Durga Kurupath Week #9: "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"
When people think of power, they often neglect the extortion and manipulation aspect of it. Even if it threatens another person's wellbeing, it's considered "fair game" as long as it provides temporary satisfaction. However, it's important to note the power of influence through its intent to deceive, otherwise known as propaganda.
From a historical point of view, the power of propaganda was misused in order to obtain "superiority" and sway the public opinion. Unfortunately, modern day society still struggled with this issue as we lack the proper leaders and access to resources that allows us to be more educated on deciding our own stances. The real issue shouldn't be the individuals and what side they pick, but picking apart the intentions or personal biases adopted by those whose job it is to convince and spread distorted truths.
For example, the argument of whether abortion should be legalized all across the U.S. is a prevalent issue that threatens the lives of many women. According to the official Planned Parenthood site, there is a lot of "anti-abortion rhetoric designed to spread myths and fearmonger to ban abortion." This in turn fuels many "medically unnecessary restrictions" just from the effectiveness of proper marketing campaigns that glamorize utilizing propaganda to their advantage.
But how exactly is this harmful especially with people's rights to their own beliefs?
When others construct a piece of information that defies an original thought, it's natural to argue because of ego. The need to correct or inform is a natural due process. This is considered healthy until misinformation and feeding of constant stimulation becomes the norm.
In an online article, "Pro-Abortionists: Masters of the Big Lie," the author poses the pinnacle of hypocrisy. They state that, "Propaganda is the language of hate. And, since pro-abortionists are filled with hatred and death to begin with, it comes naturally to them." By trying to combat propaganda, they generate more of it. Similarly, the Pro-Life Action League serves the same danger of contradictions in their informational and "factual" statements: "While it is certainly true that a woman's body is greatly impacted by pregnancy, it is not true that abortion is simply a matter of her choosing to do something with her body." (but like, it kind of is????)
The main issue with these forms of propaganda is the contradictions they use as a tool to confuse and shift objectivity in their favor. These ideas that people think about are not concepts of their own, but versions crafted and catered to them specifically in hopes of reaching a common goal: to exert power over the vulnerable. It's clear that moving forward, responsibility is shifting the narrative from "I" to "we" as the prioritization of those who support us is the first step towards achieving greater things.
Hi Durga! This was a very well-thought-out and cited blog post and I greatly appreciate your attention to detail and accuracy here. I love how you pointed out in the beginning that people are willing to excuse just about any sin in the name of gaining power. The phrase "might makes right" is something that people have been practicing for centuries and still practice; whoever has more power/might has the right to enforce whatever beliefs and laws they wish on those who do not have as high a standing. Even in the modern day, with our systems of democracy, those who have legal power, media power, or any other type of social power can and will spread propaganda. I really love your rhetorical question "But how exactly is this harmful especially with people's rights to their own beliefs?" A lot of people make the argument that propaganda is not inherently harmful, or at least not inherently illegal, because people have the right to believe whatever they want. As you point out, people can believe whatever they want until it starts becoming misinformation and it starts to spread to others. I also really like how you highlight how "contradictions [are used] as a tool to confuse and shift objectivity" because that is something that I think is often not mentioned in conversations like this. Overall, I really enjoyed your post and thought it was well-reasoned. I look forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteHi, Durga! I am so glad you chose to use this week's blog to touch upon a topic I have not seen talked about a lot on here. Abortion is such a divisive issue in today's society, and I have also taken note of the trend of false propaganda being spread especially by the pro-life side. I have seen that today, the core of the issue is so swept up by propaganda, to the point where individuals on both sides of the argument do not truly understand the weight of what they are arguing. You incorporated the abuse of power so well into your blog, and overall framed the issue so well that your point was easily understandable. I also enjoyed how you included specific examples of articles to counter your belief in order to strengthen your point.
ReplyDeleteHi Durga! The writing style that you used in your blog was what struck out to me, and I specifically admired the way you combined both emotionally-charged diction and logical sentences to convey your message about how the power of influence, when used wrongly, can be used to distort opinions and cause harm. I appreciated how you contextualized this problem with the example of the abortion rights argument, especially since it’s such a relevant and deep-rooted issue in today’s society. I think people often either misinterpret or overlook the true depth of power that propaganda and influence can have, and your blog was able to counter that mindset in a very logical and informative way. I particularly loved that you ended your blog on such a powerful note, reminding us that we need to “shift the narrative” from an “‘I’ to a ‘we’” mindset if we want to move forward as a united society. Overall, your blog was very thought-provoking and reminded me of the vast power that propaganda possesses, and I look forward to your insights in the future!
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