Edward Bernays and the history of modern democracy.

[Germanicus]

Edward Louis Bernays (November 22, 1891 – March 9, 1995) was an Austrian-American pioneer in the field of public relations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_relations) and propaganda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda), referred to in his obituary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obituary) as "the father of public relations".[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays#cite_note-1) He combined the ideas of Gustave Le Bon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Le_Bon) and Wilfred Trotter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Trotter) on crowd psychology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowd_psychology) with the psychoanalytical (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoanalysis) ideas of his uncle, Sigmund Freud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud). He felt this manipulation was necessary in society, which he regarded as irrational (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrational) and dangerous as a result of the 'herd instinct (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_instinct)' that Trotter had described

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays


Life and influences Born 1891 in Vienna (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna) to Jewish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew) parents, Bernays was a double nephew of psychoanalysis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoanalysis) pioneer Sigmund Freud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud). His mother was Sigmund's sister Anna (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freud_family) and his father was Ely Bernays, brother of Freud's wife Martha Bernays (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Bernays). In 1892 his family moved to New York City, where he attended DeWitt Clinton High School (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeWitt_Clinton_High_School).[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays#cite_note-4) In 1912 he graduated from Cornell University (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_University) with a degree in agriculture, but chose journalism as his first career. He married Doris E. Fleischman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_E._Fleischman) in 1922.[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays#cite_note-nytobit-5) Bernays, working for the administration of Woodrow Wilson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson) during World War I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I) with the Committee on Public Information (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_on_Public_Information), was influential in promoting the idea that America's war efforts were primarily aimed at “bringing democracy to all of Europe". Following the war, he was invited by Woodrow Wilson to attend the Paris Peace Conference (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Peace_Conference,_1919) in 1919. Stunned by the degree to which the democracy slogan had swayed the public both at home and abroad, he wondered whether this propaganda model could be employed during peacetime. Due to negative implications surrounding the word propaganda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda) because of its use by the Germans in World War I, he promoted the term "Public Relations".[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays#cite_note-6) According to the BBC interview with Bernays's daughter Anne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Bernays), Bernays felt that the public's democratic judgment was "not to be relied upon" and he feared that "they [the American public] could very easily vote for the wrong man or want the wrong thing, so that they had to be guided from above". This "guidance" was interpreted by Anne to mean that her father believed in a sort of "enlightened despotism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightened_despotism)" ideology

So you got that? Sigmund Freuds nephew is the father of PR.. Freaky drug dealing Sigmund Freud and his id. And you got this part right " Due to negative implications surrounding the word propaganda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda) because of its use by the Germans in World War I, he promoted the term "Public Relations".[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays#cite_note-6) According to the BBC interview with Bernays's daughter Anne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Bernays), Bernays felt that the public's democratic judgment was "not to be relied upon" and he feared that "they [the American public] could very easily vote for the wrong man or want the wrong thing, so that they had to be guided from above". This "guidance" was interpreted by Anne to mean that her father believed in a sort of "enlightened despotism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightened_despotism)" ideology ".

FREEDOM!

Do you guys think we can be trusted to choose the right man in an election yet? Do you think it is at all remotely possible that we are recieving "guidance" from above? Like I know modern democracy was just a silly charade for stupid, selfish, greedy and egocentric Homer Simpson-like baby boomers but I am sure it is one hundred percent real now. Right? I mean John Boehner seemed really genuinely upset, and not at all acting when he slammed down the WSJ and said "This isnt some damn game!" Like it was to start with after WW1 but not now. Can the US public "be relied upon" to vote for the right person yet? Do the American Public want the correct things yet? Can the US Public actually be trusted with democracy yet? Should it be illegal for baby boomers to vote in Federal Elections?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ6OVP_Ri-c


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzAQlIZd5Kc


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbGJeXShopk

Im not saying people should make a bomb obviously (: but people are not calm. People are not stupid, they have just been distracted and trusting. It is worrisome.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my6bfA14vMQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxk3c_SbWMg

[Axiomatic]

Bernays, working for the administration of Woodrow Wilson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson) during World War I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I) with the Committee on Public Information (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_on_Public_Information), was influential in promoting the idea that America's war efforts were primarily aimed at “bringing democracy to all of Europe". Following the war, he was invited by Woodrow Wilson to attend the Paris Peace Conference (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Peace_Conference,_1919) in 1919.

Stunned by the degree to which the democracy slogan had swayed the public both at home and abroad, he wondered whether this propaganda model could be employed during peacetime.

So you got that? Sigmund Freuds nephew is the father of PR.. Freaky drug dealing Sigmund Freud and his id.

And you got this part right " Due to negative implications surrounding the word propaganda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda) because of its use by the Germans in World War I, he promoted the term "Public Relations".[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays#cite_note-6) According to the BBC interview with Bernays's daughter Anne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Bernays), Bernays felt that the public's democratic judgment was "not to be relied upon" and he feared that "they [the American public] could very easily vote for the wrong man or want the wrong thing, so that they had to be guided from above". This "guidance" was interpreted by Anne to mean that her father believed in a sort of "enlightened despotism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightened_despotism)" ideology ".

Hm What a shock.

[Germanicus]

Love & Its Disintegration

Man's happiness today consists in 'having fun.' Having fun lies in the satisfaction of consuming and 'taking in' commodities, sights, food, drinks, cigarettes, people, lectures, books, movies -- all are consumed, swallowed. The world is one great object for our appetite, a big apple, a big bottle, a big breast; we are the sucklers, the eternally expectant ones, the hopeful ones -- and the eternally disappointed ones.


-- Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving


http://www.philosophicalsociety.com/Archives/Love & Its Disintegration.htm

Fromm is good.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3S6ycTvuyI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ecZo0IvO0S4

[Alyosha]

I am with you 100%. It is a laughable but sad fact that those who have "Question Authority" bumperstickers usually have Obama/Biden stickers beside them.

The two party system in the US is corrupt and corporate driven. It's supporters have been repetitively conditioned by the words "Lesser of two evils" that they willingly acknowledge and excuse the fact that year after year they vote "evil".

[Alyosha]

Propaganda Techniques:

Call people "extremists" if they see the system for what it is

Say you are a Goldwater or Eisenhower republican/"liberal" (but really you're a Wilson Progressive)

[Alyosha]

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1234598_10151885017059776_230897405_n.png

[KC]

Edward Bernays is also responsible for convincing the American media that Guatemala was turning red during his employment by the United Fruit Company. If it wasn't him there is a possibility Guatemala would have remained sovereign in its own affairs.