the public at large.

Explore this web site via the various links on this page, including the menus on the left. Visitors using accessibility reading software will find the Site Guide to be the most useful starting page.

You can also learn more about PRA, make a donation, get on the PRA e-mail or postal lists, or read the current announcements.

If the information on our website seems overwhelming, try visiting the Topics Page, the Site Guide, or browse a list of multimedia selections, primarily photographs and slideshows.

To learn more about how sectors of the U.S. Political Right seek to roll back democracy and diversity and undermine basic human rights, read the Overview Article, watch our Introductory slide show: The “Right” 101, see the explanatory Chart of Sectors, or visit out page on Studying the U.S. Political Right by using social movement theory as an analytical lens.

Also visit our sister site, BuildingEquality.us, for ways to promote democracy, diversity, and equality.

The Price We Pay is Too High: The majority of Americans are paying a high price to maintain a society that encourages inequality, abuse of power, and unfair privilege. It’s time for a fair deal. Get Involved!

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