Of Mouse and Men and Governments

Yesterday, I took a look at the importance of propaganda as it relates, not only to government, but also to business. Like I said, propaganda is not a bad thing. It has received a lot of negative attention because of associations with people or organizations that have had immoral policies, but overall, it is essential to society's maintaining some sense of order. And for companies, it is essential to developing and maintaining a customer base.

Since I told everyone that I was going to reveal who I think is the best propagandist today, I've received several emails from readers letting me know who they think the greatest propagandists are. I want to take a minute to go over those nominees before I let you know who I think deserves kudos. Here are your nominees:

1. Ronald Reagan: While President Reagan did make his mark with his efforts towards bringing down the Iron Curtain, and he certainly had his fair share of notable speeches, I don't think he's the greatest propagandist. He was certainly part of an agenda that the United States had developed since the 1950s, and he had the honor of being the President who was in charge when the Soviet regime began to lose its power. However, the United States' propaganda was a collective effort among several presidents and officials, so he cannot be given all of the credit. He was a good speaker, but not a great speaker. As we progress over the next few weeks, I'll certainly go about defining what a great speaker really does to make him/her great.

2. Joseph Goebbels: Certainly, I've mentioned Goebbels in past blogs as being the main culprit behind the negative impression of the word "propaganda." Goebbels, despite himself, was a brilliant propagandist. I really hate mentioning his name because of the terrible things that he and Hitler did, but to ignore it is to be doomed to repeat history. I believe studying Goebbels' methods helps us prevent it from ever happening again. Even though he was so successful, he does not get my vote. He did not create something out of nothing. You see, Germany was primed for someone to lead them. They were suffering a great depression, and they were being punished by the world for World War I. Struggling to find an identity, they were able to find one through the Nazis, and Goebbels took that opportunity and expounded upon it.

3. John F. Kennedy: President Kennedy was a good speaker, no doubt. My biggest problem is that he did not have time to really do anything substantial. He did awake and excite America, and he had a vision that could have turned into something spectacular, but I do not see him as being a great propagandist. Vision is one thing -- making it happen is what propaganda really is.

4. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A great orator. In fact, he goes down as being one of the finest public speakers of the 20th century from a rhetorical point of view. His message was potent, and he led his people exceedingly well. However, I cannot cast my vote for Dr. King. Why? Because he was fighting for a cause, and his cause was to unite and make America a land of equal opportunity. In doing this, his focus was on his followers, and he gave them a voice. This is different than propaganda.

These four people were, in their own right, leaders and shakers. But as you see, propaganda is much more than being that. Technically, propaganda is defined as welding the opinions of people. Moreover, it is creating a large "T" Truth out of a small "t" truth. In other words, propaganda is making a perception into reality for people. From a business perspective, propaganda is the art of creating a following and growing that following while maintaining all of the followers. Brand then becomes part of a person's or country's identity.

That being said, I nominate Walt Disney as the greatest propagandist of all time. Now, this isn't scientific, and it is my educated opinion. However, Disney did some things that no one listed above could do: He built something out of nothing, he created a following, he created an identity, and he maintained that following and identity well after his death. In his pursuit of building an empire, he used every rhetorical device in the book getting his message out there, and he converted the minds of millions of people world-wide into accepting Mickey Mouse as the purveyor of all things good and fun. If you get a chance, read his biography. What he did was amazing, and the Disney Company still stays true to its message to this day. Name one other company, government, or organization that has become synonymous with its own message. Name something that has been as effective at luring new followers. Name something that has ingrained itself into the psyche of people all over the world more effectively. You won't be able to find anything equal to Disney. The Disney model is one to aspire to from a rhetorical perspective, and that is why Walt Disney gets my vote.