The sources for human manipulation through propaganda and advertising

The sources for human manipulation through propaganda and advertising

(This is one of the texts American party strategists did not want you to read.)

The campaigning of Donald Trump of 2015 until this day is an excellent example of how and why manipulation of people works. What is said here could be said for the Brexit campaign and any campaign including the famous Mitterrand campaign of 1981, La Force Tranquille, but Trump is more visible.

How come Trump could win?
The personality of Donald Trump is explained in the eBook Predicting Donald Trump, Understanding a Stable Genius. It is mandatory reading for anyone that is affected by Trump or has to deal with him, which is almost everybody in the West, these days.
Persuasion know-how for mass communication campaigns (propaganda, public relations, advertising) is a different subject altogether that stands on its own but it is obvious that one needs a certain type of personal identity that is immediately recognisable for a persuasive propaganda campaign to work.
Look at the picture with the airplanes. (You can click it for more detail.) On top, we see an airplane in the background with the text "United States of America". Apparently, this is Airforce One, the private jet of the President of the USA. In the front, we see a crowd listening to, ostensibly, the President of the USA. Note the size of the president in the picture in relation to the airplane, his location and his posture.
Below that we see Donald Trump, posing as a presidential candidate. His airplane is half the size of Airforce One but because he is standing close to it, it looks bigger than Airforce One on the picture. And he is also clearly visible whereas the president was a bit difficult to find.
The next thing to note is the posture. The president, Obama, is using the posture of a lecturer, or a father who reprimands his children. This is good for his image with readers of The New Yorker and other intellectuals but is not going down well, on a subconscious level, with people who are in attendance. They look bored.
Now look at the posture of Donald Trump.  His arms are wide, all-inclusive. It is the well-known universal pose of a father who is inviting his children to come to him for a hug or protection. This

Clash of civilisations leaves politicians confused

Great nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts - the book of their deeds, the book of their words and the book of their art. Not one of these books can be understood unless you also read the two others. But of these, the only trustworthy one is the last (the book of their art).John Ruskin

A civilisation encompasses different cultures but all these cultures use the same basic ideas and technologies. With modern unifying technologies and hypercommunication all civilizatons on this planet tend to converge. In the end, only differences in cultures will be left.
But for the time being we can distinguish the following civilizations:
The Western Civilisation,
The Eastern Civilisation,
The Arabian or Islamitic Civilisation,
The Mid-African Civilisation which is actually a collection of different civilisations but these are too hard to distinguish for Western people so we leave it at that;
A few of prehistoric civilisations that are still alive and can be found in remote areas like the Amazon rainforest and the polar regions in the north.

From this simplified definition we can develop a better understanding of what is going on with immigration and why it bothers the populations of Western Europe so much even though they have had no problems with immigrations in the last five centuries.

The Oxford boys called "liars" by Macron, Theresa May thinks she is humiliated.

The Oxford boys called "liars" by Macron, Theresa May thinks she is humiliated.

Brexiting. A series on being English. # 09

What is happening in the negotiations between the British (actually, they are all English) and the European negotiators cannot be understood unless one knows two defining elements of the English culture.
The first peculiarity is that people who have gone through Eton and/or Oxford, like all the major players in Brexit, including Theresa May herself, cannot accept that they are not seen as God's gift to mankind.
The second defining element is

Brexit: "Straight as she goes, Mr. Baines"

 

Brexit: "Straight as she goes, Mr. Baines"

Brexiting. A series on being English. # 08

Today, 25 of June, 2018, Bloomberg  reports that European businesses have begun to anticipate a hard Brexit. The headline reads "EU Businesses Cut U.K. Ties on Brexit and Want Britain Punished". 

In my early posts on Brexit, nrs. 2, 4 and 7, I predicted the English would not give in to "them Contintentals". That was a year ago. As it stands, the prospects of a 'hard Brexit', i.e. without a negotiated exit deal, are higher than ever. It is not a negotiation tactic, it is English (not British) mentality. As predicted, a large part

What does a better future mean? #01 - A formula for understanding civilization

A formula for understanding Civilization

Series : What does a better future mean? #01

There are people working at creating a better future for all. What does that mean? A new series tries to explore the elements that make up such a future. And although everybody has a different idea about what the expression 'a better future' entails, it deserves a closer look from a philosophical point of view, i.e. something that makes it easier to envision.

In spite of all our differences, most people would agree on the following. 

A better future means an improved civilization. It means that the people are safer, healthier of body and mind, smarter, richer, and happier.

The Laws of Invention

The Laws of Invention

It is obvious to anyone who has seen the lack of realism in the policies that politicians put out to stimulate invention, that their policies are not based upon a proper understanding of the phenomenon of invention. Perhaps it is a wise move to start and try to formulate such laws.

For investors trying to find moneymaking inventions and for inventors trying to attract investors there are other laws and rules to consider. As soon as money and business is involved, things become mundane, sordid even, and practical, in other words, one has to cater to the current needs of Mankind and gear oneself to the craziness of Man. This may be the subject of a future blog. This issue is for long-term thinkers and politicians.