Dimitri VallejoMr. Meyer20th Century Cultural History of the United StatesWednesday, March 19, 2014Book Critique of Propaganda by Edward BernaysSince the beginning of the 20th century there has been a strong and deliberate force guiding the actions of democratic societies. This force transformed the citizens of the host country from citizens to consumers. It has the potential to topple businesses and governments, while possessing the same ability to strengthen what it is positively focused on. Harnessing the power of the unconscious and relying on subliminal messages, propaganda has penetrated global society, from advertising to politics, according to a new label created by Edward Bernays: the public relations profession. In his book Propaganda, Bernays describes public relations, and therefore propaganda, as a necessary manipulation of mass desires for the benefit of public and private industries. Such a task involves tapping into the audience's inner desires versus true need. Bernays' purpose in writing this manual is to explain the structure of the mechanism that controls the public mind, demonstrating how consciousness is manipulated by public relations consultants, while also explaining how public relations fits into modern democracy. In each chapter, Bernays reinforces the importance of understanding the code of ethics and practices that must be followed when using propaganda or developing a public relations consultancy service. One of the most important points made by Bernays is that if one is aware of being under the influence of propaganda, the effect deteriorates, rendering it useless. Towards the end of the book Bernays explains how propaganda (through Public Relations) is applied in different situations, such as... middle of paper... if exposed to propaganda, he might be guided towards achieving what the the propaganda aimed to achieve. If one is able to absorb this information, their "instinct" becomes more vulnerable to rational questioning and choices develop logical self-control rather than leaps of faith. Chapter eleven, Mechanics of Propaganda, is the last major section of Bernays' book. . It includes four main points: (1) mechanics is the actual diffusion of ideas in the public and actions taken by the propagandist; (2) use a wide range of media, such as radio, newspaper, film, and the like to achieve maximum effect; (3) you need to use a popular medium that attracts a lot of attention from the intended audience; (4) newspaper vs magazine, information vs opinion: a distinction needs to be made between facts and opinions and how each should be sold with respect to the code of ethics.