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The blurred line between truth and lies

By: Mwingirwa Kithure

[ Posted On: 2007-11-18 ]

"Why is propaganda so much more successful when it stirs up hatred than when it tries to stir up friendship?" posed English philosopher, Mr Bertrand Russell,

By now you must have received an e-mail, pamphlet or SMS from your friend(s) disparaging this politician or that politician or their party.

Even newspapers are doing booming business. Parties and their supporters are buying acres of space to 'expound' or defend their views — often concealing 'truth' in literary jargons and carefully selected semantics.

But what exactly is propaganda? The basic definition is dissemination of ideas and information for the purpose of inducing or intensifying specific attitudes and actions.

Propaganda is frequently accompanied by distortions of fact and appeals to passion and prejudice. It is often thought to be invariably false or misleading and when it steals its way in books, it forever packs potential to poison a generation.

This view is relative although some literary-inclined propagandists intentionally distort facts. Others may present it as faithfully as objective and this is where our politician's careless utterances in the past and present are being religiously used to apparently 'finish' their political ambitions.

Political propaganda may be disseminated by or for individuals, businesses, ethnic associations, religious organisations, political groups, and governments at every level.

Hundreds of special-interest groups disseminate discreetly packaged brochures, fliers, catalogue and even company blueprint booklets with doses of propaganda and that's why political authors and freelance propagandists are having a field day prior to the forthcoming General Election.

But it is not a surprise, because throughout the history of written and oral literature, propaganda have served to, persuade, offend, challenge and change the way readers and listeners think.

And although we are apt to think of literature as an art to be enjoyed for its own sake, in fact it has often been made to perform a variety of social functions, including the circulation of partisan beliefs.

As some critics observe, literature is propaganda. A look at outstanding writings in different genres like that of William Shakespeare's Henry V to George Orwell's 1984 shows that literary works actually articulate the prevailing ideological habits of thought, attitudes and social purpose. The literary effects intended in such publication are to render more effective the dissemination of political, religious and obscene material.

Propaganda attempts to persuade through rational or emotional appeal or through the organisation of personal opinion. Efficient use of the communication media is central to these efforts.

Propaganda has sometimes taken literary forms. In deed, a look at many classics of philosophy, history, religion, and economics, as well as novels, poems, and plays, show that they were authored partly with propagandist intention.

Some of the authors who have flirted with propaganda authorship include celebrated French author FranÁois-Marie Arouet, better known by the pen name Voltaire, Martin Luther with his highly effective pamphlets plus the socialist radical, Karl Marx.

Those who have read Uncle Tom's Cabin by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe, will attest to its power as an outstanding novel of great propaganda. Harriet's depiction of black slavery in the South contributed to the growth of the abolitionist movement before the American Civil War.

Before the advent of the now all rage e-mail as a medium for dissemination of propaganda data, historically, propaganda thrived on printed, broadcast and visuals with written material given more emphasise because of its long-lasting effects.

Yet, this is not unique to Kenya. The culture of politicians to use artists to massage their secular egos is as old as the civilisation of mankind. Literature is a fine arts and a powerful instrument of social influence although it can be hijacked by politicians for selfish interests.

Although there are critics who say there exists a thin line between clean, objective and propaganda literature, the notion is that some of the world's classics were originally propaganda stuff that had specific thoughts-shaping objective social function.

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About The Author: Mwingirwa Kithure --

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