I remember taking a class in Political Science years ago for my personal education. The Instructor was a man who was reputed to have worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. I was hoping to get more than dry textbook learning out of this and I was not disappointed.
One major thing I got out of his class, was the false comparison of Democracy and Communism. In this class, we learned about political systems and economic systems. Democracy is a political system of government, as is Totalitarianism and Fascism. Communism and Capitalism and Socialism are economic systems.
He opened the door for the class to consider why Democracy and Communism would be compared to one another. They are apples and oranges; one, a system of government, the other, an economic system. The class helped me to see how I can be unaware of what is right before my eyes.
I knew what was being represented by the comparison of Democracy vs. Communism. It was Good vs Evil. That was easy!
Turn the page . . .
Edward Bernays was one of the most influential people of the last century. Those who know who he was, also probably know why most of us don’t know.
Bernays was the nephew of another prominent 20th century figure, Sigmund Freud. 
He spent his summers with his uncle in Europe and was given a copy of his uncle’s manuscript which showed how people are motivated by their subconscious desires.
Bernays understood that this was something that he could use in his work as a “publicist.” He used his uncle’s theories to develop ways to motivate people, not as much on an individual level, but masses of people. He advised major companies in the auto industry, the tobacco industry, motion pictures, department stores, Wall Street and the government. Bernays was the matchmaker when bacon and eggs were married. He helped to break the taboo against women smoking so that the tobacco companies could sell more cigarettes. He taught the automobile industry that you could sell cars as sexual objects.
One of his projects was to marry the concepts of Democracy and Capitalism in the minds of the American people, to link them so that they would be indistinguishable in their minds. To plant the idea that you couldn’t have one without the other. (Look for mention of Capitalism in the U.S. Constitution.
The organizations he was working with, like the National Association of Manufacturers, were obviously highly invested in Capitalism. At that time there was some support for other economic models in the country. There were Socialist candidates for President and Socialists had won Governorships. Socialism was felt to be a threat to Capitalism. They were competing economic philosophies.
Bernays undertook the marriage of Democracy and Capitalism and promoted Business as the solution to society’s problems, rather than Government. Capitalism, rather than Democracy.
Bernay’s methods were pervasive not only in the United States. His books were read and utilized by others who wished to be able to move masses of people to their will, including, to his dismay, Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels. Later, Bernays coined “Public Relations” to distance himself from the term Propaganda, though it had been the title of one of his books.
Turn the page . . . .
Popular American humorist Will Rogers described Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler, “He is what I would call a natural born warrior. He will fight anybody, any time….He carries every medal we ever gave out. He has two Congressional Medals of Honor.”
On August 21, 1931, Butler addressed a stunned American Legion convention. “I spent 33 years…being a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism….”
“I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1916. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City [Bank] boys to collect revenue in. I helped in the rape of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street….”
Butler later informed congress of an effort to take over the government by some of the industrial leaders. You can read and hear about that here.
American writer and lecturer Fran Leibowitz, said, “In the Soviet Union, Capitalism triumphed over Communism. In this country, Capitalism triumphed over Democracy.”
Hmm . . . excuse me while a take look around and try to actually see what is right in front of my eyes.
In San Juan . . . we wave!
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