Post by peter mwaura on Sept 24, 2005 20:26:28 GMT 3
It's a propaganda war this law debate
Story by PETER MWAURA /FAIR PLAY
Publication Date: 9/24/2005
So far this referendum looks like it will be won or lost on
propaganda, not on the pros and cons of the proposed new
Constitution. And so far the Orange camp seems to have the upper
hand in waging a propaganda war. For one, they have grabbed the
bandwagon.
They had a jump-start. Long before the Banana camp could wake up,
they launched the "No" campaign in Machakos on September 7. In that
enthusiastic and energetic rally they declared "a political tsunami
that will sweep away dictatorship." Unstoppable. That was the clear,
uncontested, message.
That was bandwagon appeal. Bandwagon propaganda tries to convince
people to jump on the bandwagon because "everyone" is doing so.
Bandwagon propagandists try to convince people that their side is
the winning side, that victory is inevitable and defeat impossible.
And since the average person wants to be on the winning side, many
jump on the bandwagon.
A variation of the bandwagon
Bandwagon wisdom dictates that if you do not join, you will be "left
out." This is probably the magic that worked on Embakasi MP David
Mwenje, who jumped on the bandwagon in the nick of time. A variation
of the bandwagon appeal is the prestige appeal, in which a famous
person is hired to endorse a cause.
Bandwagon propaganda dictates that you stop thinking for yourself.
Bandwagon psychology disables you from weighing the pros and cons.
Apart from stealing the bandwagon, the Orange camp has also taken
all the powerful propaganda slogans and most of the emotive ones.
Sample this: "If God is for Kenyans, who is the devil to be against
us?" "Katiba mbaya, maisha mbaya," "Let Kenyans reach Canaan, the
Promised Land," Orange revolution in a banana country."
The Orange camp has gone for many other effective propaganda
techniques. For example, they have been making assertions, presented
as facts even when they are not necessarily true, such as stating
that the Constitution legalises abortion, or that the Constitution
creates a president who is above the law. They have made such
assertions as if they are obvious truths that require no explanation
or evidence. And many people accept them without reasoning. But such
assertions often include outright lies.
Further, the Orange camp is card stacking – making statements that
are true but which omit important information and are, therefore,
misleading, such as telling the Maasai that under the proposed
Constitution their land will be taken over by the Government.
The Orange campaigners have also made clever use of glittering
generalities – words that are linked to highly-valued concepts.
Sample this: "We want a Wanjiku constitution, We are the people, We
don't want a Constitution that divides Kenyans." Such words demand
approval without thinking, simply because of the positive
connotation of the words. It is like being told to fight for the
love of your country.
Name-calling is another technique the Orange campaigners have
capitalised on. Name-calling is derogatory language or words that
carry a negative connotation, such as calling the other
side "tribalists" and "traitors." This technique attempts to arouse
prejudice among the public by labelling the other side as something
that the public dislikes.
A variation of this technique is to use sarcasm and ridicule such as
calling the Constitution "a Wako constitution." Or saying, as Uhuru
Kenyatta did, that the affirmative action in the Bomas draft was
changed in the new Constitution to create room for people "to choose
their girlfriends."
The Orange group has also used the propaganda technique of
pinpointing the enemy, which is very effective. This technique tries
to simplify a complex situation by presenting one specific person,
group or community as the enemy. The public is urged to view the
situation simply in terms of a clear-cut enemy: This is a Kiraitu
constitution. This is a constitution for wazees (old people). This
is a constitution for Kikuyus.
The Orange camp has excelled in the use of figures of speech, idioms
and jokes, such as describing the Banana supporters as "ticks which
keep getting fat by sucking on the blood of a dead cow," or saying
that "they thought that the lion which had been rained on was a
cat." This technique is very effective especially when used with
glittering generalities. It appeals strongly to the uneducated and
the uninformed.
Simplification is another characteristic of the Orange propaganda.
Simplification reduces a complex issue into a clear-cut choice
between good and evil.
Best of all, the "No" camp was handed the Orange – thanks to the
Election Commission – which lends itself well to symbolisation and
is a symbol of revolution that has worked in other countries like
Ukraine.
www.nationmedia.com
Story by PETER MWAURA /FAIR PLAY
Publication Date: 9/24/2005
So far this referendum looks like it will be won or lost on
propaganda, not on the pros and cons of the proposed new
Constitution. And so far the Orange camp seems to have the upper
hand in waging a propaganda war. For one, they have grabbed the
bandwagon.
They had a jump-start. Long before the Banana camp could wake up,
they launched the "No" campaign in Machakos on September 7. In that
enthusiastic and energetic rally they declared "a political tsunami
that will sweep away dictatorship." Unstoppable. That was the clear,
uncontested, message.
That was bandwagon appeal. Bandwagon propaganda tries to convince
people to jump on the bandwagon because "everyone" is doing so.
Bandwagon propagandists try to convince people that their side is
the winning side, that victory is inevitable and defeat impossible.
And since the average person wants to be on the winning side, many
jump on the bandwagon.
A variation of the bandwagon
Bandwagon wisdom dictates that if you do not join, you will be "left
out." This is probably the magic that worked on Embakasi MP David
Mwenje, who jumped on the bandwagon in the nick of time. A variation
of the bandwagon appeal is the prestige appeal, in which a famous
person is hired to endorse a cause.
Bandwagon propaganda dictates that you stop thinking for yourself.
Bandwagon psychology disables you from weighing the pros and cons.
Apart from stealing the bandwagon, the Orange camp has also taken
all the powerful propaganda slogans and most of the emotive ones.
Sample this: "If God is for Kenyans, who is the devil to be against
us?" "Katiba mbaya, maisha mbaya," "Let Kenyans reach Canaan, the
Promised Land," Orange revolution in a banana country."
The Orange camp has gone for many other effective propaganda
techniques. For example, they have been making assertions, presented
as facts even when they are not necessarily true, such as stating
that the Constitution legalises abortion, or that the Constitution
creates a president who is above the law. They have made such
assertions as if they are obvious truths that require no explanation
or evidence. And many people accept them without reasoning. But such
assertions often include outright lies.
Further, the Orange camp is card stacking – making statements that
are true but which omit important information and are, therefore,
misleading, such as telling the Maasai that under the proposed
Constitution their land will be taken over by the Government.
The Orange campaigners have also made clever use of glittering
generalities – words that are linked to highly-valued concepts.
Sample this: "We want a Wanjiku constitution, We are the people, We
don't want a Constitution that divides Kenyans." Such words demand
approval without thinking, simply because of the positive
connotation of the words. It is like being told to fight for the
love of your country.
Name-calling is another technique the Orange campaigners have
capitalised on. Name-calling is derogatory language or words that
carry a negative connotation, such as calling the other
side "tribalists" and "traitors." This technique attempts to arouse
prejudice among the public by labelling the other side as something
that the public dislikes.
A variation of this technique is to use sarcasm and ridicule such as
calling the Constitution "a Wako constitution." Or saying, as Uhuru
Kenyatta did, that the affirmative action in the Bomas draft was
changed in the new Constitution to create room for people "to choose
their girlfriends."
The Orange group has also used the propaganda technique of
pinpointing the enemy, which is very effective. This technique tries
to simplify a complex situation by presenting one specific person,
group or community as the enemy. The public is urged to view the
situation simply in terms of a clear-cut enemy: This is a Kiraitu
constitution. This is a constitution for wazees (old people). This
is a constitution for Kikuyus.
The Orange camp has excelled in the use of figures of speech, idioms
and jokes, such as describing the Banana supporters as "ticks which
keep getting fat by sucking on the blood of a dead cow," or saying
that "they thought that the lion which had been rained on was a
cat." This technique is very effective especially when used with
glittering generalities. It appeals strongly to the uneducated and
the uninformed.
Simplification is another characteristic of the Orange propaganda.
Simplification reduces a complex issue into a clear-cut choice
between good and evil.
Best of all, the "No" camp was handed the Orange – thanks to the
Election Commission – which lends itself well to symbolisation and
is a symbol of revolution that has worked in other countries like
Ukraine.
www.nationmedia.com