2 ms·

All the examples that you say are quite old. What huge propaganda campaign is going on underhandedly in 2019?

jbattle 7y ago
"It is normal for tech companies to hoover up behavioral data about us, to package it up, and to sell it on to others for whatever purposes they want"
fnord77 7y ago
Just off the top of my head: -Lots of relentless propaganda trying to differentiate and demonize political parties (liberals/democrats bad and hate america!) when in reality there's not much difference between mainstream elements of both parties outside of wedge issues. -Lots of green-washing propaganda (consuming product X is good for the environment)
- whatshisface 7y ago
  Add "super foods" to that list, which vary in actual health value but are all heavily supported by their associated agricultural consortium.
- derefr 7y ago
  The former has been going on forever; the latter has been going on for at least as long as environmentalism itself. Also, both of these are "industry trends", where I think what the parent is asking for are campaigns unique to a single company and a single advertising agency, but with far-reaching effects on public perception beyond that company's brand.
Consultant32452 7y ago
Russia collusion
LanceH 7y ago
Keto or anti-keto -- one of those.
- ericb 7y ago
  I tried really hard to find a profit motive as Keto was catching on a couple years ago, and I couldn't. Nobody was selling much. I'd lean toward anti-keto.
  - magduf 7y ago
    Of course there's a profit motive for Keto: selling books, movies, and magazines. Haven't you seen all the magazines at Whole Foods pushing keto and paleo diets? Or the "experts" selling books pushing them?
    - ericb 7y ago
      This was before all that. I couldn't even find a book. I found Keto by going through every diet subreddit and looking for which ones had the most before and after photos that were significant, and not sponsored by for-profit programs (like weight watchers). Intermittent fasting seems similar at the moment. Promising results, and I can't find a sponsor. Sure, given any trend, people will find a way to make a profit. But the kernel of these seems fairly organic, unlike say, the "South Beach Diet."
    - sjwright 7y ago
      There's also a profit motive to sell water, so maybe hydration is a scam too? To ericb's point—there's a massive difference between a profit motive of selling optional advice versus selling the "product". Like many real diets, keto is little more than a subset of foods already available at the supermarket. It's not like someone was trying to flog a special powder or vitamin pills.
      - magduf 7y ago
        A book can easily cost as much as a special powder or vitamin pills. And yes, someone writing some pseudo-scientific book pushing "hydration" (in reality, over-hydration) is a scam artist too. I'd be very surprised if there aren't any such books out there. I case you're wondering, this "hydration" thing basically is a scam too, just like keto. Fun fact: it's generally impossible to die of dehydration, unless you genuinely don't have access to freshwater. People will drink when they're thirsty. No athletes have ever died of it. However, a significant number of athletes have died of over-hydration (water poisoning). Just like keto, it's dangerous and unhealthy.
Udik 7y ago
Israel has been lobbying and campaigning relentlessly for the past few decades to obtain and maintain political support from the West. The campaign has successfully instilled a few formulas in the public opinion- for example: 1) that Israel has a right to defend itself; (notice how subtly it shifts the issue from that of whether it is defending or attacking, to whether it has a right to defend itself from attacks). 2) that Israel's right to exist needs to be constantly reiterated. (Which implicitly suggests that it's possible the speaker doesn't recognize it- you don't ask somebody who criticizes France to declare it has a right to exist). 3) that the reason Israel is attacked is hatred and anti-Semitism. (And not, of course, that it is violation of international legality and human rights). 4) that there is no meaningful distinction between USA's objectives and Israel's. (While Israel and USA are separate countries and by nature have different objectives). Some less official but widespread ideas are the negation of Palestinians existence (they are just Arabs) and a "might makes right" principle ("Palestinians have lost and should get over with it").
- KibbutzDalia 7y ago
  Hey @dang — why do you allow these off topic rants?
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - PhasmaFelis 7y ago
    It looks like a direct answer to the grandparent question "What huge propaganda campaign is going on underhandedly in 2019?" You may think it's wrong, but I don't see how it's off topic.
PhasmaFelis 7y ago
They already mentioned the global-warming thing. "Global warming either isn't real or is completely natural, so we shouldn't try to fix it." It's been taking a beating recently, but they've only doubled down on it, and it's still got a lot of momentum.
isostatic 7y ago
Brexit

"It is normal for tech companies to hoover up behavioral data about us, to package it up, and to sell it on to others for whatever purposes they want"

fnord77 7y ago

Just off the top of my head: -Lots of relentless propaganda trying to differentiate and demonize political parties (liberals/democrats bad and hate america!) when in reality there's not much difference between mainstream elements of both parties outside of wedge issues. -Lots of green-washing propaganda (consuming product X is good for the environment)

whatshisface 7y ago
Add "super foods" to that list, which vary in actual health value but are all heavily supported by their associated agricultural consortium.
derefr 7y ago
The former has been going on forever; the latter has been going on for at least as long as environmentalism itself. Also, both of these are "industry trends", where I think what the parent is asking for are campaigns unique to a single company and a single advertising agency, but with far-reaching effects on public perception beyond that company's brand.

Consultant32452 7y ago

Russia collusion

LanceH 7y ago

Keto or anti-keto -- one of those.

ericb 7y ago
I tried really hard to find a profit motive as Keto was catching on a couple years ago, and I couldn't. Nobody was selling much. I'd lean toward anti-keto.
- magduf 7y ago
  Of course there's a profit motive for Keto: selling books, movies, and magazines. Haven't you seen all the magazines at Whole Foods pushing keto and paleo diets? Or the "experts" selling books pushing them?
  - ericb 7y ago
    This was before all that. I couldn't even find a book. I found Keto by going through every diet subreddit and looking for which ones had the most before and after photos that were significant, and not sponsored by for-profit programs (like weight watchers). Intermittent fasting seems similar at the moment. Promising results, and I can't find a sponsor. Sure, given any trend, people will find a way to make a profit. But the kernel of these seems fairly organic, unlike say, the "South Beach Diet."
  - sjwright 7y ago
    There's also a profit motive to sell water, so maybe hydration is a scam too? To ericb's point—there's a massive difference between a profit motive of selling optional advice versus selling the "product". Like many real diets, keto is little more than a subset of foods already available at the supermarket. It's not like someone was trying to flog a special powder or vitamin pills.
    - magduf 7y ago
      A book can easily cost as much as a special powder or vitamin pills. And yes, someone writing some pseudo-scientific book pushing "hydration" (in reality, over-hydration) is a scam artist too. I'd be very surprised if there aren't any such books out there. I case you're wondering, this "hydration" thing basically is a scam too, just like keto. Fun fact: it's generally impossible to die of dehydration, unless you genuinely don't have access to freshwater. People will drink when they're thirsty. No athletes have ever died of it. However, a significant number of athletes have died of over-hydration (water poisoning). Just like keto, it's dangerous and unhealthy.

Udik 7y ago

Israel has been lobbying and campaigning relentlessly for the past few decades to obtain and maintain political support from the West. The campaign has successfully instilled a few formulas in the public opinion- for example: 1) that Israel has a right to defend itself; (notice how subtly it shifts the issue from that of whether it is defending or attacking, to whether it has a right to defend itself from attacks). 2) that Israel's right to exist needs to be constantly reiterated. (Which implicitly suggests that it's possible the speaker doesn't recognize it- you don't ask somebody who criticizes France to declare it has a right to exist). 3) that the reason Israel is attacked is hatred and anti-Semitism. (And not, of course, that it is violation of international legality and human rights). 4) that there is no meaningful distinction between USA's objectives and Israel's. (While Israel and USA are separate countries and by nature have different objectives). Some less official but widespread ideas are the negation of Palestinians existence (they are just Arabs) and a "might makes right" principle ("Palestinians have lost and should get over with it").

KibbutzDalia 7y ago
Hey @dang — why do you allow these off topic rants?
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- PhasmaFelis 7y ago
  It looks like a direct answer to the grandparent question "What huge propaganda campaign is going on underhandedly in 2019?" You may think it's wrong, but I don't see how it's off topic.

PhasmaFelis 7y ago

They already mentioned the global-warming thing. "Global warming either isn't real or is completely natural, so we shouldn't try to fix it." It's been taking a beating recently, but they've only doubled down on it, and it's still got a lot of momentum.

isostatic 7y ago

Brexit