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people who don't really understand democracy (in terms of the implicit power structure) trying to institute it never ends well.
by nazgulnarsil 13y ago
people who don't really understand democracy (in terms of the implicit power structure) trying to institute it never ends well.
- drawkbox 13y ago“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ...In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.” ― Edward L. Bernays, Propaganda
- lifeisstillgood 13y agoYou cannot nudge a rock uphill
- wavefunction 13y agoWhat's the point of nudging a rock uphill, I guess I would ask. Down at the bottom or at the crest, it's still a rock.
- 6d0debc071 13y agoSure, but it's a lot more effective to roll it onto someone's head from the top of the hill than from the bottom.
- wavefunction 13y agoheh, I guess you could leave the rock where it arrived by natural physical forces.
- jasonwatkinspdx 13y agoSure you can. Pretty sure I could do it with most any part of my body. Instead of being a metaphor repetition device try saying what you think straightforwardly. It goes more interesting places.
- lifeisstillgood 13y agoActually it tends not to go to such interesting places. "Nudge" refers to a concept in mainstream political science that minor behavioural-economics inspired changes can have a more powerful affect than draconian laws. The Bernays quote is a sort of tin-foil hat extension of that idea, that someone somewhere is so all powerful they can influence the masses to do what they the person wants. Total crap. if the slope of economic self interest is downhill, all the nudging and the clever manipulation of people's perception will not get the rock of humanity to move up the hill. Idiots like Bernays who think the crowd cannot be left to itself because it might hurt itself with scissors, think that small PR related nudges can guide great decisions. Which is probably true if all you are doing is selling washing powder, or have selective confirmation bias.
- jasonwatkinspdx 13y agoI know the book (actually I think it's on the table behind me in a stack as I type) but I didn't catch that reference from what you posted.
- lifeisstillgood 13y agoI'm pretty sure nudge is not a Bernays reference (could be wrong). It's, well I am not too sure, but likely out of Chicago School of economics. As for rocks going up hill, old old books, bloke called Sisyphus.
- iuguy 13y agoNo, but Edward Bernays wrote about how to convince others to do so on your behalf.
- tomsthumb 13y agoThis guy was brilliant. And something of a twat. I blame him for all of the jerks in advertising nowadays. Check out 'The Century of the Self' for a thought provoking documentary.
- _mulder_ 13y agoI second that.. infact all of the Adam Curtis documentaries are worth a peek