How Communist Propaganda Changed America

Summary

This video explores the rise of public relations in America, focusing on Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, who pioneered propaganda to manipulate consumer behavior. It delves into Bernays' work with politicians, including Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover, and his role in shaping public opinion during the Great Depression. The video also examines Bernays' influence on the New Deal era, his ideological conflict with FDR, and his later work with the United Fruit Company, which led to the CIA-backed coup in Guatemala. It highlights the power of PR in shaping political narratives and the implications for democracy.

Takeaways

• 📢 Edward Bernays, Sigmund Freud's nephew, pioneered the field of public relations in America, focusing on propaganda campaigns to influence consumer behavior.
• 🤝 Bernays collaborated with politicians, including President Calvin Coolidge, to shape public opinion and improve their images through events like the White House pancake breakfast.
• 📉 Bernays' propaganda campaigns contributed to the stock market boom and subsequent crash during the Great Depression, affecting many working-class Americans.
• 🏦 The Great Depression exposed the flaws in Coolidge's economic policies, which included deregulation and tax cuts for the wealthy, leading to increased income inequality.
• 🕴️ Bernays believed in controlling the masses through propaganda by an intelligent minority for the stability of American democracy.
• 🗳️ Franklin D. Roosevelt's (FDR) approach contrasted with Bernays', advocating for active government intervention and trust in the rationality of the public.
• 📊 FDR utilized scientific polling to understand public sentiment, leading to the creation of the presidential approval rating as a measure of public opinion.
• 🛑 Bernays, along with the National Association of Manufacturers, fought against FDR's New Deal, viewing it as a threat to free enterprise and individual liberty.
• 🗽 The 1939 New York World's Fair, influenced by Bernays, showcased an idealized vision of the future, promoting consumerism and technological advancement.
• 🍌 Bernays worked with the United Fruit Company to promote bananas and manage their public image, engaging in propaganda to protect their interests in Guatemala.
• ✈️ Bernays was involved in the CIA's psychological warfare and propaganda campaign that led to the overthrow of Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz in 1954, illustrating the power of PR in shaping international politics.

Q & A

Who was Edward Bernays and what was his role in American society?

Edward Bernays was Sigmund Freud's nephew and a pioneer in the field of public relations. He specialized in propaganda campaigns aimed at influencing consumer behavior, and he believed that the masses needed to be controlled by an intelligent minority for a peaceful and prosperous American democracy.

What was the impact of Bernays' work on the 1928 presidential campaign of Calvin Coolidge?

Bernays helped to improve Coolidge's public image by organizing a pancake breakfast at the White House with famous actors and actresses, which made Coolidge appear more relatable. Bernays' efforts contributed to Coolidge's successful re-election and his perception as a popular president.

How did Bernays contribute to the stock market boom and eventual crash during the 1920s?

Bernays distributed propaganda that encouraged the average American to invest in the stock market, promoting the idea that owning stocks was key to the American dream. This led to a wave of stock purchases, including by banks, which contributed to the overvaluation of stocks and ultimately the stock market crash that marked the beginning of the Great Depression.

What was the role of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the Federal Farm Board in the response to the Great Depression?

These government organizations were created to provide loans to banks, businesses, and farmers to stimulate the economy. Bernays, who believed in the interests of corporations over individual citizens, played a role in persuading President Hoover to establish these entities, many of which were also his clients.

How did Bernays' views on democracy and the role of the public differ from those of Franklin D. Roosevelt?

Bernays believed that the masses were not capable of making informed decisions and needed to be manipulated by an intelligent minority for effective democracy. In contrast, FDR believed in the rationality of the public and that they could actively participate in government, advocating for policies that directly benefited the average American.

What was the National Association of Manufacturers, and how did it influence public opinion against the New Deal?

The National Association of Manufacturers was a lobby group created by Bernays, consisting of major US corporations. It launched propaganda campaigns to create emotional attachments between the public and big business, and it criticized the New Deal as a threat to free enterprise and individual liberty.

How did Bernays use the 1939 New York World's Fair to promote his vision of the American dream?

Bernays used the fair to showcase a modern, sleek future filled with new electronic products, symbolizing a harmonized future by capitalism and democracy. He designed Democra City, with a giant white Dome as its main attraction, to represent this vision and to reinvigorate the American dream.

What was the United Fruit Company, and how did Bernays help shape its public image in the United States?

The United Fruit Company was a corporation that had a monopoly over the Guatemalan banana trade and controlled significant parts of Guatemala's infrastructure. Bernays promoted banana sales by linking them to good health and created the Middle America Information Bureau to control the narrative about Central America, presenting it as a region that should adopt democratic American values.

How did Bernays contribute to the 1954 coup in Guatemala, and what was the outcome?

Bernays played a key role in the coup by manipulating public perception, framing Guatemala's president as a communist threat controlled by Moscow. He worked with the CIA to spread propaganda and psychological warfare, which led to the overthrow of the Guatemalan government and the installation of a puppet leader favorable to the United Fruit Company and the United States.

What was the significance of the psychological warfare campaign during the Guatemalan coup, and what tactics were used?

The psychological warfare campaign was significant as it aimed to create fear and paranoia among Guatemalan political figures and the public, convincing them of their inevitable defeat. Tactics included spreading anti-communist propaganda through radio, sending death threats and dummy bombs to government loyalists, and using the media to control the narrative in favor of the coup.