Blog 9: The Failure of Propaganda

Source: Bytwerk, Randall L. Bending Spines: The Propagandas of Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2004. 155-169. Print.

Summary:

Before examining the failures of the propaganda systems of Nazi Germany and the GDR, Bytwerk discusses some of their successes.  “The primary success came in establishing the illusion, both at home and abroad, that National Socialism and Marxism-Leninism had a depth of support greater than they in fact had” (155-156).  The idea was to create an image of uniformity that was not, in fact, the case.  They had great goals that were easy to agree with, and propaganda provided a reason to ignore the parties’ failings.  Also, the propaganda provoked actions that imitated true belief. 

Bytwerk gives three reasons for the failure of totalitarian propaganda:

·         It is untruthful

·         It encourages hypocrisy

·         It is “in the biblical sense idolatrous, placing a human absolute in place of a divine absolute” (160)

He ends the book with a biblical metaphor: “the great dictatorships of the twentieth century … built houses upon sand that could not resist the storm” (169).  The illusion of a unanimous support system was not enough because it was not real, and when the storm came, it vanished.

My Opinion:

On page 164, Bytwerk makes an interesting comment: “Whereas religions tend to integrate belief and action, totalitarian systems tend to disintegrate people’s thoughts and actions, no matter how much propaganda is poured into them.”  Earlier he quotes Ellul, saying, “The aim of modern propaganda is no longer to modify ideas, but to provoke action” (159).  Bytwerk adds, “Actions change attitudes at least as much as attitudes change actions.  Propaganda builds habits of belief and expression.”  Were the propagandas of Nazi and East Germany misdirected?  Should they have promoted ideas rather than action? Or are “habits” and “actions” more important than “ideas” and “attitudes”?  The disintegration of thoughts and actions is an important concept.  If you want to have a fully convicted and engaged public, they must believe in the doctrine and then act on it.  Bytwerk gives the reason that totalitarian governments fail at this: “The fundamental problem is that the freedom to disbelieve is essential if one is to believe.  Both systems demanded belief,  and made it unpleasant to disbelieve, at least outwardly.  Citizens knew why they were doing what they were doing in public, and felt no pressure to internalize the demands of the system, to make them their own” (164).

What I really wondered while reading this chapter is, what is the role of propaganda?  It sounds like a two-edged sword: it can support a system, but can also weaken the system.  How do you utilize propaganda and public education without weakening your cause?  I think the idea that I just brought up in the preceding paragraph has something to do with it—you need to integrate belief and action, aiming to both modify ideas and promote action.  I think that we actually need more of this in our government today.  We need to be exposed to political ideas, and encouraged to believe in something.  In Texas, something like 2% of the voting population actually shows up for bond elections.  And those are the ones that have to do with our money! I think that if “propaganda” (of course we hate to call it that…) were aimed at getting us to believe in voting, instead of just begging us to do it, we might get more active participants.  I never would have thought that I would ask for propaganda, but I feel like we need to be more motivated by our government in order for the system to work better.  In a small way, I guess I now have something in common with Dr. Goebbels.  Scary.