[lbo-talk] Obama's Philadelphia race speech and the American Creed

[B.]

The point I was refuting was the idea that seemed to
say "propaganda never works" - only "concrete social
conditions on the groud" work in changing peoples'
minds. Really? Propaganda never works in changing
peoples' attitudes? Talk to Walter Lippman and Edward
Bernays.

 
Mr. Cox said: "Opinions are only in the rarest
instances of a few scattered individuals changed by
arguments. Arguments are only fruitful among those who
share the same basic convictions. [...] Forget about
persuading people."

Unfortunately, you can propagandize people in any
number of ways in spite of, or because of, social
conditions -- either way.

-B.

Miles Jackson wrote:

"But the point here is that attitude change is a
product of changing social conditions. The social
psychological research on this is quite clear:
attitudes are the outcome, social conditions are the cause."