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Refreshing Propoganda

Ideologically neuteral news and programming North Korea and elsewhere.
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The totalitarian regime in North Korea is fueled by two factors, fear of outside military attack, and a constant brainwashing. In addition to the schools and every social institution, the message of conformity to the government will is relentless. Due to a number of factors the population is a hairs breadth from starvation at all times. (ok, it's the US military they fear, and trade sanctions keep them in a backwards economic state).

I was thinking about what you could do to convey the notion of intellectual freedom to a people who fear that you will take away the ragged vestiges of dignity that communism has allowed them. They have their own music and movies on this theme, their own state news. Anything that we broadcast, even music without words is seen as attempts to bring down their society. If communism collapsed in N. Korea millions would likely die in the process. Whatever we do must be gentile, compassionate.

My idea is to simply record all of the state run media, edit out all government statements and music with overtly militant and fear inspiring themes and then insert good quality weather forecasts, farming information, disease prevention, and a good healthy dose of positive and flattering pieces about how amazing it is that N. Korea is doing what it is doing. This last bit may seem a bit dishonest. pause. consider the actual level of self sacrifice and willpower required to keep this place working. Other people stole and bribed cheated under the same circumstances but the people of N Korea have held true to some values even while their government has not. I can praise that.

Then broadcast it nice and strong and clear 24 hours a day. Never ever provide anything that could even hint at any motive but helping out everyman. Make it so innocuous that even hardened government officials can listen to it. Do it for them. Then wait.

WcW, Mar 19 2011

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       I suspect that many people would elect to do without, as long as the alternative was not offensive.
WcW, Mar 19 2011
  

       //Whatever we do must be gentile,//   

       There's some places where that might be an issue.
MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 19 2011
  

       [MB] what's the other one besides Israel? Birobidzhan?   

       [Simpleton] That failed one out of two times, in Germany, which is not a great success rate. For 20th century history as a whole, I suspect the success rate was lower, but it's harder to quantify.
mouseposture, Mar 19 2011
  

       What's supposed to happen after they start to rely on this? you can't do anything else without biasing against the current regime.
Voice, Mar 19 2011
  

       North Korea ? What about here ?
FlyingToaster, Mar 20 2011
  

       ... heh.
FlyingToaster, Mar 20 2011
  

       //Insert a benevolent master //

Not as many candidates available as you might think!
DrBob, Mar 21 2011
  

       Refreshing propaganda is baked by Google News.   

       I don't know what propoganda is.
rcarty, Mar 22 2011
  

       //I don't know what propoganda is//   

       It's like propergander, but different.
not_morrison_rm, Mar 26 2011
  

       //The best example during recent history is Japan at the end of World War II.// Wait, what? The Allies deposed Hirohito? Why was I not informed of this?
mouseposture, Mar 26 2011
  

       //Ideologically neuteral//
[Marked-for-tagline]
spidermother, Apr 08 2011
  

       [Simpleton] And yet one of the remarkable things about post-war Japan is how little it changed, despite the American's attempt to remake it in their image. Germany changed more, perhaps because the master really was destroyed in that case.   

       It seems the Americans agreed with your thesis that destroying the master makes the population ideological putty in your hands, and that that's why they left Hirohito in power. They didn't want Japan succumbing to Communism.
mouseposture, Apr 08 2011
  

       I believe that it was assumed by the allies that a benign and powerless monarchy supported nationalism and dampened radicalism. Seemingly they were right. Just look at Canada.
WcW, Apr 09 2011
  

       I bun this just for using the word "propaganda" in a neutral sense. Refreshing.
spidermother, Apr 09 2011
  

       It is possible that the cyclical nature in the seasons of government collapses when there is a pan-national oligarchy that is both entirely real and entirely vaporous and intractable. Then all citizens must live under two governments at the same time: the one of their election and that one which communication and capitalism enables without consent. These things were quite beyond the imaginings of even 19th century philosophers.
WcW, Apr 10 2011
  

       I thought you just F5'd them...
4whom, Apr 10 2011
  
      
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