PROPAGANDA (BRAINWASHING)

 

PROPAGANDA (BRAINWASHING)

A Book Review by Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, a book by Edward L. Bernays

THIS IS A CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING!  This book by Edward L. Bernays was written in 1928, repeat 1928.  Why is this so critical to understand?  So glad you asked.  

As I read this book my very first thought was that it could have been titled “Brainwashing” by Edward L. Bernays.  The following is a definition of the word Propaganda from the Internet: 

noun

1. A congregation of cardinals, established in 1622, charged with the management of missions.
2. The college of the Propaganda, instituted by Urban VIII. (1623-1644) to educate priests for missions in all parts of the world.
3. Hence, any organization or plan for spreading a particular doctrine or a system of principles.

I have highlighted the last portion of #3 for what it DOES NOT SAY.  “A particular doctrine or a system of principles” can be a good thing or a bad thing.  It would be something that is true or something that is false and therein lies the danger of using the word “propaganda.” 

The second thought I had as I read this book was that I had to check out again WHEN it was written because it could just as easily have been written in 2025.  There was so many topics touched upon like the arts, education, universities, the news media (and yes there were problems back in 1928 much similar to the media issues we experience in 2025), sales/selling, business principles (in some cases a lack there of) and especially POLITICS, and like business where there is a definitely lack of principles and understanding of the job of a politician.

THE BIG TAKE AWAY FOR ME in reading this book is that I identified myself on a great many of the pages.  I could easily see where I arrived at some of my opinions, beliefs and principles and how they were actually unconsciously taught to me through the use of “propaganda.”  If you want examples, I grew up hearing and seeing that smoking cigarettes was a good thing, that they tasted great and that real men smoked but women did not (1950s).  I grew up believing the having Floride in my drinking water and toothpaste was a good and healthy thing to have; it isn’t, check for yourself because people still believe that BS today in 2025.  In the 1950s we were taught that the USA was good, Russia was bad and that China was starving and a third world country where everyone lived in poverty and that I was supposed to eat everything on my plate because there were children starving in China.  I hope you get my point.  We all, you and I, have been taught a great many things, some true but a lot more not true.  Unfortunately, as we have been taught these things there were no contradictory sources to teach us otherwise like we have in 2025.  One of the biggest examples, not discussed in the book because of when it was written, happened in the Gulf of Tonkin.  This turned out to be one of the biggest instances of propaganda every perpetrated on the American people and the world.  We were told and we all believed that the North Vietnamese attacked TWO U. S. Navy ships in the Gulf of Tonkin.  As a result, America used the incident to become fully involved in the War in Vietnam!  It turned out to be a version of propaganda instituted by the government of the United States and it was all false – it never happened but we believed it because it came from the government – it was FAKE propaganda/news at its worst.  As a result, over 50,000 American lives were lost and thousands more wounded, both mentally and physically and probably million(s) of North and South Vietnamese lost their lives or wounded and it was all based on a lie – on propaganda!  That is a case were Propaganda is bad; really bad!

This book explains in detail how corporations think and act to make us do something we otherwise would not do without the insertion of propaganda suggesting it is a good thing for us to do.  Instead, we join in the group-thinking that doing what they suggest will make us part of the larger group or keeping us up with the times or the “Joneses next door.”  We have been manipulated to buy a Chevy or a Ford or visa versa.  Owning a red car was better than the standard black car.  Owning a fur coat or later not owning a fur coat; both were created either by the fashion industry or the saving the animals crusade. 

Something else became very obvious as I read the book.  There was a passage on almost every page that could be extracted as a single memorable quote from Bernays!  You can’t say that about most book but you can about this one!

The problem not addressed in the book is what should we do about the obvious propaganda made worse in 2025 by social media where more and more people are being exposed.

THIS IS A MUST-READ BOOK FOR EVERYONE!

Who should read it?  Everyone, but especially anyone in sales, business, arts and politics

Would I read it again?  Probably not, I got the message, loud and clear!

Would I give it as a gift?  Absolutely

HERE’S THE BEST PART.  If you have a Kindle Reader or App (everyone should, it’s free), the Kindle version of the book is only $12.43 PLUS you can also purchase additional books like a study guide of this particular book.