Speech

Propaganda 101

Wuss Eric

Kwantlen University

Student ID: 100146989

The information that we see and hear is overflowing in our lives; it grabs us and doesn’t let us go.  It makes us happy, angry, and sometimes sad.  I am talking about the news that is given to us every day.  But what if the news that you heard was distorted and/or fabricated.  What would you do?

During World War II in Japan, the Japanese people had been misinformed so much about the situation that nobody knew that Japan was on the verge of losing the war.  As a result of this misinformation, many precious lives were lost in a last ditch effort to win the war.  Even to this day, untrue facts about what happened during WWII are taught to students of all ages.  This just proves that history is written by the people in power, and facts are not a part of its meaning.

Not only is the education system getting misinformation but also the news and media are helping the spread of false reports.  Did you know that?

Prime examples of countries with misinformed media groups are China, North Korea, and Myanmar.  Media groups in these countries are controlled by the government and, as a result of this, the news is censored very strictly.  Another example of news censorship and deception came from the United States in the case of the Iraq War.

Did you know that news that is used to benefit one group of people by putting down another group of people that isn’t necessarily true is called “Propaganda?”

Almost all wars and conflicts are caused because of misinformation or lies delivered to the people to make them believe in the cause to fight.  This is how propaganda is used.

During times of war the regular people who work and support the war effort that are not directly under fire, don’t know what is actually happening in the warzones.  This is because of the media being controlled and only some media being given to the people.

Even if we don’t want to see reality and the situation in other countries we can just change the channel, but those people are real and, even though we can’t see them, they are there.

The things that we take for granted like chocolate or soccer balls are made in undeveloped and developing countries.  We as people in well off countries don’t pay attention to who and where our products are made.  When you watch TV and see war images and poor countries, how does that make you feel?

There is another type of propaganda:  this propaganda is “ignorance.”  Ignorance is a crime when it’s causing death and destruction.  Many nations, leaders, and people have been guilty of this crime.  An example that follows this is 250,000 plus children who have taken up arms and become soldiers in undeveloped and developing countries.  This news saddens me because a child is innocent and doesn’t understand the difference between good or evil.  This situation forces them to choose a side before they understand what they are doing.  It’s like taking the child’s soul and ripping it into thousands of pieces and then trying to glue it back together when the child is being rehabilitated.  I hope that those who harm children or do wrong to children realize the monsters effects that they are afflicting on the children.  

Throughout our history, false information has been given to us, the people, by those who are in control.  This misinformation has been the catalyst for many a war and conflict between nations and groups.  We, as a species, are the only creatures on this planet to wage war with ourselves over trivial things.  We are also the only creatures to lie and cheat to get ahead in life.  If we all work together and learn to be truthful we can all live in peace and perhaps break our perpetual habit of war.