General Holsterman took a sip of water and placed the water bottle on the lectern.
“In today’s lecture, Cadets, I will attempt to impart some level-headed but profound knowledge to you. This knowledge concerns the worldview you possess and how the world actually exists. You may deny what I am about to talk about. If you do, please go knowingly into your own ignorance.”
The General gave a half smile. The Cadets were paying attention.
“There is an element of society that exists out in the open. Everyone sees it but does not see it. Everyone feels it but does not feel it. Every person in this auditorium lives under its rule. Everyone here makes choices based on its influence, and, for the most part, this element has remained unidentified to you as it has with the masses in general.
“This element has been coined several times throughout history, some calling it, Propaganda. Others have more broadly termed it, Social Engineering. Others more recently have rebranded it, Public Relations. There are still others, however, who have given it a more accurate term. They call it, Invisible Government. Regardless of name, its power is paramount.”
The General watched the Cadets. All were holding pencils ready to take notes. The General cleared his throat and clicked the projector’s remote.
“Invisible Government is made up by a small and changing collection of individuals. Their function is the premeditated and calculated manipulation of the Behaviors and Opinions a society’s people personify.”
The general watched the Cadets. All were scribbling furiously.
“That is a very clinical definition, Cadets, a bit of a mouthful too. Though aggressive in its accuracy, a more layman description could be this: The function of Invisible Government is to control the minds of the masses.”
Some Cadets looked up from there notebooks furrowing their eyebrows. Some just scribbled faster. The General continued.
“Whichever definition you choose, it makes no difference. Either description is accurate.”
The General gestured with a hand and took a few steps along the stage.
“Perhaps, some of you might think the second definition possesses an evilness to it, like a mad scientist’s scheme of world domination and control?”
The General scanned.
“If anyone here believes this to be the case, I will say this. For our current way of life, it is a necessary evil.”
The General dropped his hand and took a deep breath.
“We live in a complex world, Cadets. Its complexity is far greater than most comprehend it to be. The amount of information or data needed for an individual to make a truly informed decision is immense. The amount of time needed to analyze, decipher and understand a specific data set could take months, years, decades, even a lifetime.
“If there existed a truly rational man today, if he were tasked with making a choice in our world all on his own, collecting the data himself, analyzing it, weighing the pros and cons, the positives and negatives, simulating every possible outcome of every distinct and varying choice, this, Rational Man, would immediately become bogged down. His mind would be overloaded. His thought processes would overheat.
“In our modern world, due to its complexity, the data that enters an individual’s Decision Making Mechanisms must be oiled and smoothed. Options must be narrowed. The information must be condensed.”
The General placed his hands on his hips.
“An example of this might make it more clear to you.”
The General cleared his throat.
“Take a truly Rational Man, an individual who shuns all previous assumptions about the world. He takes the world for what it is, when he experiences it. He does not rely on the opinion of others. He does not induce previous knowledge of science or faith or custom or tradition. He does not subscribe to groupthink or appeal to authority. He does not allow advertisements or propaganda to influence him at a conscious or subconscious level. He is a strict man, who views the world objectively, who views the world as a causal flow of external events. Now, take this truly rational man, and task him with discovering which shaving cream is best for himself.”
The general raised his eyebrows. Every student in the auditorium was confused. The General continued.
“Our man observes the world and sees that there are seventy-two different shaving creams available for purchase. He buys them all, endeavoring to perform his own experiment of self discovery. Which cream is best? Well, first, our truly rational man must define what is best. Our man decides upon two factors: Price and Feel. The man’s Price Factor is immediately known for he has already purchased the creams. He will need to keep an eye on the market though. Price variations occur.
“The second factor, Feel, must be experienced. It must be sensed, but how can one test Feel accurately? Well, of course, each shaving cream must be used. Each must be tested in a manner identical to each other. Notes must be taken during or just after the experience. A testing schedule with testing guidelines must be created.
“‘I will shave every three days’ the man says, and ‘I will shave in a manner of stroke-and-blade identical with each shave.’”
The General squinted his eyes. The Cadets sat and stared.
“Our truly rational man then begins to ponder other ways to perfect his experiment, to collect the most accurate data possible. His diet must not change for that might affect his beard growth. He must sleep the same hours every night and exercise the same hours everyday, for health can affect beard growth. He must use the same face soap and wash in the same manner for the duration of the experiment. Not doing so would most certainly produce varying effects. What about sunlight on his skin? What about humidity and weather? What about his cologne? What about the ties and dress shirts, the coats and scarves, anything that may make contact his neck and face? What about his STRESS levels?”
The General raised a hand to the Cadets.
“Cadets, let’s just say our truly rational man does somehow produce testing guidelines that would collate the most dependable and accurate data. Then it would be on to experimentation. Our man would test each product in an identical manner. It would take two-hundred-and-sixteen days for each shaving cream to be used. After this, the data would need to be analyzed. The findings would need to be plotted and reanalyzed. Then, possibly, our truly rational man may have found his holy grail of shaving cream.”
The General glided a hand through the air, gesturing to the Cadets.
“If this man existed in our modern world today, would any of you call him rational?”
A laugh rolled through the auditorium. The Cadets all shook their heads in the negative. They were smiling.
“A rational man today would ask a friend who has similar beard growth what shaving cream they use and their opinion of it. A rational man today might look at an online pole for the most popular brands. A rational man today might read a company’s profile and the scientific data they have published. A rational man today might succumb to the enchantments of advertisers, a masculine model rubbing a specific cream over his square jaw.”
The General breathed.
“Cadets, the rational man today seeks to limit his options. He seeks to be molded, whether knowingly or unknowingly. He seeks guidance from proclaimed authorities. He seeks communion with The Group. He seeks to emulate whatever leaders, icons, bosses, guides, or approvals his mind has come to aspire.”
The auditorium was silent. Everyone was pondering what the General had said. After a moment, the General continued.
“Let us discuss something a little more meaningful now.”
The General cleared his throat.
“When our constitution was adopted, the scale of society was that of the village community. Most people lived and worked in or near villages, and villages were self-sufficient, meaning, necessary commodities like food, water, building supplies, and social activities were all produced or sold in or near the village. The opinions and behaviors of people, for the most part, were determined by villager-to-villager contact, group discussions and an individual’s personal examination of the world.
“An obstacle confronted our founders almost immediately after the constitution was adopted. It was similar to the problem our Rational Man faced when searching for the perfect shaving cream. From every niche, aspiring men with political aims began their campaigns, seeking political office. As a result, there was a congestion of voting options. The voting process became disorganized, entangled, and disorderly. The public was incapable of performing its due diligence when attempting to examine the swath of candidates. They could not ascertain which, if any, of the many candidates represented their own personal concerns. The public had great difficulty determining who to cast their votes for.
“This problem is called, Choice Profusion—the abundance of too many options.
“The founders of our nation did not ascribe any political party system into the writings of the constitution, but political parties emerged with expedience. Their objective was this: To narrow and limit the number of candidates for political office, to condense the candidate field, so the public in a majority, could vote for preselected individuals.”
The General scanned the auditorium.
“This endeavor required the ongoing use of propaganda, or Invisible Government, to shape and sculpt the public mind. They used all forms of communication available. They suggested only a few certain candidates in election contests. These candidates were presented to the public as the only viable options worthy of a vote.”
The General glided a hand through the air.
“Now, here we are, Cadets. Here we are today, governed almost exclusively by a Two Party System. Though some argue, in earnest, there is just a One Party System. That argument has merit by-the-way. And this political system has ruled in ever changing conditions, taking advantage of every technological advancement in communication. For over two centuries, this system has guided and coerced the public mind in whatever manner deemed fit.”
The General dropped his hand.
“What I have described to you is just one function of Invisible Government, this narrowing of political option, or the coercion of political opinion. It is by no means the only function.”
The General paused.
“Before we discuss other functions, we must discuss the term, Propaganda. What you believe it is and what it actually is.
“When hearing the word propaganda, most of you envision old black-and-white film reels of long past wars. In your mind’s eye, you might see a dictator shouting from a podium, or images of imprisoned peoples, or masses of soldiers saluting in unison. You may have feelings about these images. Your mind may shout ‘Liars’, or ‘Monsters’, or simply state, ‘Enemy,' as you think about these images.
“I must tell you, Cadets, these images you see inside your head are not propaganda. They are the result of propaganda.
“One mental image you might not identify as propaganda—but is most certainly the result of it—could be the image of a flower being placed into a rifle barrel at a protest in the 1960s—The Flower Power image. If you can summon this to mind, an event that took place thirty years before you were born, the fact that you can recall it, that you may harbor emotions about it, that, is the result of Propaganda.
“Propaganda is not a term describing abuse of power, or an abasement of public trust. It is not about a maniacal madmen bent on genocide.
“Propaganda is nothing more than the dissemination of information in an attempt to manipulate public opinion. That is all. Whether the information is true or false, misleading or factual, popular or unpopular, all of this has nothing to do with it being Propaganda. A Textbook can be propaganda. A song can be propaganda. A novel can be propaganda. Movies are some of the most powerful modes of propaganda. A speech, a news broadcast, a television commercial, a blog post, a text message… all of these and more can be propaganda.
“What is necessary is this, an objective to manipulate public opinion and behavior to a certain end, either on an individual level, or more frequently, on the level of The Group. That is propaganda, and the boundaries of it expand as far as communication can reach, far wider than any political arena.”
The General strolled a few steps along the stage.
“I am an old man, Cadets, and my mind can swim in the chaos of past product slogans and jingles, the show-tunes of sitcoms, the trendy catch-phrases of the youthful, the tag lines of long dead comedians. I can hear the songs of war and the songs of peace. I can hear the voices of change and their promises echoing through the years. I can recall magazine covers from half-a-century ago with crystal clarity. I can remember where I was when wars began. I can remember what I was doing when they finished. I can remember everything, everything, all of it having its small tweaks on my mood and thought, its tiny nudges on my mind. It is a lifetime of memories, Cadets, most of which were manipulated by invisible powers.”
The General stood. The auditorium was motionless.
“You do not live in a rational time. You do not live in an Age of Reason. What you live in is, The Age of Manipulation.”
The General walked to the podium. He picked up the water bottle and took a sip.
“Whatever initial limitations were placed on Invisible Government just after the founding of this country, economic forces eventually took the reins and multiplied the potency. The fields of psychology and sociology developed. Advancements in the understanding of the human mind and human behavior at a scientific level progressed. It is still progressing. Economic forces push for these advancements for the economic landscape is always in flux.
“Initially, in this country, the spirit of mercantilism pinned small businesses against small businesses in direct competition. Boot makers were against other boot makers, tailors fought other tailors, barbers were against other barbers, beef providers schemed against other beef providers, etcetera. But as populations grew, as villages became towns and towns turned into cities, public demand for services and goods increased. The concerns of the small business owner changed. The Barber was no longer as worried about the other barber down the street. The barber was concerned about his own business and how to expand it in order to meet the rising demand of a growing clientele. Beef providers were no longer worried about other beef providers. They were worried about increasing their herd and accessing more grazing lands. Tailors became less concerned with competing with other tailors and more concerned with providing clothing at an industrial level. Many of these Tailors moved away from Tailoring and became Retailers.
“As Consumerism grew, the concerns of business owners changed drastically in regard to competition. Business Guilds formed. Cooperative practices emerged. Direct competition was not always advantageous. Two businesses could destroy each other in the sport of competing, a risk where neither business wins out. But if demand could remain high, if the growing population could continue buying, well, every business could experience success.
Paradigms changed. Security through Collusion and Raw Material Access became the principles that new Business Conglomerates operated under. Labor Relations were also of great concern for factory owners. It was at this point where Big Business became increasingly invested in the practices of Invisible Government.
“The reasons for this are obvious. With government controlling domestic regulation and trade, Controlled, Coerced, or Compromised individuals would need to be installed into political offices in order for Big Business to function according to desired financial projections. This does not even touch upon the influence that conglomerates have on Tax Law. It also quite neatly explains the misuse of Tariff Leveraging, and the relocation of factories into foreign lands, this off-shoring of jobs by conglomerates who have developed multi-national interests.
“Another reason for Big Business’s interest in Invisible Government concerns Labor Relations. Throughout history, Industrial Business has been hampered by the organization of labor forces into Unions. With the use of Invisible Government, some of these hindrances can be swayed or even steered by the very powers that the unions are fighting. I imagine, Captains of Industry find this hysterical.
“The last reason I will discuss is one that all of you are familiar with. You have experienced it your entire lives, either knowingly or unknowingly. It is the use of Invisible Government in relation to consumer behavior.
“There was once a tenet in business where the sale of an item was looked upon as not only good for the seller but also good for the buyer. Each were giving value and receiving value. The difference in value relied on the seller’s, or manufacturer’s, ability to produce products at a lower cost than what a buyer could perform on their own. This tenet is subdued in its practice today.
“Many decades ago, Big Business was confronted with a new threat. This threat was the fiscal tightening of the consumer, the slowing of consumer purchasing. After years of debt accumulation and decades of working long hours, the ideal of consumerism was losing its luster. The public was attempting to decrease its spending behavior, being disinclined to give their entire paychecks out for more unnecessary goods. The public were becoming unwilling to increase their debt. It was at this point when Big Business began increasing its efforts of propaganda on less political objectives. They began launching campaigns aimed at manufacturing Consumer Demand.
“Have you ever wondered why a Spring clothing line is different from the previous Spring’s? Other than being new, what purpose does that serve? Why do furniture designs change? Shouldn’t there be an ideal chair that designers have strived to engineer? Why do people buy new cars when their old cars are fine? Sometimes, their old cars are not even paid for yet. Why do people have-to-have that new smartphone, those new shoes, that new hairstyle, that new smartwatch, the new dress, the new coat, the new video game system?…
“Cadets, from birth, each one of you have been drowned in corporate propaganda, influencing your buying patterns, your musical tastes, your religious affiliations, your fashion choices, your political leanings, your food preferences, your personal identities, what groups and organizations you believe you identify with… Even what you find sexually attractive and what you perceive as hideous has been influenced.”
The General stood in the center of the stage.