Corporate Propaganda versus Democracy

One of the recurrent themes in history has been the struggle between the privileged few and the hoi polloi. In totalitarian societies the rabble were taught the joys of obedience by the not-so gentle application of the truncheon. In Western democracies such US, Australia, and UK the use of brute force was always problematic. Hence the engineering of consent had to be obtained by the skillful use of propaganda.

Taking the Risk out of Democracy written by Alex Carey offers rare insights into propagandamanaged democracy where the highly class-conscious business community sought to protect its interests with the dedicated support of intellectual culture.According to Carey, The twentieth Century has been characterized by three developments of great importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy. Carey observes, The extension of popular franchise (right to vote) and the growth of the union movement meant that there were threats to corporate power. The American Corporations met this threat by learning to use propaganda, both inside and outside the corporation, as an effective weapon for managing public opinion. The risk to democracy has been constructed out of a perceived risk to business interests and these interests are sold to the public as national interests. Business interests coalesce with national interests by employing emotive words such as freedom, free enterprise, and the free market. Covert propaganda messages by the media convey that the risk to democracy comes not only from Trade Unions but also from government initiatives as welfare and environmental policies which hampers the undiluted pursuit of corporate profits. This simple regime of thought control, adds Carey, should prove to have been so triumphant, with so little public resistance, must be put down to persistent, repetitive orchestration. What makes the American society so susceptible to propaganda? Carey answers this in his interesting chapter titled The Origins of American Propaganda. According to Carey, the members of the American Society adopt or accept a dualistic world- view. This world-view is dominated by the powerful symbols of the satanic and the sacred. A society or culture which is disposed to view the world in Manichean terms will be more vulnerable to propaganda. Thus, the extravagant idealization of the spirit of America, its quasi-religious belief in manifest destiny, and the American way of life has deep emotional appeal for most of the Americans. On the other hand negative symbols representing evil such as communism/ trade union/socialism are viewed as evil and inimical to the American dream. The skillful exploitation of the symbols (sacred/ profane) by propagandists ensured the defeat of welfare (negatively identified with commies) and the dominance of free enterprise values representing narrow corporate interests. In the long battle between corporate power and democratic societies, in the words of the author, civil liberties were left prostate, the labour movement was badly mangled, and the position of capital was greatly enhanced. We live in an age where uncritical worship of free market combined with privatization has led to job losses and worker alienation. Careys demystification of corporate propaganda masquerading as public good must have a resonant appeal to those who value freedom and liberty.

C.R.Sridhar