One of the primary definitions of propaganda revolves around the idea of manipulating the public into accepting things they would otherwise reject. We see this playing out in many ways people are likely unaware of. For instance, the narrative surrounding the Trump administration and the grand plan to use the military to arrest the deep state is a perfect example. People heavily invested in the MAGA movement seem willing to accept a “temporary” dictatorship, with Trump at the helm, to save the country from the left. This is a narrative made popular through the Qanon phenomenon, which urged voters to sit back and “trust the plan.” While this may ring out as a conspiracy theory, there are more relevant examples. The right would have never, no matter what the circumstances, no matter what they say, accepted masked federal troops, armed to the teeth, being let out in the street if done by Biden, Harris, or Obama. This was accepted by Trump voters because it fit within the confines of what they already believed. Trump is making America great again. Propaganda must reflect popular sentiments, while attaching itself to the ideas that bind movements together. When people see or hear what reflects their attitudes, they go along; they don’t ask questions, they don’t resist. This type of propaganda is what Jacques Ellul refers to as integration propaganda, and it is used primarily as a tool of forced conformity. It forces participation out of the population as a whole, as the entire system in which they live consumes their very lives. People become attached to narratives; they identify with groups, they shut out facts that conflict with what they choose to believe, and independent thought is sacrificed for adherence to ideology. Americans are more divided than ever, and once again, find themselves eager to vote for people who will fix the problems perceived as being caused by the party in power. It is time to consider that the entire system we live in is one where integration propaganda keeps us following along in the hopes that someone will save us and fix it all.

Ellul states that integration propaganda is the type most commonly used for modern, industrialized societies. Keeping people in a state of willing compliance is, in a roundabout way, necessary for the continued advancement of that society. The powers that be need to know that the population is wholeheartedly immersed and believes in the system in which they participate. This often relies on what Ellul refers to as the “all-encompassing myth.” This is something that activates men towards an objective and commits them to action. The all-encompassing myth revolving around Trump, just as one example, is the idea that he is draining the swamp, and everything he is doing is of historical significance. This, and the belief that he is fighting a hard battle against the communist left, is what keeps the MAGA movement loyal. The myth reinforces everything the target audience believes on a grand scale, elevating everything to larger-than-life proportions.

The all-encompassing myth spans beyond Trump. It could be theoretically argued that the very system we live in is itself a myth. In what way? We believe we have choice, and that choice represents our participation in a system where we are supposed to have control. Yet, with every election cycle, we seem to get more of the same. This is something that many people claim to see; but still, they continue to participate by rushing to the polls and voting for their favorite politician. To put this into sharper contrast, look at it through the lens of Ellul’s description a moment. “Propaganda of integration,” he writes, “is a self-producing propaganda that seeks to obtain stable behavior and reshape thoughts and behaviors in terms of the permanent social setting.” Interestingly, he also states that it is the preferred instrument of government. What is the permanent social setting in American society? The ideological fight between the left and right, and the belief that our vote makes a difference. Over the past couple of decades, arguably since September 11, 2001, we have seen both political parties continue to wage unconstitutional wars, infringe on personal freedoms, and increase the national debt. More recently, we have seen the release of the Epstein files, where allegedly the public was referred to as little more than tax cattle, and the elite admit to horrific crimes involving child trafficking, pedophilia, and Satan worship. Despite this, we are still playing their game.

This concept could be broken down further by suggesting each political party itself carries with it a myth of sorts. Something that keeps loyal voters attached and voting for the letter next to the name, as opposed to anything significant. What are these myths? The Democratic Party has convinced its followers that it is the party of the oppressed and marginalized. Despite an abundance of information proving otherwise, the Democrats are the party that opposed slavery and stands for the rights of minorities. They are compassionate and care about equality. The Republican Party claims to stand for individual liberty, equality of opportunity, and fiscal responsibility. In essence, each party espouses values the other opposes, ensuring the people remain impassioned, committed, and divided. In many ways, the system could be compared to the Hegelian Dialectic, where somewhere in the middle is a predetermined consensus resulting from the constant conflict between each party. The conflict itself is little more than a fabricated fight meant to do exactly what the definition of propaganda itself suggests. Gain approval on issues that would otherwise be opposed, and it seems to be working. Partisan voters routinely accept and make excuses for the policies and actions of the people they vote for. There is no better example of this than comparing the spending between Obama and Trump. In eight years, Obama spent six trillion dollars, which was often described as more than every president has spent since the founding, combined. This prompted the formation of the Tea Party movement. President Trump, in less than two terms, has added an additional twelve trillion to the debt. Some of the same people that started the Tea Party movement are still ardent supporters of Trump and question nothing.

There is a simple truth that most people seem unaware of. Effective propaganda is based on a thorough understanding of human behavior. It is something that is repeated throughout the literature on propaganda and persuasion. For propaganda to be effective, it must reflect the attitudes, opinions, and beliefs of the targeted audience. Ellul states the same thing in his book Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s Attitudes. Interestingly, he cites the United States as the most important example of such propaganda. He says for integration propaganda to be successful, “all psychological and opinion analysis must be utilized, as well as the mass media communication.” What does that mean? Our reactions to mass media are thoroughly analyzed and understood, then fed right back to us in narratives framed to gain acceptance on issues we would otherwise oppose. How is the United States the most relevant example? That is an interesting question, considering this book was written in 1965. At the time, massive studies were taking place on depth psychology that were seeking how to, as Joost Meerloo explains, overcome the buying resistance of the American public. This could also be explained by saying they were seeking how to gain compliance. Once the unconscious processes of the human mind were understood, this knowledge was applied to political candidates, and they were then marketed and sold to the public based on what was known about the voter’s expectations. This isn’t conspiracy theory; it is what happened. Fast forward sixty years and you have two long-time friends waging a fake ideological battle on the debate stage in front of an audience eating it up. Why are they eating it up? Because through sophisticated data analysis techniques, the attitudes and beliefs of the audience were understood, and they were told exactly what they wanted to hear. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton throwing insults at each other was nothing more than a brilliant mockery of the expectations of a deeply divided country.

Americans have become so conditioned to this fake, ideological fight for control of the government that they fail to see how they are being manipulated. What matters more than anything is a continued commitment to the system. The government doesn’t care who you vote for. As long as you vote, they win. Voting equals consent in the minds of men thirsting for dominion over your life. Americans are comfortable with this system because it is familiar, and on the surface, it makes sense. Ellul states that the more comfortable and even informed a society is, the more susceptible it will be to this kind of propaganda. Why? It seems normal, like it is the way it is supposed to be. Also, people who pride themselves on how well they keep up with daily events are especially susceptible because they tend to believe in the media. This is a concept mentioned in a book entitled Political Persuasion and Attitude Change as well. The highly educated, or the intellectuals, are more likely to be tuned into the mass media, politically motivated to affect change in some way, and attached to narratives that reflect their preconceived biases.

Over the past twenty-five years, the two-party system has brought the national debt to a whopping forty trillion dollars. The value of our currency continues to collapse, affecting everything we pay for, and the surveillance state continues to grow. Americans are about to rush to the polls to punish one party and empower another. If Democrats win, the left will settle into a state of mindless compliance, accepting anything they do without question. Just like many Trump voters have been doing, and will continue to do, if Republicans win. Our political overlords watch and smile knowing they are firmly in control. They don’t see a voting public looking to hold people accountable. They see mindless minions looking for someone to provide solutions, while being told what to believe. Tell me, what reason does the government have not to see us as mindless drones?

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Article posted with permission from David Risselada