The Propaganda of Atrocity

Using tragedy to manipulate opinion

With the recent events unfolding in the Palestine region of the Middle East, people are starting to seriously explore the concept of ‘atrocity propaganda’ [AP]. The ever-intrepid Shipwreck has mentioned it on her TikTok channel, and others are joining into the fray.

Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike on the El-Remal area in Gaza City on October 9, 2023. [Photo: Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contract with APAimages, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons]

So what exactly is AP? From the Wikipedia entry…

Atrocity propaganda is the spreading of information about the crimes committed by an enemy, which can be factual, but often includes or features deliberate fabrications or exaggerations. This can involve photographs, videos, illustrations, interviews, and other forms of information presentation or reporting.

Sound familiar to you?

Indeed, no one can deny that we have been inundated with such images over the last few days. From Israel-First advocates like Ben Shapiro and their disturbing-yet-suspicious videos and images, to items from a pro-Palestinian perspective which have also been proven false, the saturation of ‘fake news’ has been relentless.

The platform formerly known as Twitter (which, let us be honest, has become a steaming pile of unmitigated bull-X) has been the absolute worst about this, but it is hardly alone in the AP business. Many of those videos make their way to TikTok, YouTube, and the Meta properties, followed by the disproportionate rage of ‘belief.’

That is really the key to the effectiveness of said-propaganda; the pre-programmed belief of the person taking it in. If you are a devout Christian who fervently supports Israel / Zionism due to the “God’s Chosen People,” narrative, then you will embrace whatever you hear which bolsters that view, be it true or false.

By the same token, if you are a rigid supporter of Palestine, or Islam, or… well, anything that is against the Jews? Images which paint them in an evil light will be accepted and promoted, without critical thought. Both approaches are mired in fervency and emotion, and they who embrace them are a bane to those seeking ‘Truth.’

Since I have already discussed my views of the recent conflict…

Terror In Israel

… there is no need for me to expound upon that further here. I do, however, find the blatant use of AP to be by turns fascinating and shameful, and thus consider it worthy of additional discussion.

Of course, this tactic is nothing new. From the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center to the Battle of Little Big Horn, from the Tet Offensive in Vietnam to the Oklahoma City bombing, atrocity propaganda has been utilized to sway public opinion and justify many vile actions that followed.

1930s Germany was rife with AP, with accusations from both sides. Two of the many examples go from the justifications given by the National Socialists for invading Poland (with adversarial claims that any atrocities committed against Germans in the Polish Corridor were completely fabricated), to the assertions by Reich officials that the narrative created around Kristallnacht was skewed and exaggerated by Western media (to gin up international hatred for the regime).

Perhaps no decade in history has exemplified propaganda - ‘atrocity’ or otherwise - more so than 1930s Germany [Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-2008-1016-502 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons]

None of the aforementioned events occurred during the era of social media, however, which makes our current challenges unique. When a cascade of information is constantly battering you - information oft proven to be false, even that which comes from those you previously trusted - it can lead one to throw their hands up in futility and say, “Screw it - I give up.”

While I understand this notion, history (see above) has taught us that it is the one of the worst things we can do.

These events, thousands of miles away, have implications which can reach well into the heart of the Western world, even here in America. As such, abandoning the search for truth can very well have adverse - even deadly - consequences for you and those you love, from Missouri to London to Australia.

So do not give up - get smart. My method for so doing (during this specific atrocity) is to - as always - boil things down to their base elements. To do so I ask myself these questions when considering a new piece of information…

-- Does the individual / organization presenting the information have an agenda beyond what is best for my interests, and the best interests of my nation?
-- Does the manner of said-presentation include that which is reasoned and measured, or is it a purely emotional attempt to sway me on a visceral level?
-- Is there an attempt to instill fear in me, to make me accept - or do - something that, under normal circumstances, I would never consider?
-- Are the claims which I am seeing so ‘unbelievable’ that they probably are… well, ‘unbelievable?’

Consider this: If we all would have been asking these questions after 9/11, the PATRIOT Act would have never come to fruition.

So, yes, it is absolutely vital to know what is happening, but it is also important to know that the data you are receiving is accurate. This will assure your opinions are respected by others, while never allowing that over which you have no control to affect you emotionally.

Of course, I understand fully that the methodology above is not 100% foolproof; still, I trust it to help me weed out the worst AP infractions, and to keep my fear-based / anger-based reactions to a manageable rumble. If applied judiciously I believe it will work for you as well; it should - at minimum - provide you a means to wisely consume the data being served… instead of allowing that data to consume you.

In other words? Stay informed, stay sharp… and stay dauntless.

---

Stand up to the social media censorship! Like and subscribe, that we are never dependent upon Big-Tech and its oppressive algorithms.

Credit: Special thanks to Raesa, whose proofing skills are very much appreciated.