One of the words that I found interesting was propaganda. Propaganda is biased information used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. The uses of propaganda are vast. When I think of it, I usually connect it to certain countries and governments such as the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and Cuba. These oppressive governments would use propaganda to control the people and get them to believe in their causes.
One of my favorite uses of propaganda that I find fascinating is the 1943 German film about the Titanic. This movie was a film that depicted the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, but also was a film that painted the US and Britain as the reasons for this disaster due to their capitalist ideals. The film had a budget of $4 million. I find this very interesting because it shows what lengths a government will go to convince it’s people of something.
The problem with propaganda is that it is misleading and controlling. With propaganda, you are not receiving the full story of the subject of it, only a one sided and biased version that is meant to convince you that it is true and right. An example would be a poster of Vladimir Lenin saying that he would keep Russia safe by putting criminals in labor camps to work and provide for the good Russian people. What you didn’t know is that the definition of a criminal was very loose and included people such as homosexuals and scholars who said the wrong thing. Also the work they were doing was not benefitting the people in any way, only the Russian government.
These are all very extreme examples of propaganda and it can definitely be found in places such as American, not just fascist regimes. I think a great and very recognizable piece of propaganda is the image of Rosie the Riveter. It represents the women that worked in factories in place of the men that were fighting in WWII. It was meant to instill hope and power into the women of America in hopes of more women helping out. This piece of propaganda actually did a great thing and helped impact women’s rights by breaking down the gender barriers in the household and workplace. After 1945, almost one in four women in America had income earning jobs.
Propaganda can be used for good, but most of the time it is a negative thing. We live in a time that is divided by different sides of the media that are constantly trying to tell us that their ways and ideas are right while the others is wrong. That is why it is important to get your information from different sources, not only one. Propaganda surrounds us in our lives but if we are careful, we can avoid being fed biased information.
One of my favorite uses of propaganda that I find fascinating is the 1943 German film about the Titanic. This movie was a film that depicted the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, but also was a film that painted the US and Britain as the reasons for this disaster due to their capitalist ideals. The film had a budget of $4 million. I find this very interesting because it shows what lengths a government will go to convince it’s people of something.
The problem with propaganda is that it is misleading and controlling. With propaganda, you are not receiving the full story of the subject of it, only a one sided and biased version that is meant to convince you that it is true and right. An example would be a poster of Vladimir Lenin saying that he would keep Russia safe by putting criminals in labor camps to work and provide for the good Russian people. What you didn’t know is that the definition of a criminal was very loose and included people such as homosexuals and scholars who said the wrong thing. Also the work they were doing was not benefitting the people in any way, only the Russian government.
These are all very extreme examples of propaganda and it can definitely be found in places such as American, not just fascist regimes. I think a great and very recognizable piece of propaganda is the image of Rosie the Riveter. It represents the women that worked in factories in place of the men that were fighting in WWII. It was meant to instill hope and power into the women of America in hopes of more women helping out. This piece of propaganda actually did a great thing and helped impact women’s rights by breaking down the gender barriers in the household and workplace. After 1945, almost one in four women in America had income earning jobs.
Propaganda can be used for good, but most of the time it is a negative thing. We live in a time that is divided by different sides of the media that are constantly trying to tell us that their ways and ideas are right while the others is wrong. That is why it is important to get your information from different sources, not only one. Propaganda surrounds us in our lives but if we are careful, we can avoid being fed biased information.
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