Partly due to the job I had then and partly for posterity, I would also document and save the obvious propaganda pieces I saw - and sometimes use them in classes.
However, the sheer volume of it is obviously impossible to keep up with, and to be honest, it's bad for the soul: "He who stares into the abyss..." and so on. Over the years, even though it annoys me, I have just learned to let it go.
Most of that stuff that I collected has been binned now. I would never have had time in a million years to write about it all.
However, sometimes you just can't let it pass.
This morning I listened to the BBC Radio episode of "From Our Own Correspondent" from October 4th of this year called A Tale of Two Termini (at time of writing it is the fourth one down on this page).
I'll give you a rundown of the pieces in the episode...
- France bad (socialist [sic] president don't you know), England good. France and England usually develop in a parallel way but now France bad France bad France bad (socialist president don't you know), England better (has problems yes but no bad socialist president).
- Venezuela dangerous (Socialist president don't you know), Chavez opponent good (even has "boyish charm" don't you know). Socialists dangerous. Don't wear wrong colours. 14 years of Socialist president is enough don't you know?
- Assange bad (don't you know). Wouldn't he have been happier just "painting flowers?" - believe it or not that is more or less a quote. Oh and muslims bad don't you know? Denmark cartoon guy better than Assange don't you know?
- Communists were bad don't you know? Stalin was bad, did bad things. Watch out for those communists and socialists. Bad Bad Bad.
- China Bad... or is it Good? Ah, they are just a little silly and culturally underdeveloped.
It has to be heard to be believed. I'm keeping it in case I am ever teaching media studies classes again.
https://twitter.com/mgreenwell
1
1
1
