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The Propaganda Project
What if it's all a lie?Since birth, you are bombarded by propaganda from the media, religion, schooling, government, culture, and even your friends and family. How do you know your thoughts are really your own?Inside this book you’ll Whether or not YOU are propagandizedHow severely your mind has been corrupted by propagandaThe tricks of the propagandistHow to protect yourself from propagandaA simple but powerful guide to following your own moral compass in a corrupt worldThe truth about war and the police stateThe truth about government and the financial interests pulling the stringsBuy this book, open your mind, and journey into the belly of the beast. For the rest of you, don’t worry, the best slaves think they’re free.What readers are saying"One of the most thought-provoking books I've ever read! It opened my eyes to a much broader perspective of the world and it's workings." - D'Arcy P. ★★★★★"Rarely these days does one have the opportunity to read something completely honest. Phil Williams has done it here and I applaud the risks he took to write it." - AZ ★★★★★"Thought opening, dogma bashing, recommended reading, but be warned, your certainties will lose their footing." - Miroslav ★★★★★"This book is unlike any other I have read." - Texaspup ★★★★★"This is one of the best, most documented, and easy to understand books I've ever read on propaganda!" - Kendra M. ★★★★★“I treasure my limited space in my bookcase.... this book has a permanent place. The lessons are priceless! This book encompasses more than the topic suggests …” – Steve R. ★★★★★"Truth. Truth. Truth." - Mindy W. ★★★★★
- GenresNonfictionPolitics
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2016
261 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Phil M. Williams
41 books362 followersPhil M. Williams is the author of twenty-five books primarily in the thriller genre. His thrillers span many subgenres, such as: murder mysteries, political, domestic, dystopian, legal, psychological, and technothrillers. His stories often feature regular Joes and Janes in extraordinary situations that are ripped from today’s headlines.
Williams lives in central Pennsylvania with his wife, Denise. When not writing, he can be found tending their permaculture farm.
If you’d like to read two of his thriller novels for free. Go to http://PhilWBooks.com.
Williams lives in central Pennsylvania with his wife, Denise. When not writing, he can be found tending their permaculture farm.
If you’d like to read two of his thriller novels for free. Go to http://PhilWBooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 3, 2017
Brave and brilliant
This is not the usual wake up and smell the corruption book... its extensively researched but not stilted and dry due to the writers great rhythm and fluent delivery. Also it is written with great insight and heart. As familiar with the subject as I am, I learned a whole lot more from this book.
This is not the usual wake up and smell the corruption book... its extensively researched but not stilted and dry due to the writers great rhythm and fluent delivery. Also it is written with great insight and heart. As familiar with the subject as I am, I learned a whole lot more from this book.
October 13, 2020
A "Must Read" for Critical Thinkers everywhere!
This book is well written, thoroughly researched and documented, and is not selling one political agenda or party over another. It is an equal opportunity criticism of all forms of propaganda, by comparing similarities and discrepancies between what we are taught by the society we are born into, to believe about freedom, government, education, religion, patriotism, the military and police forces, as well as our economic and political systems. Written prior to 2016, it is not an attack on the current administration, nor the current political candidates. It does not purport to tell you how to think, or what to believe. However it does encourage critical thinking, provides ample documentation for those wanting more detailed information, as well as ample historical and personal examples to illustrate the basic thesis of each chapter. Plus, some options/suggestions on how to use this information to move forward. The reader is left to make their own decision as to how far they are willing to journey toward making freedom a reality in the USA. I admire Mr Williams' courage and honesty in writing and publishing this book! It reinforces my own personal views, developed over a lifetime of observation, experience, innate skepticism and inherent suspicion of authority. If you have an open mind, are disturbed by what is happening, not only in this country but around the world, or just wonder how we got where we are today, then this is the book for you!
This book is well written, thoroughly researched and documented, and is not selling one political agenda or party over another. It is an equal opportunity criticism of all forms of propaganda, by comparing similarities and discrepancies between what we are taught by the society we are born into, to believe about freedom, government, education, religion, patriotism, the military and police forces, as well as our economic and political systems. Written prior to 2016, it is not an attack on the current administration, nor the current political candidates. It does not purport to tell you how to think, or what to believe. However it does encourage critical thinking, provides ample documentation for those wanting more detailed information, as well as ample historical and personal examples to illustrate the basic thesis of each chapter. Plus, some options/suggestions on how to use this information to move forward. The reader is left to make their own decision as to how far they are willing to journey toward making freedom a reality in the USA. I admire Mr Williams' courage and honesty in writing and publishing this book! It reinforces my own personal views, developed over a lifetime of observation, experience, innate skepticism and inherent suspicion of authority. If you have an open mind, are disturbed by what is happening, not only in this country but around the world, or just wonder how we got where we are today, then this is the book for you!
July 22, 2021
Straight to the point.
If you're thinking of reading this book, you more than likely share similar views with the author. This book will give those thoughts something to grab hold of. Its refreshingly honest, and straight to the point. The fact that the author has links to back up almost everything he states makes it one of the more transparent books on the topic I've ever read. I can't recommend this enough.
If you're thinking of reading this book, you more than likely share similar views with the author. This book will give those thoughts something to grab hold of. Its refreshingly honest, and straight to the point. The fact that the author has links to back up almost everything he states makes it one of the more transparent books on the topic I've ever read. I can't recommend this enough.
August 3, 2018
Caveat emptor: Abandon all faith in government ye who read this book!
But fear not, although we find ourselves in the dark forest of ever increasing enslavement to the savage, rough and stern "military-industrial-congressional complex," and increasingly benumbed and misinformed by their cat's paw and partners in crime, the mainstream media, the straightforward pathway has not been lost.
Acting as our modern day Virgil, author Phil Williams demonstrates brilliant insight with his unflinchingly honest look at some of the contemporary circles of hell that constitute our present day political-socio-economic landscape, and helps to cast some much needed light upon the shadowy world of the one % of the one % who own this country and use our political, economic and social institutions as an extension of their will to consolidate and expand their ever growing power over the increasingly stultified masses.
Just make sure you have a stiff drink to knock back this red pill bcuz the propaganda induced gag-reflex most of us have been inculcated with from years of compulsory state indoctrination (i mean public education), is gonna make you wanna throw it up and grope frantically for the blue one! But you cannot unring a bell, and "Propaganda Project" acts as an alarum that will assist any honest reader in the process of awakening from our dogmatic slumber of unquestioning loyalty to a political authority which, in reality, long ago sold us out and has been thoroughly corrupted by our modern monied masters and is being used solely as a means of shoring up and further extending their control over us, their docile and well schooled tax serfs.
Our compulsory state education as well as media propaganda and societal group-think makes the stark reality of our status as free-range tax slaves indentured to the "iron triangle" that is the military-industrial-governmental complex extremely difficult to recognize. Yet this is literally by design, for as the author observes in citing Goethe:
"The best slave is the one who.
thinks he is free."
To this end Mr. Williams exposes the illusion of choice in the Kabuki dance we call elections for what it really is, a clever ruse by our rulers to keep us fighting amongst ourselves (the age old tactic of divide and conquer) over what amounts to a choice between coke or pepsi, between this one percenter (e.g. Hillary Clinton) and that one percenter (Trump). And this seeming choice between what is really the same imbues us with a false sense of participating in and controlling our political destiny, when in reality the choice between canidates amounts to little more than arguing over the color of our fetters, i.e. red or blue. As Phil Williams makes clear in his allegory of the baker, our current political system amounts to little more than prison inmates being given the right to choose a new warden and guards every few years.
This is not a book for the intellectually feint of heart bcuz it challenges many of our most dearly held beliefs and values. Indeed the thoughtful reader might even begin to wonder if many of the values and beliefs they hold are actually their own, or were merely accepted uncritically so long ago during years of compulsory state indoctrination and exposure to popular culture that we merely think they are our own, when, if truth be known, we were specifically programmed to think this way? Did someone hear Nietzsche say herd mentality?
Its difficult not to feel deeply humiliated and a profound sense of injustice as we begin to recognize the insidious chains that the modern ruling class has used to dupe and cajole us into participating in our own socio-political-psychological enslavement. The means used to pacify and trick the masses into acceptance of this modern form of slavery include: mandatory schooling; propagandized main-stream media and entertainment industry (i.e. the modern Roman circus); byzantine financial and legal codes; the Machiavellian use of "patriotism" being equated with blind obedience and conformity with governmental authority (freedom is slavery); the use of orwellian double-think (i.e. perpetual war against communism/terrorism is peace); and the age old trick of causing the problem (e.g. decades of meddling in the middle-east which culminated in the world trade center bombings) and then stepping in to "solve" the problem they created in the first place (hello Homeland Security, and a never ending war upon the many-headed hydra of terrorism that will merely perpetuate the problem instead of solving it).
Ultimately it matters not at all whether we are at war with Germany, the red menace, al qaeda, ISIS, Eurasia, Eastasia or any other entity. The real purpose of an enemy is almost always to keep the populace in a state of fear so that the government can justify essentially unjustifiable foreign aggression abroad and loss of freedoms domestically, while relying upon a conditioned populace to supply canon fodder and, of course, foot the bill, so that the military-industrial-congressional complex can blithely expand its military power, reap huge corporate profits, and expand political control over an increasingly dumbed down citizenry.
In the words of Morpheus:
"You are a slave Neo. Like everybody else, you were born into bondage. Born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch; a prison for your Mind! Unfortunately nobody can be told what the matrix is, you have to see what it is for yourself."
Well author Phil Williams is holding out the red pill of reality, and it is called "Propaganda Project," we just need the courage to choose it and allow ourselves to be unplugged from the matrix of ignorance and deception that constitutes our brave new world of "oligarchical collectivism".
But fear not, although we find ourselves in the dark forest of ever increasing enslavement to the savage, rough and stern "military-industrial-congressional complex," and increasingly benumbed and misinformed by their cat's paw and partners in crime, the mainstream media, the straightforward pathway has not been lost.
Acting as our modern day Virgil, author Phil Williams demonstrates brilliant insight with his unflinchingly honest look at some of the contemporary circles of hell that constitute our present day political-socio-economic landscape, and helps to cast some much needed light upon the shadowy world of the one % of the one % who own this country and use our political, economic and social institutions as an extension of their will to consolidate and expand their ever growing power over the increasingly stultified masses.
Just make sure you have a stiff drink to knock back this red pill bcuz the propaganda induced gag-reflex most of us have been inculcated with from years of compulsory state indoctrination (i mean public education), is gonna make you wanna throw it up and grope frantically for the blue one! But you cannot unring a bell, and "Propaganda Project" acts as an alarum that will assist any honest reader in the process of awakening from our dogmatic slumber of unquestioning loyalty to a political authority which, in reality, long ago sold us out and has been thoroughly corrupted by our modern monied masters and is being used solely as a means of shoring up and further extending their control over us, their docile and well schooled tax serfs.
Our compulsory state education as well as media propaganda and societal group-think makes the stark reality of our status as free-range tax slaves indentured to the "iron triangle" that is the military-industrial-governmental complex extremely difficult to recognize. Yet this is literally by design, for as the author observes in citing Goethe:
"The best slave is the one who.
thinks he is free."
To this end Mr. Williams exposes the illusion of choice in the Kabuki dance we call elections for what it really is, a clever ruse by our rulers to keep us fighting amongst ourselves (the age old tactic of divide and conquer) over what amounts to a choice between coke or pepsi, between this one percenter (e.g. Hillary Clinton) and that one percenter (Trump). And this seeming choice between what is really the same imbues us with a false sense of participating in and controlling our political destiny, when in reality the choice between canidates amounts to little more than arguing over the color of our fetters, i.e. red or blue. As Phil Williams makes clear in his allegory of the baker, our current political system amounts to little more than prison inmates being given the right to choose a new warden and guards every few years.
This is not a book for the intellectually feint of heart bcuz it challenges many of our most dearly held beliefs and values. Indeed the thoughtful reader might even begin to wonder if many of the values and beliefs they hold are actually their own, or were merely accepted uncritically so long ago during years of compulsory state indoctrination and exposure to popular culture that we merely think they are our own, when, if truth be known, we were specifically programmed to think this way? Did someone hear Nietzsche say herd mentality?
Its difficult not to feel deeply humiliated and a profound sense of injustice as we begin to recognize the insidious chains that the modern ruling class has used to dupe and cajole us into participating in our own socio-political-psychological enslavement. The means used to pacify and trick the masses into acceptance of this modern form of slavery include: mandatory schooling; propagandized main-stream media and entertainment industry (i.e. the modern Roman circus); byzantine financial and legal codes; the Machiavellian use of "patriotism" being equated with blind obedience and conformity with governmental authority (freedom is slavery); the use of orwellian double-think (i.e. perpetual war against communism/terrorism is peace); and the age old trick of causing the problem (e.g. decades of meddling in the middle-east which culminated in the world trade center bombings) and then stepping in to "solve" the problem they created in the first place (hello Homeland Security, and a never ending war upon the many-headed hydra of terrorism that will merely perpetuate the problem instead of solving it).
Ultimately it matters not at all whether we are at war with Germany, the red menace, al qaeda, ISIS, Eurasia, Eastasia or any other entity. The real purpose of an enemy is almost always to keep the populace in a state of fear so that the government can justify essentially unjustifiable foreign aggression abroad and loss of freedoms domestically, while relying upon a conditioned populace to supply canon fodder and, of course, foot the bill, so that the military-industrial-congressional complex can blithely expand its military power, reap huge corporate profits, and expand political control over an increasingly dumbed down citizenry.
In the words of Morpheus:
"You are a slave Neo. Like everybody else, you were born into bondage. Born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch; a prison for your Mind! Unfortunately nobody can be told what the matrix is, you have to see what it is for yourself."
Well author Phil Williams is holding out the red pill of reality, and it is called "Propaganda Project," we just need the courage to choose it and allow ourselves to be unplugged from the matrix of ignorance and deception that constitutes our brave new world of "oligarchical collectivism".
April 11, 2020
Thought Provoking
This was a new train of thought for me to delve into, but I enjoy consuming different ideas. This was incredibly well written and well cited. I appreciate how you clearly stated what you were saying was an opinion. Very thought provoking!
This was a new train of thought for me to delve into, but I enjoy consuming different ideas. This was incredibly well written and well cited. I appreciate how you clearly stated what you were saying was an opinion. Very thought provoking!
June 2, 2017
Kindle Unlimited, covers propaganda by the media, religion, school, government, culture, friends, family, infinite information, mental health, and the tricks of propagandists to try and make you think the way they want you to, and what's in in for them to do so {financially and otherwise}, the theory of cognitive dissonance, dehumnization, emotional clouding, self-interest, credibility or assumed credibility, prepersuastion via labels {both offensive and and pleasant}, factoids, glittering generalities, outright lies, projection, perception, and how an honest person will NOT be totally confident because they will be open to facts that do not agree with their aurgument or the shortcomings while being open to new informtion; the dishonest person will be 100% certain of his stand even if the actual facts say otherwise. Emotional appeals, rarely if ever based on facts, is an example of that, and so is violent affirmations even when proven false at some point with the 'fear appeal' being the most effective when the topic scares the crap out of the listeners, and a crowd mentality of interlance also plays a part.
There are differences between anticommunism versus patriotism versus religion, but since nothing is every 100% one way or the other and out of 100% it is not necessarily 50/50 that should also be considered. Personal and professional bias comes in to play, especially where such facts are noted as in the early 80's 90% of media was owned by by 50 companies, versus 2011 with 6 companies. When Colin knelt {not sat as the book stated mistakenly} during the national anthem, where were his rights as an American for protesting, as he was doing, and the uproar that caused in so many places even though it was a silly sports game. A lot of times in a lot of issues, who is 'right' and who is wrong is dependant on which side you are on, be it family, household, local, state, country, or any other 'group'. There is a difference between general morality and personaly morality. When you deal with the press, no news is not necessarily good news, and good news is too often tempered or even biased. Just how Orwellian are such things as 'alternate truths' and 'in the best interest of the Country'.
.I have never personally had quite a large block of the problems mentioned in the book; I was one of those scary 'mini adults' and now am a scary adult, and as always have always had my own opinions, non-partisan unbiased actual news sources, my own research and resources, and it extens from my personal to my professional to my political life areas. However, for a great many people, that could not be said.
There are differences between anticommunism versus patriotism versus religion, but since nothing is every 100% one way or the other and out of 100% it is not necessarily 50/50 that should also be considered. Personal and professional bias comes in to play, especially where such facts are noted as in the early 80's 90% of media was owned by by 50 companies, versus 2011 with 6 companies. When Colin knelt {not sat as the book stated mistakenly} during the national anthem, where were his rights as an American for protesting, as he was doing, and the uproar that caused in so many places even though it was a silly sports game. A lot of times in a lot of issues, who is 'right' and who is wrong is dependant on which side you are on, be it family, household, local, state, country, or any other 'group'. There is a difference between general morality and personaly morality. When you deal with the press, no news is not necessarily good news, and good news is too often tempered or even biased. Just how Orwellian are such things as 'alternate truths' and 'in the best interest of the Country'.
.I have never personally had quite a large block of the problems mentioned in the book; I was one of those scary 'mini adults' and now am a scary adult, and as always have always had my own opinions, non-partisan unbiased actual news sources, my own research and resources, and it extens from my personal to my professional to my political life areas. However, for a great many people, that could not be said.
January 26, 2025
not quite what i was expecting, but still interesting in its own way. the author's voice is incredibly strong and entertaining, making this an easy and entertaining read for most folk. i found it to be more opinion-based than research-based, though that does not necessarily diminish its quality.... some off citations, unbalanced comparisons, i believe/unsubstantiated claims BUT AGAIN: it's reading like a personal commentary (avoiding the word 'manifesto', here)
-----------
A few of my favorite points/ideas that spark discussion...
- bringing up early biases (family, school, church, media, etc.) -- with an emphasis on authority and conformity... submission, not challenging authoritative figures or even rules/institutions + how the school system (dubbed "compulsory education system") reinforces this behavior right under our noses. Indoctrination at this stage of development, in particular, is quite effective and normalized.
- Grades and 'regurgitating' answers for positive grades/approval (however, I disagree with the argument made about those with higher grades perpetuating the status quo/systems -- some 7 post-it notes worth of counter arguments)
- Relation between self-esteem and conspicuous consumption, connecting imagery of success/beauty/wealth/opportunity to the attainment of a product + low self-esteem = easier to coerce into conformity, less likely to go against the grain
- "Never underestimate the power of rationalization" and, girl, does this ring true + continue to surprise me every single day... cognitive dissonance/inconsistent beliefs -- people double dow even harder in the face of a challenge to their beliefs, contorting (sometimes contrary) ideas to 'fit together better', justifying themselves... "this is particularly true when a person's self-esteem is threatened" WOW! INCREDIBLE! certainly applicable. reminds me of how my mom will argue anything if it sounds like i'm lecturing her...
- I just about jumped out of my seat at the mention of dehumanization as a "preferred method of resolving that dissonance" (between being the 'good guy' with the 'just gov't' that also commits crimes against humanity/human rights violations at home and abroad)... this dehumanization allows for cruelty, deepens the rationalization trap and ppl will go further than they normally would, rationalizing racism, hate, death.
- Strong propaganda campaign
1. pre-persuasion (establish the climate, frame message)
2. source credibility (appeal to ethos)
3. focus audience (through distraction or highlighting)
4. emotions (evoke & manipulate)
- "glittering generalities": "freedom fighters" vs. "terrorists", reframing and catchy titles
- "factoid": asserting a "fact" that is not evidence-based... factoids are effective because (1) most people don't do the work to verify the truth, (2) factoids meet a psychological need... they entertain, confirm, justify... (3) factoids direct attention
- *Particularly* relevant -- drawing from Le Bon and Goebbels -- 'reduce problems to the simplest terms and keep forever repeating them despite the objections of intellectuals'... where do we see this
- fear & guilt, in particular, distract from critical analysis... relief applied post-fear primed a person to be more compliant with any following request (think of getting stopped on the street by a cop)
- Groups behave differently than individuals! Invincibility, belonging/conformity bias, group default, "crowds have lower intelligence than the individuals involved" = a gov'ts dream... an individual can 'sacrifice his personal interests to the collective' -- I wonder if size is proportional to this effect or at what point does it occur... FASCINATING... also how it operates in person v. online -- like when people get into comments and see what others say. A great point, one that is terribly important to understanding protest rhetoric and mob-like behavior in politics
- Infotainment! And other ways Hollywood perpetuates propaganda -- we're not critically thinking when we watch that cop show or military movie, but the effects can still be measured
- Not me being on level 3 (maybe even stage 5.5 or 6) of moral development 🤭
- LOVE the point out that institutions--businesses, churches, gov'ts-- are basically just groups of people, but are given authority to engage in acts illegal for individuals
- Lots of interesting connections to history & narratives I hadn't heard before
- Definition of a state as 'a monopoly of the use of force and violence in a territorial area' that 'obtains its revenue...by coercion...use of compulsion; that is, by the threat of the jailhouse and the bayonet' -- saving this definition from Murray Rothbard
- I think some comments and stances were from someone who has much privilege. I recognize the arguments that freedom in anarchy and propaganda indoctrination could pose -- but at this point in time: (156ish) reads like a white man... while i dont entirely disagree (in fact, i quite agree that voting 'gives' the feeling of power and can be a distraction from other forms of political change), where i diverge is that voting doesn't matter and we flippantly switch parties depending on general sentiments. I think many people vote to survive, esp. women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ peoples (historically), people who don't have the same stability or power in systems, where a "lost election" could greatly increase the chances of harm/death (from political machines and from the sentiment it perpetuates amongst masses). To note, i tend to argue even the smallest of nuances. i recognize the point of the argument and the general ideas, just adding some thoughts that had popped up while i was reading.
- Solid argument that we vote "hoping our candidate will win and violently enforce our point of view." i apply a rawlsian habit to most political decisions, would be interested in this comparison.
- coerced monopoly: lobbying, bribes, protectionist laws; vs. non-coerced monopolies: superior products and affordability, quality, etc.
- Would like to engage in more ideas of an alternate society (certainly get the current ills, but, as author shares, missing suggestions of what the society would look like) -- think this conversation could address the 'wouldnt a new gov't form? how would you maintain the conditions of anarchy? would you even?' + other questions like how could we be sure some ppl wouldn't sell out for future benefit/power? it's giving 'concepts of a plan'
- "The difference between positive influence and propaganda is TRUTH"... propaganda may contain some truth, but it distorts and decontextualizes
- law often equated with morality -- fascinating train that can really be seen in convos btw
- note that interviewees often introduced 'complexity when the simple argument ran counter to their worldview' LOL i wondered if that was me, how complexity can be 'used as a rationalization to resolve the cognitive dissonance created by these ideas' HOWEVER!!! i think complexity and nuance are a fact of life, the nature of reality and of these conversations. of course, i'm arguing again. what can i say. it's fun. beyond personal entertainment, is it not thinking critically? considering one's claims without willingly accepting just because it's printed?
- I really liked the interview portions, contrary to what i initially expected (that it may be a bore) -- the author's conversations were illuminating and i appreciate the empathy he demonstrates
- "if you think most of the people are bad, the last thing you want is a centralized authority that has power over everyone with huge amounts of weaponry to do whatever they want" real!
- it is here that i found myself most aligned with the author's "vision" of "utopia" (from my undergrad essay) -- 'we can never vote out', the author takes great issue with the way the gov't takes through violence -- valid!
- with propaganda & abstract thought/cultivated feelings, 'we can convince very moral people to do very immoral things', cognitive dissonance -- this will never cease to fascinate me
- Former Nixon aide, John Ehrlichman: 'the nixon campaign in 1968, and the nixon white house after that, had two enemies: the anitwar left and black people. you understand what i'm saying? we knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against hte war or black, but, by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. we could arrest those leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. did we know we were lying about the drugs? of course we did' (233) omg. need to save this.
- "a stateless society isnt a place wihtout rules, its a place without rulers" OKAY!
- qualitative interviews seem to spark a lot of arguments around taxes, the most cognitive dissonance across the board -- has been sold really well, then!
- our belief in gov't, institutions, morality, help to sell the narrative/image of the gov't that allows it to get away with crimes and otherwise immoral acts, justifying them & continuing on (278)
- Fascinating on the Milgram study (shocking because commanded)
- "most people have no idea what freedom really is.. i know this because they talk about freedom as if they already have it" AND WHY DO WE BELIEVE THIS? land of the free, home of the brave..
- "I refuse to make it easy on them... thye may have my freedom, but they will never have my respect & consent" YES! "we've all been subjected to propaganda that makes us proud of our chains" tea.
-----------
A few of my favorite points/ideas that spark discussion...
- bringing up early biases (family, school, church, media, etc.) -- with an emphasis on authority and conformity... submission, not challenging authoritative figures or even rules/institutions + how the school system (dubbed "compulsory education system") reinforces this behavior right under our noses. Indoctrination at this stage of development, in particular, is quite effective and normalized.
- Grades and 'regurgitating' answers for positive grades/approval (however, I disagree with the argument made about those with higher grades perpetuating the status quo/systems -- some 7 post-it notes worth of counter arguments)
- Relation between self-esteem and conspicuous consumption, connecting imagery of success/beauty/wealth/opportunity to the attainment of a product + low self-esteem = easier to coerce into conformity, less likely to go against the grain
- "Never underestimate the power of rationalization" and, girl, does this ring true + continue to surprise me every single day... cognitive dissonance/inconsistent beliefs -- people double dow even harder in the face of a challenge to their beliefs, contorting (sometimes contrary) ideas to 'fit together better', justifying themselves... "this is particularly true when a person's self-esteem is threatened" WOW! INCREDIBLE! certainly applicable. reminds me of how my mom will argue anything if it sounds like i'm lecturing her...
- I just about jumped out of my seat at the mention of dehumanization as a "preferred method of resolving that dissonance" (between being the 'good guy' with the 'just gov't' that also commits crimes against humanity/human rights violations at home and abroad)... this dehumanization allows for cruelty, deepens the rationalization trap and ppl will go further than they normally would, rationalizing racism, hate, death.
- Strong propaganda campaign
1. pre-persuasion (establish the climate, frame message)
2. source credibility (appeal to ethos)
3. focus audience (through distraction or highlighting)
4. emotions (evoke & manipulate)
- "glittering generalities": "freedom fighters" vs. "terrorists", reframing and catchy titles
- "factoid": asserting a "fact" that is not evidence-based... factoids are effective because (1) most people don't do the work to verify the truth, (2) factoids meet a psychological need... they entertain, confirm, justify... (3) factoids direct attention
- *Particularly* relevant -- drawing from Le Bon and Goebbels -- 'reduce problems to the simplest terms and keep forever repeating them despite the objections of intellectuals'... where do we see this
- fear & guilt, in particular, distract from critical analysis... relief applied post-fear primed a person to be more compliant with any following request (think of getting stopped on the street by a cop)
- Groups behave differently than individuals! Invincibility, belonging/conformity bias, group default, "crowds have lower intelligence than the individuals involved" = a gov'ts dream... an individual can 'sacrifice his personal interests to the collective' -- I wonder if size is proportional to this effect or at what point does it occur... FASCINATING... also how it operates in person v. online -- like when people get into comments and see what others say. A great point, one that is terribly important to understanding protest rhetoric and mob-like behavior in politics
- Infotainment! And other ways Hollywood perpetuates propaganda -- we're not critically thinking when we watch that cop show or military movie, but the effects can still be measured
- Not me being on level 3 (maybe even stage 5.5 or 6) of moral development 🤭
- LOVE the point out that institutions--businesses, churches, gov'ts-- are basically just groups of people, but are given authority to engage in acts illegal for individuals
- Lots of interesting connections to history & narratives I hadn't heard before
- Definition of a state as 'a monopoly of the use of force and violence in a territorial area' that 'obtains its revenue...by coercion...use of compulsion; that is, by the threat of the jailhouse and the bayonet' -- saving this definition from Murray Rothbard
- I think some comments and stances were from someone who has much privilege. I recognize the arguments that freedom in anarchy and propaganda indoctrination could pose -- but at this point in time: (156ish) reads like a white man... while i dont entirely disagree (in fact, i quite agree that voting 'gives' the feeling of power and can be a distraction from other forms of political change), where i diverge is that voting doesn't matter and we flippantly switch parties depending on general sentiments. I think many people vote to survive, esp. women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ peoples (historically), people who don't have the same stability or power in systems, where a "lost election" could greatly increase the chances of harm/death (from political machines and from the sentiment it perpetuates amongst masses). To note, i tend to argue even the smallest of nuances. i recognize the point of the argument and the general ideas, just adding some thoughts that had popped up while i was reading.
- Solid argument that we vote "hoping our candidate will win and violently enforce our point of view." i apply a rawlsian habit to most political decisions, would be interested in this comparison.
- coerced monopoly: lobbying, bribes, protectionist laws; vs. non-coerced monopolies: superior products and affordability, quality, etc.
- Would like to engage in more ideas of an alternate society (certainly get the current ills, but, as author shares, missing suggestions of what the society would look like) -- think this conversation could address the 'wouldnt a new gov't form? how would you maintain the conditions of anarchy? would you even?' + other questions like how could we be sure some ppl wouldn't sell out for future benefit/power? it's giving 'concepts of a plan'
- "The difference between positive influence and propaganda is TRUTH"... propaganda may contain some truth, but it distorts and decontextualizes
- law often equated with morality -- fascinating train that can really be seen in convos btw
- note that interviewees often introduced 'complexity when the simple argument ran counter to their worldview' LOL i wondered if that was me, how complexity can be 'used as a rationalization to resolve the cognitive dissonance created by these ideas' HOWEVER!!! i think complexity and nuance are a fact of life, the nature of reality and of these conversations. of course, i'm arguing again. what can i say. it's fun. beyond personal entertainment, is it not thinking critically? considering one's claims without willingly accepting just because it's printed?
- I really liked the interview portions, contrary to what i initially expected (that it may be a bore) -- the author's conversations were illuminating and i appreciate the empathy he demonstrates
- "if you think most of the people are bad, the last thing you want is a centralized authority that has power over everyone with huge amounts of weaponry to do whatever they want" real!
- it is here that i found myself most aligned with the author's "vision" of "utopia" (from my undergrad essay) -- 'we can never vote out', the author takes great issue with the way the gov't takes through violence -- valid!
- with propaganda & abstract thought/cultivated feelings, 'we can convince very moral people to do very immoral things', cognitive dissonance -- this will never cease to fascinate me
- Former Nixon aide, John Ehrlichman: 'the nixon campaign in 1968, and the nixon white house after that, had two enemies: the anitwar left and black people. you understand what i'm saying? we knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against hte war or black, but, by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. we could arrest those leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. did we know we were lying about the drugs? of course we did' (233) omg. need to save this.
- "a stateless society isnt a place wihtout rules, its a place without rulers" OKAY!
- qualitative interviews seem to spark a lot of arguments around taxes, the most cognitive dissonance across the board -- has been sold really well, then!
- our belief in gov't, institutions, morality, help to sell the narrative/image of the gov't that allows it to get away with crimes and otherwise immoral acts, justifying them & continuing on (278)
- Fascinating on the Milgram study (shocking because commanded)
- "most people have no idea what freedom really is.. i know this because they talk about freedom as if they already have it" AND WHY DO WE BELIEVE THIS? land of the free, home of the brave..
- "I refuse to make it easy on them... thye may have my freedom, but they will never have my respect & consent" YES! "we've all been subjected to propaganda that makes us proud of our chains" tea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2018
A Must Read!
This is one of the best, most documented, and easy to understand books I’ve ever read on propaganda! Williams really did his research!
This is one of the best, most documented, and easy to understand books I’ve ever read on propaganda! Williams really did his research!
November 12, 2020
QUESTION EVERYTHING!
I read this book because I enjoyed Williams' novel, "Against the Grain".
The first half is concise, convincing and enjoyable. It provides substantial evidence and examples of how we obtain false foundational beliefs. This is merged with the author's history and personality making it an easy read.
Like Mill's, "Essay on Liberty" this book makes an excellent college read, inspiring thought, questioning and open discussion.
Based on his alleged rejection of propaganda, the author creates his own moral construct for a utopian society. His is a left originating libertarian-anarchist society.
The second half of the book contains philosophical discussions akin to Ayn Rand, used to promote his moral construct. Participants lack sufficient diversity of views, are prejudiced by the author's propaganda and desire to please their friend. Responses are influenced by pressure to be deemed "good".
I believe the world envisioned could never occur. What we value most would be destroyed in the process of attempting to obtain his desired transformation.
The book opened my mind to a variety of ideas. It encouraged a reexamination of moral values. It made me want to sit down with the author to discuss various topics. We need to remember that discourses could be very boring if we were all of the same mind.
Read the book.
I read this book because I enjoyed Williams' novel, "Against the Grain".
The first half is concise, convincing and enjoyable. It provides substantial evidence and examples of how we obtain false foundational beliefs. This is merged with the author's history and personality making it an easy read.
Like Mill's, "Essay on Liberty" this book makes an excellent college read, inspiring thought, questioning and open discussion.
Based on his alleged rejection of propaganda, the author creates his own moral construct for a utopian society. His is a left originating libertarian-anarchist society.
The second half of the book contains philosophical discussions akin to Ayn Rand, used to promote his moral construct. Participants lack sufficient diversity of views, are prejudiced by the author's propaganda and desire to please their friend. Responses are influenced by pressure to be deemed "good".
I believe the world envisioned could never occur. What we value most would be destroyed in the process of attempting to obtain his desired transformation.
The book opened my mind to a variety of ideas. It encouraged a reexamination of moral values. It made me want to sit down with the author to discuss various topics. We need to remember that discourses could be very boring if we were all of the same mind.
Read the book.
February 8, 2021
The interviews were an enlightening and complimentary feature, and I did appreciate the author's small bits of humor. I think this book is a nice intro to the subject but doesn't really delve deep enough into the various stages of propaganda and indoctrination the average American absorbs in an average lifetime (primary school, high school, college/university, adulthood).
Mr. Williams scratches at some of the big whoppers we are all programmed to believe and presents a nice summary of Naomi Wolf's 10 levels of an authoritarian government as a tie-in. And I do rather like his suggestions in the last chapter: these are common sense rules for living, whether they are realistically possible to employ in totality or just partially. Any resistance to the constant drum beat of cultural and government propaganda is important, especially if you want to raise critical- and free-thinking children.
Acknowledging that no where in the text of this book can one find a stated purpose to make us feel better about living in a propaganda-filled society, surrounded by people who are either largely oblivious to it or wholly believe it, and so it probably shouldn't be a mark it against the work itself, but reaching the end of the book left me feeling rather glib. The prospect of freedom from propaganda is almost not possible in our society, currently. Pushing against it is a full time job. And will be for the foreseeable future.
Mr. Williams scratches at some of the big whoppers we are all programmed to believe and presents a nice summary of Naomi Wolf's 10 levels of an authoritarian government as a tie-in. And I do rather like his suggestions in the last chapter: these are common sense rules for living, whether they are realistically possible to employ in totality or just partially. Any resistance to the constant drum beat of cultural and government propaganda is important, especially if you want to raise critical- and free-thinking children.
Acknowledging that no where in the text of this book can one find a stated purpose to make us feel better about living in a propaganda-filled society, surrounded by people who are either largely oblivious to it or wholly believe it, and so it probably shouldn't be a mark it against the work itself, but reaching the end of the book left me feeling rather glib. The prospect of freedom from propaganda is almost not possible in our society, currently. Pushing against it is a full time job. And will be for the foreseeable future.
June 23, 2019
Question everything. That is a beginning for each individual to be able to know exactly whether they have been propoganzied. Read and fact check. It is no longer acceptable to just go with the flow if we do not know the truths that are out there. Author Phil M. Williams has presented readers with truths backed by fact checking. A great beginning. But it will take all of us willing to fact check for ourselves and then to try to find resolutions for a better world. We must not ever lose sight of facts presented in The Propaganda Project as we the people go about sincerely trying to KNOW the truths out there. Kudos to accomplished Author Phil M. Williams for presenting readers with a choice to know truths, and to build upon it for a better world for our chidlren’s future. While I may not be free in certain ways my MIND is free and I choose to use it voluntarily to find my own real truths and The Propaganda Project is just the beginning, but a whopper of a beginning. Great read and much needed information. Must read for every single person who wished to engage and be a part of building a better world than to remain slaves to untruths. Grab this one folks. And read with a discerning eye. Then go for it.
July 26, 2018
I thought that this book, itself, was propaganda -- how self-referential! I didn't get very far into it. The questions at the beginning were poorly stated, and nearly all of them had obvious better options that weren't listed.
And, this is from a person whose grandparents were syndicalists, whose father was a Wobbly organizer as a young man, who helped her former shop and the board of directors mediate a labor agreement under IWW myself, and often identify as a philosophical anarchist (this is to say, I think anarchism would be great if we had a population who could handle being responsible and decent even on a household level to one another...try to get people to contract when to do chores, eh?).
I think this guy is mostly oppositional and a wise ass. He is happy to diagnose problems but doesn't seem to offer much in terms of solutions. Anger issues with authority are not a requirement for anarchism, and actually that kind of neuroticism makes it hard to work productively in groups.
And, this is from a person whose grandparents were syndicalists, whose father was a Wobbly organizer as a young man, who helped her former shop and the board of directors mediate a labor agreement under IWW myself, and often identify as a philosophical anarchist (this is to say, I think anarchism would be great if we had a population who could handle being responsible and decent even on a household level to one another...try to get people to contract when to do chores, eh?).
I think this guy is mostly oppositional and a wise ass. He is happy to diagnose problems but doesn't seem to offer much in terms of solutions. Anger issues with authority are not a requirement for anarchism, and actually that kind of neuroticism makes it hard to work productively in groups.
July 2, 2019
I highly recommend this book. Thought-provoking. Honest. Informative. Shocking. Just some of the ways I would describe this book. I bought it for my Kindle on a whim, due to the fact that government propaganda has always interested me. We live in a world of deceit, lies and propaganda coming at us 24/7. This author, like me, does not watch TV and is very skeptical and scornful of public schools. (With good reason, in my case, in the 1960s, they beat us with wooden paddles as part of "educational discipline." One of my teachers even had "Board of Education" embossed on his paddle.)
I can't really find fault with this book. I don't agree with everything the author says, but I'm about 80% in agreement with him. I especially liked the documentation and citations he uses to support his arguments. If you enjoy thoughtful, honest, well-reasoned arguments, then you will love this book. I give it five stars easily.
I can't really find fault with this book. I don't agree with everything the author says, but I'm about 80% in agreement with him. I especially liked the documentation and citations he uses to support his arguments. If you enjoy thoughtful, honest, well-reasoned arguments, then you will love this book. I give it five stars easily.
April 27, 2020
A very readable book on propaganda and how it is used. (Most books on this topic are technical and not for mass consumption). He has an anarcocapitalist and makes the argument for a stateless society, something that might have been better placed in another volume... Don’t let this, however, put you off. (His arguments for it do tie in with the major topic.) Most of that business transpired in the last sections of the book. With the Covid-19 hysteria, brought about by massive doses of propaganda, this book is good medicine. Buy it. Read it. You will be glad you did unless the truth is just not your thing...
January 30, 2022
It surprised me how much I enjoyed this thought-provoking piece of writing. I'm not willing to state that I agree with everything that was written; however, the subjects presented by Phil M Williams are worthy of my consideration. It was obvious that the author feels very passionately about this subject and that he spent a lot of time, research, and thought in this project. Tristan Wright's narration was superb, and he kept my attention. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily posted this review.
July 5, 2021
Everything this author writes makes you think. Examining the world around us and the ideas that make us tick can only be a good thing.
Are you a free thinker? Read this and see how we are influenced by others, our government, the media, etc.
Are you a free thinker? Read this and see how we are influenced by others, our government, the media, etc.
February 28, 2022
Propaganda
This book should wake up Americans! It's a tough book to read hopefully it will open your eyes to the truth. We are losing the battle , look around and see what is going on right now in 2022!
This book should wake up Americans! It's a tough book to read hopefully it will open your eyes to the truth. We are losing the battle , look around and see what is going on right now in 2022!
June 17, 2018
Fantastic. Must read for everyone.
April 29, 2018
I decided to pick this book up on a whim. I knew going into it that the scholarship was going to be akin to college freshman-level material however I decided to go with it anyway.
I made it about half way through before I decided that I was definitely wasting my time. The first third of the book had some semblance of a coherent line of thinking, but then it went south from there.
When I started reading the book, it produced a few head nods. The author made some valid points and I was pleased that I had found an irreverent, personal look at government and politics. The author's writing style was informal (to say the least) and I found that to be refreshing in some respects. The author was citing from some other books that I had read and I was looking forward to seeing which conclusions he had drawn.
However, as the book went on, the author broke from whatever tenuous moorings he may have had and veered off into 'screed' territory. (A screed is a long, boring speech or piece of writing with a bad attitude, like a rant - and this book definitely turned into that).
Alarm bells went off when the author said that his editor provided him some advise that he clearly did not heed: "Even my editor gave me a mini-lecture, writing, “I think you are on thin ice saying that your vote does not count.”
Oh boy.
The author began to sprinkle ever-increasing, cringe-worthy amounts of unnecessary profanity throughout his arguments. (There is no way that I could prove it, of course, but I'm pretty sure the author had increased his alcohol consumption at this point in his book writing...).
At that point, the experiment was over for me. I had realized that I was stuck in an awkward, one-way conversation with a guy who has clearly watched 'V for Vendetta' too many times and has a browser history chock full of visits to Info Wars and WebMD articles on Tourette syndrome. I think we all know a friend like this. It just so happens that this guy happened to put his bar stool soliloquy into book format.
If you want to get the same experience that I got from reading this book, go to your local bar. Buy a few drinks (I would say shots, just to make it interesting) for the first person you can find who majored in political science (or watches an inordinate amount of cable news) and ask them: 'where did America go wrong?'.
September 13, 2019
The book holds value only for those who are new to propaganda and it's mechanisms. First third of the book has flow and is interesting to some extent, while he used some research and arguments from other authors. Unfortunately, my search for deeper analysis and new information lead me to listen two thirds of the audible, which lead eventually to its deletion from library. Author continues with whining about how government is bad and how awesome he is that instead of becoming police officer like most of his family members, he refused and chose the life of the rebel.
Rest of the chapters gave impression that book is written to show: "Look daddy, I am not loser! I am better than you, world is a bad place and government is the evil."
Author has limited vision and focus as well, because he fails to mention any propaganda mechanisms implemented by USSR, which would be something very interesting to any individual interested in propaganda, that proves that author has only a portion of knowledge regarding propaganda and fails to see bigger picture. I would advise to read\listen first third of the book if you recently heard word propaganda and are eager to learn every bit of information about it.
Rest of the chapters gave impression that book is written to show: "Look daddy, I am not loser! I am better than you, world is a bad place and government is the evil."
Author has limited vision and focus as well, because he fails to mention any propaganda mechanisms implemented by USSR, which would be something very interesting to any individual interested in propaganda, that proves that author has only a portion of knowledge regarding propaganda and fails to see bigger picture. I would advise to read\listen first third of the book if you recently heard word propaganda and are eager to learn every bit of information about it.
September 30, 2020
Wow! The first part of the book was informative. It reads well and is an introduction to Propaganda. There are several good references the author uses. I could hardly wait to read the next chapter. There are several good references to continue research on this project.
At about midpoint in the novel, my interest came to a sudden halt. I felt that the author was trying to influence my thinking on this subject. While I agree with the propaganda part of the book, I don't agree with the author's conclusions or solutions to true freedom.
I don't think the author realizes that all large organizations are amoral. People make decisions interpreting the organization's missions. Those decisions can be moral or immoral. The author believes smaller groups can act more morally and have the same impact as larger groups. I simply disagree.
If you agree with this author, I suggest reading "Keep the Aspidistra Flying" by George Orwell. This book is related to the very subject the author is suggesting.
At about midpoint in the novel, my interest came to a sudden halt. I felt that the author was trying to influence my thinking on this subject. While I agree with the propaganda part of the book, I don't agree with the author's conclusions or solutions to true freedom.
I don't think the author realizes that all large organizations are amoral. People make decisions interpreting the organization's missions. Those decisions can be moral or immoral. The author believes smaller groups can act more morally and have the same impact as larger groups. I simply disagree.
If you agree with this author, I suggest reading "Keep the Aspidistra Flying" by George Orwell. This book is related to the very subject the author is suggesting.
June 4, 2018
This review is for both the audio book and the kindle version.
I listen to the complete Audio version and afterwards reread some of the chapters in the Kindle version.
Kindle version has the benefits of having a listing of reference material not available on the audio.
For me this book was a hard book to give a star rating.
Torn between a four and a five and would have given it a four and a half if that had been an option.
Reasoning:
A five for research, clarity and gets people to think.
A four because of a sometimes over simplified view. Not everything is that black and white, a lot of grey areas in between.
I highly recommend checking this book out. It probably is not your typical reading material and I do not agree 100 percent with Phil's reasoning closer to about 75 percent and feel that’s okay.
It will make you more aware of all the brainwashing that going on and get you do some of your own thinking.
I listen to the complete Audio version and afterwards reread some of the chapters in the Kindle version.
Kindle version has the benefits of having a listing of reference material not available on the audio.
For me this book was a hard book to give a star rating.
Torn between a four and a five and would have given it a four and a half if that had been an option.
Reasoning:
A five for research, clarity and gets people to think.
A four because of a sometimes over simplified view. Not everything is that black and white, a lot of grey areas in between.
I highly recommend checking this book out. It probably is not your typical reading material and I do not agree 100 percent with Phil's reasoning closer to about 75 percent and feel that’s okay.
It will make you more aware of all the brainwashing that going on and get you do some of your own thinking.
Currently reading
October 20, 2020The first part of of this book provides an excellent break down of how we are all affected by propaganda. It’s easy to read and the logic is easy to follow. Should be a must read for everyone despite the author’s Libertarianism which is explained in the next section. Don’t let that put you off reading the third section which contains interviews with several people.
The author writes very well. I have read some of his fiction and found the plot and characterisation excellent, with good dialogue and some pieces of beautiful prose.
I recommend The Propaganda Project to anyone, from adolescents to Oldies (like myself). At least read the first part. It’s essential that we recognise propaganda from fact, especially in this world in which PR spin can hide the truth and social media is replacing real news. But we also need to recognise propaganda from all sources. Phil Williams provides an excellent analysis of propaganda.
The author writes very well. I have read some of his fiction and found the plot and characterisation excellent, with good dialogue and some pieces of beautiful prose.
I recommend The Propaganda Project to anyone, from adolescents to Oldies (like myself). At least read the first part. It’s essential that we recognise propaganda from fact, especially in this world in which PR spin can hide the truth and social media is replacing real news. But we also need to recognise propaganda from all sources. Phil Williams provides an excellent analysis of propaganda.
January 5, 2026
Propaganda for sure
While great many points in this book are glaringly obvious the conclusions and suggested remedies are well beyond belief and acceptance.
And while some issues cited are eerily prescient concerning the current administration’s tactics the only defense against them are in fact contrary to the author’s recommendations.
While great many points in this book are glaringly obvious the conclusions and suggested remedies are well beyond belief and acceptance.
And while some issues cited are eerily prescient concerning the current administration’s tactics the only defense against them are in fact contrary to the author’s recommendations.
Read
May 12, 2022Difficult read
Why don't you start reading this story it's very true and many true in so many ways. We are all puppets in many ways but can find some good ideas that are not going to make sense. Gave up reading before the end but got the general idea. We're all puppets
Why don't you start reading this story it's very true and many true in so many ways. We are all puppets in many ways but can find some good ideas that are not going to make sense. Gave up reading before the end but got the general idea. We're all puppets
June 3, 2018
Rule No. 1
Add rule No.1 to fixing the enormous problem of excessive and corrupt government. Stop rewarding bad behavior. Turn off the money.
Add rule No.1 to fixing the enormous problem of excessive and corrupt government. Stop rewarding bad behavior. Turn off the money.
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