By OcJim
For some time the right wing has controlled the media message. They have controlled the main-stream media and Fox News with two tools: first of all ownership is in the hands of monolithic corporations and corporate values dominate the content and therefore, the message; secondly, the right-wing controls the language, at least the operative words with the right connotations – negative or positive, the former associated with Democrats and the latter with Republicans.
How many of you have said “Obamacare” rather than “Affordable Care Act” for the health care reform passed by Democrats? Republicans have done a complete whitewash of the term. It was the logical update of “Hillarycare” more than a decade before. Even Obama staffers must take care to not say “Obamacare.” It is a slur, effective because it is connected with Obama who has been demonized by all in the right-wing-controlled media. Dems never for a moment have been so unified or propaganda-smart that they called “No Child Left Behind” “Bushducation,” or “Children Taught by Rote.”
Witness the new Republican House call their attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act as the “Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act.” The suggestion that it killed jobs was totally false but it fit in with 2010 false Republican campaign promises of creating jobs.
Rote learning, characterized by repeating a message over and over, is an archaic technique of teaching, but it is a mainstay for right-wing think tanks who had implemented the Republican strategy some four decades ago and still maintain it by spreading millions of dollars around to media partners like Ann Coulter and Bill O’Reilly. It also works for dictatorial regimes which control the message through state-controlled media in autocratic governments.
It becomes harder to control the message when the Occupy Movement gets a lot of media attention for issues that a huge population can relate to. In addition, billionaire mayors like Michael Bloomberg help the effort with brutal suppression by his NY police force, while Occupiers score by continuing to be non-violent. Though forces of brutality try to suppress media coverage of such events, they usually fail, and the public is exposed to average citizens and grandmothers being pepper-sprayed.
Frank Luntz, the infamous Republican pollster and master of mind-bending propaganda, told a group of conservatives at a Republican Governors Association conference held in Florida why the Occupy Wall Street movement has him scared. Like “death tax” for “estate tax” and “death panel” for proposed health care panels to enhance care for the elderly, Luntz had some wordsmith proposals to counter the Occupy movement, most being common fare:
- Don’t Mention Capitalism (It now has an immoral connotation).
- Tell protestors “I get it.”
- Reframe the concept of bonus payment to Wall Street. Call it “pay for performance.”
- Don’t say defend “the middle class;” say defend “hardworking taxpayers.”
- Don’t talk about taxing the rich; say government “takes from the rich.”
- Don’t talk about “jobs.” Talk about “careers.”
- Don’t say “government spending.” Call it “waste.”
- Don’t ever say you’re willing to “compromise.” That indicates weakness.
- Say “small business owners” and “job creators,” not “entrepreneurs” and “innovators.”
- Don’t ever ask anyone to “sacrifice.”
- Always blame Washington.
After hearing this oft-prompted exercise in mind-control by people like Luntz, and hear it repeated in every forum you are exposed to, do you think it doesn’t influence your thinking?
If not, I have a moon rock I am willing to part with — for the right price!
Conservative & Liberal Civil Debate
9 Dec 2011Sean – The minute this so called movement pickets the ports in LA it is finished, without union support it is done. SEIU and other unions are backing it and making most see it for what it is. If it wants to be taken serious it needs to tell the unions to take a hike. But you and I both know it won’t.
Larry – i didn’t know the right wing was scared of them .
Robert – Why don’t these occupy idiots protest our corrupt government who makes the deals with large corporations to make the regulations that eliminate the small business from competing? Why don’t these morons protest Obama and Biden who are in bed with people like ex NJ governor Corzine who, when he was CEO of MF Global, allowed them to “misplace” $1.2 billion of middle class investor money. Wonder where that money went? Probably part of it to fund the Obama campaign. These occupiers are the useful idiots of the Democrat party. Capitalism is not the enemy, corporatism is, and the government is just as responsible as the corporations because they are in bed together.
Benjamin – I doubt they are afraid just like I doubted the left was/is afraid of the tea party like many peopleimplied.
Sean – Corzine was a co-sponsor of Sarbanes -Oxley !!!! I read a post were the OWP posted 13 demands or a platform so to speak, a few are as followed; single payer insurance, free college, debt relief, and gender equality and the funniest one was elimination of credit cards. So what does this movement stand for again?
Larry – Ben I disagree about the Tea Party , I think the 2010 elections showed that . I don’t think the OWS could pull that off .
Benjamin – them winning doesnt mean its scares anyone, but thats not the topic of this post so I am not going to continue this path in this post at least.
Sean – Tea Party took their momentum and got people elected in to office, something this so called movement is incapable of.
Michael – While there are many varied individual gripes, the core boils down to:
Take the govt back from corruption be it; taking corporate/union/special interest money out of politics, holding congress accountable for doing a pisspoor job, lowering salaries of congress, removing the power of congress to vote themselves raises, holding congress to the same laws as regular people (insider trading, etc), requiring congress to get their healthcare from the same source as joe citizen, etc.
Benjamin – Occupy isnt trying be a political party so that doenst matter either way.
Sean – Michael I agree with you, however with unions combining with this movement they are losing the battle and backing.
Sean – Benjamin in the end the only way to make change that lasts is to become part of the system from within, as I stated above since the unions are involved with this movement in many cities it may be finished, this and picketing and trying to shut down ports in La will only bring this so called movement to a end sooner than later. Just my opinion.
Michael – Is OWS accepting union backing, or are unions trying to ride on the coattails of OWS?
Erik – I think the problem is, no one really knows what they are “trying to be”, including them.
Larry – The OWS and Unions have been together for awhile Michael .
Ben , one of the founders of the OWS said they need to find candidates who support their movement . If that happens , then they are moving in the direction of being a political party .
Dennis – They are not accepting money from unions. Unions back our ideas. In Chicago, we had marchers from teachers, nurses, SEIU, teamsters, architects(?), representing 120,000 local workers in the area. Their support is welcome, their money is not. For the same reasons we are non-violent, to not give the naysayers a reason to discredit.
Sean – Dennis was they are marching together they are one in the same regardless of intentions sir. Unions will destroy this movement.