"The country is divided" is mind control propaganda, framing.

[patcox2]

Anyone else see it? The press keeps reporting the president's disapproval numbers by describing it as evidence of "division." Division is negative. "A house divided cannot stand." Division weakens. We are at war, those who divide us weaken us and make us vulnerable. All of these are the obvious implications of saying "the country is divided." The message is, those who don't support the president are divisive, and should re-unite with the rest of the country by supporting him.

Think how they would report a democratic president with 50% disapproval ratings. There would be no implicit criticism of the traitorous dividers who weaken our country. There would be talk of a faltering presidency who has lost the support of almost half the people, a president weakened by his inability to unite the people with his message. A completely different viewpoint, isn't it? Yet its not the viewpoint we are getting now. The "the country is divided" meme is so powerful we use it, constantly.

We should fight the use of this propagandistic phrase. Why is it reported this way, why isn't the reporting focused on the presidents failure to win over half of the people. Its not the people's obligation to support or like the president, its the president's obligation to be a leader, to unite the country. Yet the dominant rhetoric throws the blame on the people. Its not the people who are at fault for dividing the country, its the president's failure to unite, his failure to garner the respect of thsoe who disagree with him. Fight this distortion.

[wtmusic]

1. Disagree

The country is divided. I don't believe the MSM is blaming the people, although some might see it that way.

[Nashyra]

6. We need to reframe everything that comes from MSM

This is a perfect example, this is not a country divided, it is a President who is TRYING to divide the country with wedge issues. Most Americans want to be united but this president has not provided the leadership. This is what needs to be said. The country needs a leader that can unite the people not be only a leader to less than half the US population,he had a narrow margin of the people that voted, how many people did not even vote? He represents less than 1/2 of the people of the US.

[lyonn]

14. Well said

I posted here and tried to say this but not near as well.

[ClassWarrior]

7. Disagree. The majority of American people hold Progressive values.

Read "The Emerging Democratic Majority" by Ruy Texiera.

But to the OP's point, we could turn the framing around by saying Bush**, Cheney**, and the Radical RW are WEAKENING our country by dividing us. Lakoff says "weakness" is a silver bullet to the Strict Father model. Strict Fathers can't be weak.

Oh, and by the way - please don't call the Corporate Media the "MSM." There's NOTHING "mainstream" about their agenda of greed and manipulation.

NGU.

[barbaraann]

2. He should be described as "unpopular."

That's a powerful word that evokes negative memories of high school for many people.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. We better stay divided... the RW thinks that healing only involves US

running to them.

No bloody way I am going over there. They want peace, they better meet me in the middle.

------------------------------------
Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. Good point but it isn't a failure to them that the "country is divided"

It is their winning strategy - be it Nixon's southern strategy, or George Bush's FMA strategy...they benefit from it. That is why although I was once opposed to the idea of incorporating economic issues into AA, I now support the idea. It pulls the rug out from under them.

[opihimoimoi]

5. The Option we Dems present to the masses should be more attractive

than that of the Propaganda mentioned..... How? By making TRUTH and Sanity meaningful and more powerful than this BS we been getting.

If we can place men on the moon, we can do it...

[ClassWarrior]

9. Hey Opi!

:hi:

Read "Don't Think of an Elephant" by George Lakoff. He claims one of the left's fatal errors is maintaining the Enlightenment belief that "the truth well set us free." He says that instead we need to learn to "frame" the truth.

NGU.

[opihimoimoi]

11. Framing the Truth to be a whole lot more attractive and appealing

spiced with fun and rewards. WQe have yet to better our systems....

How in the world our national presidential FILTER allowed this Bush to pass thru is amazing.

My friend who is entering the Honolulu Fire Dept is now undergoing 7 months of intense training.... a lot more than Bush ever will face. Already out of a class of 40, 6 have been booted out as failures...

You see the point?

Opi

[ClassWarrior]

15. I don't get your point - sorry.

Framing is simply choosing language strategically, to get past the mental filters that everyone has. It's not deception, it's thinking about our message creatively and critically, if that's what you're wondering.

NGU.

[opihimoimoi]

19. I hadn't implied the use of deception....perhaps "framing" was a poor

choice of terms....

[ClassWarrior]

21. I wasn't sure - sometimes people equate "framing"...

...with the Radical RW's use of "Orwellian language," as Lakoff calls it.

What did you mean about your firefighter friend?

NGU.

[opihimoimoi]

25. The point was the Honolulu FD has a very fine FILTER in acquiring

new FFs.

The system we use in acquiring National leaders allow Peters coming through large holes.... we are getting less than best.

[zbdent]

8. If Kerry had won, and at this point next year was enjoying 80percent

approval rating, the MSM would be focusing on the RW-nutsuckers as the "mainstream" Joe Sixpack.

[lyonn]

10. Best I can tell this Pres. thrives on dissention

He and Co. know that all they need to do is keep the people that want smaller govt., against abortion, less taxes, strong military, etc. happy with their sound bites. I have relatives that spout some of this and it boggles my mind. Of course we all are for strong military, etc., but govt. goes so much deeper. They seem to skip over caring for our own, other countries that believe differently than us. You don't go stomping all over this little world acting like an idiot.

[loyalsister]

24. "against abortion"

as opposed to "in FAVOR of REDUCING abortions."
"STRONG military" as opposed to a "world community member" with a strong military.
It's a matter of summarizing our "values" in a way that is simple and palatable.

[FormerDittoHead]

12. After you read "Don't Think of an Elephant" by George Lakoff....

...join us in the "Frame the Debate" group!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=252

[patcox2]

20. As an attorney I have been "framing the issues" for years.

Cases are won and lost on the big picture.

But I will take a look at the book.

[Hollowkatt]

13. Totaly dissagree

I am proud to be "the bad seed" that divides this nation. I hate the shrub administration and EVERYTHING they stand for. Therefor the title of traitorous dissedent is one that I will wear proudly untill the day bush is thrust from office and exposed for the murderous fraud he is.

[ClassWarrior]

16. Okay, you let the Radical RW divide you from the millions of Americans...

...who share Progressive values with us. Not me.

NGU.

[patcox2]

18. It'll happen sooner if people see it as his failure to lead,

as opposed to the current perception that its our failure to follow that is the problem.

[moggie12]

17. Latest attempt to make the anti-Bush 48(+)% look obstructionist

I agree that this distortion must be fought. Of course we're divided: Half the country thinks Bush is wrong!! We can and should fight to change Bush policies, not "work together" and agree to some kind of bi-partisan compromise.

Thank you for your post hightlighting this: I'm going to shoot off some e-mails to CNN, etc on this.

[DrGonzoLives]

22. Excellent point

n/t

[txaslftist]

23. A very thoughtful post...

...the president has failed to win the support of more than half of the people of the country...

I like the sound of that better than the country is divided.

I completely get your point.

Now I have to think about it myself.