Running Scared Yet?
We’re in the midst of a period of great propaganda and it’s worth looking out and back at how this has worked (and failed) elsewhere.
As Jack Foster has written:
“The cybernat witch-hunt led by likes of the Daily Mail & Kezia Dugdale is ironically a textbook example of intimidation, intolerance & bullying. Social media is one place where #indyref debate takes place unhindered, therefore politicians & media are DESPERATE to discredit the medium. The “cybernat” witch-hunt is an ideal propaganda tool & anyone who disputes it can be blithely dismissed as “intolerant bullies”.
Framing ‘the nationalists’ (total lack of consciousness about their own British Nationalism is a universal thread) as a dangerous future threat is increasingly reminiscent of the Red Scare phenomena of 1950s America. The idea of being excluded from public debates, the stories and themes of the infiltration, subversion, invasion, and destruction of American society by un–American thought and inhuman beings has huge resonance with what we’re seeing today. It’s a paranoid tradition that’s profoundly anti-intellectual basing itself on hokey visions of yesteryear, in the States Mom and Apple Pie and the American Dream, here the Benign Union of Security and Queen and Country.
It’s also worth remembering that Stalinism and Nazism flourished for so long due mainly to the state propaganda machine prolonging the myth that the majority were actually the minority, resulting in an apathy descending on the decent people leaving them with the mindset of ‘What’s the point when the majority disagrees with me’. It’s happening again folks.
They might be trying it again. That doesn’t mean it will work. We have Newsnetscotland, Bellacaledonia, Wings Over Scotland and social media. Plus Yes Scotland and an army of activists.
Unfortunately none of these estimable internet outlets are read to any great degree by the unengaged and low-information voters who will decide the outcome of this plebiscite.
The Scottish daily mail has a circulation of 100,000 but that’s chump change next to the BBC. The state broadcaster is in every living room, and is watched everyday by those we need reach. Its rabid Unionist bias is not well understood by these voters, who still believe that in matters politic, it is the bringer of truth, and the well of considered analyses.
The most insidiously effective propaganda is that which is not recognised as propaganda by its victims. Succinctly, the BBC has power because it is believed.
It should be a priority of the Independence Movement to disabuse the electorate of that notion.
We cannot hope to unstick the Beeb and force change in its institutional position on independence, but we can go far to ameliorating its toxic influence on the outcome of the plebiscite on independence, by hammering home the message of its political corruption.
You doth over egg the pudding Christopher. Many recent surveys re Independence have shown that a very large proportion of the people DO believe that the BBC, ITV and the MSM are biased against Independence. So the message from Social Media is getting out albeit slowly, but it will gather momentum.
I think the key is to get one newspaper to be neutral or nearly so.The propaganda of the Britnat is very powerful but beatable,although the newscasts on the TV are all for the Westminster party there will be ways to defeat them,just needs thought from smarter people than me,there might already be a program sitting ready.I would think that there are some with a plan possibly our own First Minister has it ready to roll out when the time is right as timing is very important cant shoot the bolt too soon.The activists that go out daily and knock on the doors and stand at the shopping malls all make a great contribution,would if I could be out there preaching liked a demented bible belt parson (not as a slight) convincing all that I could to be fearful the fire and brimstone of the union.I already fear what will come from Westminster,they are sleekit and greedy and so there is their Achilles Heel,their greed.Quite sure if some big company thought that rUK pulling out of Europe was possible they could be persuaded to back a Scotland that remained in the EU,such a big market place for lots of profits!!One seeing this way then like dominoes I think more companies would follow.
“he propaganda of the Britnat is very powerful but beatable”
It is not as powerful as you think and it is not having the desired effect since the polls have either not shifted or become more favourable to YES over the last year. The NO campaign have fired most of their best ammo and are left with nothing more to do but repeat it, which is inneffective.
And in the end assuming the YES campaign gets its arguments about the economy over to the people, and I think it will based on the before and after Y/N results in many varied places where debates have taken place – then the vote will come down to the heart and how ‘scottish’ do the people feel standing at the ballot box feel. And there is a definite large majority for that position in Scotland.
I feel like a Child rightly reprimanded by the Two pieces above. But I was disappointed that the Scottish Government did not seize upon Dr. Robertsons Report from the University of West Scotland, on Bias by BBC ‘Scotland’ and STV, and kick up a stooshie that would echo around the Land! Like Mr. O’Brien, I will live in hope that minds more acute than mine already have Irons in the Fire ready to strike when the time is right! Sometimes it is hard to keep the Faith.
‘Deus, Deus meas, quare tristes es Anima Mia?’
One lives in hope!