Propaganda & Mass Persuasion: Over A Hundred Years, And What Has Changed?

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Over A Hundred Years, And What Has Changed?


"Sangre y oro", "blood and gold-- a stream of gold between two rivers of blood" - Trumbull White

Though this saying might represent another countries flag during a certain time, it's not far from what our great country indulged itself into, in the early becomings of founding this land. We came to this land for many reasons, riches, soil, spices, gold's and new life. But in the process we seemed to have spilled the blood of millions. The picture that I placed in here shows that we conquered 3 different ethnicities and peoples during our growth. Over the years we have become involved with greed, and from time to time blood will be shed in light of that greed. In White's article representing our involvement in the Spanish-American War, he try's to justify our rights in being involved. He states that we are a "Civilization against barbarism, freedom against oppression", but we just so acted in those manors in our foundings, we also seem to be meddling in that path today when it comes to us and our war against terrorists and Iraq. We are fighting for reasons in which some are unknown, many say oil and others say to fight against a nation that holds tons of threats. As we have progressed in our stay in Iraq, we have said that there way of life is barbaric, but at the same time we are once again trying to control another land. As I see it, old tendencies don't die easily.

1 Comments:

Blogger A. Mattson said...

Does the rhetoric of 1898 remind you of today's debate about the war? Without coming to a political conclusion, can you look at the language, the images, the symbolism and analyze what there is in common between the past and the present? How does examining the propaganda of the past help you to understand the persuasive messages of today?

2/18/2008 11:07 PM  

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