[February 2, 2016] Continuing on the theme that strong leadership is the key to effective propaganda, a recent example of its employment will be discussed. Admittedly there are many types of propaganda but I will focus this discussion of it at the national level for the purpose of understanding its wide-ranging affects.
“Why is propaganda so much more successful when it stirs up hatred than when it tries to stir up friendly feeling?” – Bertrand Russell, British Philosopher and Nobel Prize Winner
Cuban government is an excellent example to use to illustrate for three reasons. First, the purpose of its propaganda is similar to most other nations, socialist nations in particular. Second, it is rather easy to “see” and to draw conclusions from its use. And third, Cuba has an official effort under the Revolutionary Orientation Department, a political division of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.1
The Cuban revolutionary government was established under its President Fidel Castro (now deceased) with the mission to promote a strong sense of Cuban unity and commitment. The Cuban government today controls all magazines, newspapers, and broadcasting facilities. Billboards and even graffiti bear the trademarks of pro-revolutionary propaganda. Its central theme is anti-American.2 It succeeded in its mission in the hatred of America.
It is believed that Castro’s use of propaganda, not his military capabilities, that led to his victory over the Batista government.3 Today, the Castro effort paints it’s revolution as a moral battle against capitalism and everything it stands for. The propaganda campaign is enforced through a network of neighborhood committees and acts as the eyes and ears of the revolution. They have the duty to monitor each person and keep an updated file on them.
The most effective national-level propaganda demands a highly centralized government with a strongman (or strong woman) at its top. We see this most often in other Communist governments like North Korea, Russia, China, Vietnam, and Venezuela. Whether they have the veneer of democracy (via “open” elections) or not, strong leadership is the key to a successful propaganda effort.
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