John Pilger : The new propaganda is liberal – The new slavery is digital
Every Saturday we feature an article written by highly acclaimed film-maker, author and journalist John Pilger
who, with such foresight encapsulates how our world is being shaped by
corporations, corrupted political systems, propaganda, globalisation and
war. This piece was written originally March 2013 and is just as
applicable today, if not more so.
What is modern propaganda? For many, it is the lies of a totalitarian
state. In the 1970s, I met Leni Riefenstahl and asked her about her
epic films that glorified the Nazis. Using revolutionary camera and
lighting techniques, she produced a documentary form that mesmerized
Germans; her ‘Triumph of the Will’ cast Hitler’s spell.
She told me that the “messages” of her films were dependent not on
“orders from above,” but on the “submissive void” of the German public.
Did that include the liberal, educated bourgeoisie? “Everyone,” she
said.
Today, we prefer to believe that there is no submissive void.
“Choice” is ubiquitous. Phones are “platforms” that launch every
half-thought. There is Google from outer space if you need it. Caressed
like rosary beads, the precious devices are borne heads-down,
relentlessly monitored and prioritised. Their dominant theme is the
self. Me. My needs. Riefenstahl’s submissive void is today’s digital
slavery.
Edward Said described this wired state in ‘Culture and Imperialism’
as taking imperialism where navies could never reach. It is the ultimate
means of social control because it is voluntary, addictive and shrouded
in illusions of personal freedom.
