Hanyi #9 - The Potency of Language
In any established government, the necessity for the support of the people towards the government's intentions is always an essential requirement. The task of maintaining the people's approval must always be one of the priorities of a government, or that government most likely will not last very long and end its numbered days with a revolution (just look at the French and Russians). However, accomplishing the task of convincing the public is not always as easily done as said. Over the centuries of formal governments in both Europe and America, multiple government officials have attempted to tackle this constant tug-of-war between passing their desired policies and maintaining public support. Over the course of history, the use of language in the press has been proven to be an effective method of accomplishing such a tremendous goal.
One prime example was seen during the U.S. entry into the First World War. Heavily unpopular with the American public, the U.S. government thus sought methods to convince the public of the necessity of American militaristic intervention in the war. The government consequently formed multiple agencies, tasked with convincing the population to hold a pro-war stance. Among them was the Committee on Public Information.
The Committee on Public Information was exactly as it sounds. Its official purpose was to inform the public on "the causes and nature of the war." Its unofficial purpose though was to convince the public to support the war through the use of exaggerated propaganda and yellow journalism. Through the use of 75 million pamphlets and 6,000 press releases along with 75,000 public speakers throughout the States to sensationalize the war as a "democratic crusade" and defame the Central powers, especially the Germans*. By the use of language, the Committee was consequently very successful in garnering the support of the American public, even too successful to the point German-Americans were being aggravatingly resented and viewed as the enemy.
Along with the promotion of language, the U.S. government also used the suppression of language to enforce its strict pro-war message onto its people. With the passing of the Espionage Act in June of 1917 and the passing of the Sedition Act in 1918, the government explicitly outlawed any "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" towards the American government and its military*. Although both these acts strictly violated the First Amendment, they were justified by the Supreme Court and thus contributed to the success of American propaganda during the war.
The power of language, although seemingly just a combination of words across parchment and verbally spoken sounds, has proven itself to hold a vast quantity of capability. With the use of this power, governments have been able to sway an entire nation's conscience and completely flip the mindset of its population. Disguised within these innocent words lies the limitless capacity of potent persuasion, merely waiting to be discovered.
The hidden power within the innocent words of language.
*Cited from "United States History: The Twentieth Century."
Hey Hanyi! Propaganda and its power is certainly an interesting concept to think about. Its pervasive power in society today cannot be underestimated. However, the Committee on Public Information shows that this power can be used for both great good and great evil. People's own perceptions as well are clouded by their own experiences and this propaganda and the example you gave and the bigotry it led to certainly stand in testament to that. Words and their part played also cannot be overplayed as they are the medium by which man can convince his fellow of the things he believes in.
ReplyDeleteHey Hanyi! The influence that words have on humans is a very understated concept. Mere words have started wars and brought on genocides. Manipulating words and coiling them into false and exaggerated statements are key ways the media successfully turns groups of people against each other, creating further division. The power and influence words have on our daily lives is really incomprehensible, and often goes unnoticed. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Hanyi, I agree that propaganda is a tool that is commonly used to manipulate the public into siding with the government and it is extremely efficient because it did convince many Americans to side with their government even though the odds were against them. However, creating laws that restrict the freedom of speech is unjust to American citizens even if the government claims doing so would outlaw disloyal citizens. This not only happened during wars but also during many instances where the government was intimidated by a group of individuals. I strongly believe the government should not be abusing their power to suppress the civil rights of Americans whilst feeding them lies to manipulate them since it goes against American morals.
ReplyDeleteHi Hanyi, with so many different instances of language being utilized as a tool for manipulation, it emphasizes how crucial it is to be mindful of your words. This also reminds me of how my English teacher from last year would stress how important it is to be aware of the different appeals (ethos, logos, pathos) in places like articles, advertisements, or political campaigns to protect yourself from being an easy target for misinformation. Not only is there a lot of impact with how things are worded, understanding what type of language is being used to manipulate you holds a lot of weight too.
ReplyDeleteHi Hanyi! Our words definitely hold more power than we think they do. Propaganda can be very harmful when it is used to sway public opinion and grow harmful biases in their minds. Our freedom of speech has been restricted many times with laws such as the Espionage Act, and it shows that this right is not truly a freedom once the government decides upon what we should say and what we should not. Propaganda is very prevalent in today's society, such as in the media and advertisements. It is important that we know how to identify fake news and be aware of when language is worded to manipulate our opinions.
ReplyDeleteHi Hanyi! I think the topic of the power of language to sway public opinion that you explored in your blog is very fascinating. As you said, propaganda is an essential part of wars as it advertises patriotism and paints the enemy in a bad light. In history class, I have seen many war propagandas that paint the enemy like inhumane beasts in order to make people dislike them and join the battle. I have never heard of The Committee of Public Information before, but they seemed to be super skilled at using words to control public opinion. However, I feel like the name of this committee is super deceiving if its ultimate purpose is to manipulate people’s viewpoints. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLearning about yellow journalism is so interesting because the way these higher-ups were able to weaponize words to ignite a patriotic nature in the country is a true testament to the power of words. History is such a twe slow of how powerful the usage of words is especially through "reputable sources" like our government.
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ReplyDeleteHanyi, this blog post really opened my eyes to the power of words and how it has been used to manipulate and bring up societies. In history class, we learned about the propaganda that was being spread during WW1 to raise awareness for America to go into war. I remember the posters my teachers posted; I questioned if people really believed this. Especially today, the amount of propaganda being spread is incomprehensible. Anything and everything is said on the news and many politicians and rich folk use the power of words to twist stories to their advantage making it seem as if they are the victim when in reality they are not. Words and the mouth that come from are very powerful.
ReplyDeleteHi Hanyi, I remember learning about this in my US History class. The government gained public support for the war through propaganda that created resentment towards the Germans and by the enforcement of the Espionage Act. An interesting point you make in your blog is that these actions were violating the First Amendment. However, as the government is in a position of great power, they were able to get away with it because no one had any power to punish them for doing so.
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