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Propagand How Not To Be Bamboozled '

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Weighing-In Essay: Propaganda and Advertisements Noam Chomsky once said, “All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume” (see work-consulted page). Chomsky has a point when he mentions that propaganda is being used to manipulate people into buying their products. Propaganda is being used in advertisements to influence people and to manipulate then into changing their minds and attitudes. Donna Woolfolk-Cross’ essay, “Propaganda: How Not to Be Bamboozled” illustrates how there are different types of propaganda used in advertisements. She explains that propaganda is simply a means of persuasion which can be used to promote good or evil. Propaganda pervades our daily lives and helps to shape our opinions and attitudes. William Lutz’s essay, “Weasel Words: The Art of Saying Nothing at All” explains how words in which you might say one thing, but mean the opposite. Weasel words are used in advertisements to mislead people in their claims. Words such as “help” has been the number one …show more content…

Woolfolk-Cross explains how name-calling, glittering generalities, plain-folk appeal, argumentum ad populum, argumentum ad hominem, transfer, bandwagon, faulty cause and effect, false analogy, begging the question, false dilemma, card-stacking, and testimonial are all types of propaganda (Woolfolk-Cross 210-218). Labeling people or ideas with a bad name automatically turns people off so they do not examine the subject well. Glittering generalities on the other hand stirs your emotions so you will not examine the subject well. According to Cross, the only way not to be bamboozled is to ask questions and challenge propaganda. If you are informed, then you will be able to know when propaganda is being

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