Definitions HQ

Propaganda (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠all that official sources are, in the case of a totalitarian state.

Propaganda (n.) was ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠what people without experience of totalitarian government dismissed as 'mere' — and eventually nothing counted but it.

Propaganda (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠Schoenerer's attracted the little man with songs, post cards, Schoenerer beer mugs, walking sticks and matches — while the Pan-Slavs still speculated about Jewish sex power.

Propaganda (n.) could ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not have created a symbol of Jewish world government more effective than the reality of one family serving three rival governments at once.

Propaganda (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠facts works better than rhetoric: send penniless, passportless beggars across a border and the world itself proves your claim.

Propaganda (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠needed to win the masses; only the mob and the elite are attracted by the momentum of totalitarianism itself.

Propaganda (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠power kills small functionaries rather than famous men — proving the danger of mere membership, and that it is safer to join the killers than stay loyal.

Propaganda (n.) for ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠war, Nazi-style, could lead a whole people to war with the slogan "or else we shall go down" — and console them with the Fuehrer's promise of an easy death by gas.

Propaganda (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠achieve all things, our age imagines — just as the last believed the voice of the people was the voice of God; both mistake the mob for the people.

Propaganda (n.) becomes ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠unnecessary once you can do the thing: with poison gas to kill Jews like bedbugs, there is no need to propagate that Jews are bedbugs.

Propaganda (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the totalitarian kind is as frank as it is mendacious: would-be rulers begin by boasting of their past crimes and carefully outlining their future ones.

Propaganda (n.) under ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠total rule gives way to making its lies true: it will not merely deny unemployment exists, it will abolish unemployment benefits.

Propaganda (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the totalitarian kind adds the power of organization to argument and realizes on the spot whatever it says; it can be disproved only by a stronger reality.

Propaganda (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the totalitarian kind took mysteriousness as such for its first criterion in choosing topics — whether the secret was the Secret Service, the Freemasons' empty ritual, or old legends about Jesuits and Jews.

Propaganda (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the totalitarian kind aims not at persuasion but at organization — the accumulation of power without the means of violence; originality of doctrine is only an obstacle.