Consuming Images

Visual images are one of the biggest influences on the way we can perceive the world around us. The commercial is one of the most prolific form of communication. Both advertisers and journalists utilize images and photographs to help shape the opinion of the people they are exposed to.

Photo Source:http://100photos.time.com/photos/sergeant-ivan-frederick-hooded-man 

An example of this is the journalistic photo of "The Hooded Man, an Iraqi man being detained by U.S. troops in the Iraq War. In 2003, Sergeant Ivan Fredrick took this photo of a man being tortured by U.S. troops in the Abu Ghraib prison. The photo was one of many cruel photos take by U.S. soldiers torturing, humiliating, and harming imprisoned Iraqis. This photo was featured prominently in mainstream media, evoking a lot of different emotions from the people who viewed it. Similar to the "Napalm Girl" photo, this one shows the harm that is done to the other side during wars. Without getting into controversies of the war itself, this image evokes feelings of the brutality and violence both sides, including the United States, commits in war. The man in the hood is being stripped of any humanity or individuality he may have had by being covered up by a hood and striped of his clothes. He is being inhumanely tortured, and conjures up feelings of remorse to the people in the Middle-East that some people may have never considered. He is standing on a box, being forced to balance himself in fear of being shocked by the wires inserted into his body. He is also in a Christlike pose, which is eerie in itself, as it is clear he was being mocked by the people in charge. You cannot help but feel remorse and pity for this human being treated as anything but that.

Another example of images that evoke emotions and sell a certain worldview is this advertisement by Pedigree, focusing on dog adoption. While more of a light image than the previous "Hooded Man", it evokes emotion in a similar way. Obviously, adopting dogs is a a good thing to do, and this advertisement definitely conveys how it benefits both the dog and owner. The man's life in the first image is a solitary one, with just him enjoying the view of the ocean. In the next image, he has a faithful canine companion, and shows just how much dogs can really improve our lives. Adoption gives the dog a place to call home and an owner who loves him, and gives the owner a friend who will love them unconditionally. This ad is certainly effective in conveying the message and worldview that it intended to.

Image Source: https://adsoftheworld.com/media/outdoor/pedigree_dog_1

Oil Pipelines Are Good for You

If you were to ask a friend or colleague about examples of propaganda, they will often point to the extreme examples of the propaganda pieces used by Nazi Germany, the USSR, North Korea, China, etc. Often times, they won't take a step back to notice how much propaganda is used by the United States. Whether is be films glorifying warmongers, like American Sniper (which makes me roll my eyes just thinking about), advertising, or commercials. People love to watch a film depicting an American "war hero" fighting for the true American people. These movies are a form of propaganda that make people support whatever cause is being presented to them, whether they realize it or not. 

The same can be said for some forms of legislation proposed by the Trump administration. Claiming Trump to be a controversial figure is an extreme understatement, but there are a lot of people who fully support him in whatever he does. He has used his rhetoric and propaganda to make people feel like Trump stands for the working-class American who will restore America to the "great nation" it was when these people were teens, which MAY be referring to the time when minorities/women/LGBTQ demanded equal rights but I don't want to jump to conclusions. 

Trump has used his rhetoric and propaganda to get (some) American people to agree with him moving forward on the Dakota Access Pipeline. The controversial pipeline has sparked much protest across the country, and Trump has issued a memorandum on the DAPL. According to the White House website, the pipeline "serve[s] the nation interest" of the American people. The website also claims that 90% of the pipeline is done with just 10% more. The website fails to mention the indigenous people that will be affected by the last 10% of the pipeline. Trump has used propaganda (from the "most credible" White House website), to say that the pipeline is beneficial to American infrastructure and to the American people. What is Trump getting from this? Well after some investigation, he is getting quite a bit. $2.5 billion has been contributed to the pipeline, including several major banks like Wells Fargo, US Bank, Bank of America, as well as several investment companies like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JP Morgan Chase, to name a few. Trump promises that the workers, environment, and Canada will benefit from this pipeline. Now, Trump claims to no longer have any conflicting interests in the pipeline (he used to before selling his stocks), but has not made further comment on his involvement.

Donald Trump has pushed the rhetoric of making "America Great Again" and "Drain[ing] the Swamp", but has sided with the side of the billionaire 1% over the American people, and has convinced people through propaganda that he is working in the best interest of the American working class. 

Sources:

White House memorandum:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/24/presidential-memorandum-regarding-construction-dakota-access-pipeline

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/who's-banking-dakota-access-pipeline?gclid=CjwKEAiAi-_FBRCZyPm_14CjoyASJAClUigONT-ECVOwzFNvC-dpqGay8F0sNhX0yJwGm3LJTslkHxoCtr7w_wcB

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-benefits-from-the-keystone-xl-pipeline-and-dakota-access-pipeline-pros-cons/