The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-01-10
By RICHARD LAKE

The inquiry we are making might
be called course in How to Avoid
Being Propagandized Lesson One
told how to square your shoulders
when someone calls you a propagan
dist and answer, well you're an
otheri" We must complete our les
son in the technique of name-calling
and then consider briefly each Of the
other propaganda devices before we
are ready to resume our discussion
of the broader aspects of the propa-
ganda problem.
Remember that in propaganda de-
scription, as distinguished from scien-
tific description, a thing is named for
the purpose of influencing peoples
thinking about it in terms of good or
bad. We will leave for later consid-
Grafton the problem of whether scien-
tific description may have a propa-
ganda content. We should note here
only that the word Science" is wide
ly used as a propaganda word. 1t is
one of the so-called virtue words, of
which more later. Let us consider
an obvious case of name-calling.
which illustrates incidentally num-
Der of propaganda devices.
The words communist" and "com-
munism" have been for the past 20
years and more the worlds greatest
shock words. 1t is my belief that
they have furnished the handiest
name-calling ammunition of all time. l
doubt if "heretic," atheist" traitor"
"thief," liar" "abolitionist," or tory"
has carried so much power for emo
tional persuasion. Not even heaven"
and "hell' have been SO potent, for
communism, to different groups, has
meant both heaven and hell on this
earth.
Now on December IS, 1889, Butte
paper carried front-page editorial
headed, american People Moving to
Eradicate Communist Plague in the
United States" The article reviewed
the pact between Russia and Ger
many, and asserted that communism
was now exposed to the world at large
for the horrible thing it had always
been. America and Butte, the article |
said, had suffered from Communist |
propaganda" which had been evident |
"even in the Miners Union Of Butte" |
Now, however, communist influence
would vanish like mist before the sun. |
BY one of those condolences which |
seem always to follow propagandists, |
this harmless barrage, shot into the \
air, found on the very next day
target close at hand. The communist |
party of Butte issued a pamphlet an
mass meeting to be held |
in Miners Union Hall, at which the
people of Butte could learn the truth
about Finland, the Soviet Union, and
the Finnish People in Butte" The
paper referred to reproduced this
on its front page and fol-
lowed through with another front-page
editorial entitled, as Butte Miners
Union a Haven and Shield for Com
munist Agitators?"
Please, now, try to disregard your
emotions in considering this contro-
versy. Try to forget that you favor
or do not favor communism; that you
have either respect or contempt for
the Butte paper in question. This is
a lesson in propaganda analysis.
Consider the question: rs Butte
Miners Union Haven and Shield for
Communist Agitators?" Because if it {
is, then, in the papers view, the
Miners Union is guilty of communist {
and no more damnable at
.itude can be imagined-in the view II
If the paper. Listen: To-day we are II
o be told in Miners Union hall that {
such a fine humanitarian effort for {
Finland is wrong, is done with an ul- /
erior motive. No honest Butte miner i
IAN consent to such a program, car
led out in this hall, without hanging a
lis head in shame" Again: why s
IRE these communists here in Butte, @
Is everywhere else in America, so f
urtive, so Shiny, so distinctly I'M
(
Would you like to associate with | il
uch person? 1t would be bad | il