| His name was Edward L. Bernays. He was | | | | hundredth birthday in 1991 he said: "Public relations |
| Sigmund Freud's Nephew. He was born in Vienna | | | | today is horrible. Any dope, any nitwit, any idiot |
| on November 22, 1891 and died in his home at | | | | can call him or herself a public relations |
| Cambridge, Massachusetts on March 9, 1995 at | | | | practitioner." He really wanted the science of Public |
| the age of 103. | | | | Relations to be used for the good of mankind. |
| Before the early twentieth century, marketers | | | | In order to use the science of Spin, one needs to |
| thought of people as being rational beings. They | | | | enough money to wage a successful campaign |
| figured all they had to do was reason with the | | | | and media approval. Today, there are only six or |
| public logically if they wanted to sell their product. | | | | seven media corporations that control the |
| Freud's theories pointed out that everyone also | | | | majority of the news and entertainment the |
| possessed an unconscious mind filled with instincts | | | | public sees. Governments have enough power to |
| and hidden emotions as sex, security, aggression, | | | | approve or deny what the public sees. The media |
| and survival. This unconscious mind greatly | | | | only spins government policies that are considered |
| influences how people as a whole behave. | | | | "patriotic" and "politically correct." Big corporations, |
| Edward Bernays was raised in the United States. | | | | because of massive wealth, buy the needed spin |
| He spent a lot of the summers of his youth | | | | for their products to stand out. Corporate alien |
| vacationing in Austria and getting to know | | | | leaders thus determine what is good for the |
| firsthand some of his famous uncle's theories. He | | | | people. |
| used what he learned to formulate the most | | | | During the Viet-Nam war the American people |
| useful corporate alien theory on the planet. This | | | | were constantly being told through the media that |
| theory is called "Public Relations" by some, and | | | | if the communists won in Viet-Nam, democracy |
| "Spin" by others. You and I have been influenced | | | | would be lost. The communists won and nothing |
| by spin for decades if we've lived in any so called | | | | happened. There were over 58,000 Americans |
| "civilized" nation of the world. | | | | killed, 303,000 wounded and over 3,800,000 |
| Some of Bernays' campaigns actually changed the | | | | Vietnamese lost their lives. Many Americans still |
| behavior of most Americans. In the mid twenties, | | | | believe the media spin and think the war was |
| a company called Beechnut Packing wanted to | | | | necessary. |
| improve its sales of bacon. Bernays, instead of | | | | The current Iraqi war has the government again |
| creating a campaign to put the bacon on sale | | | | launching a Public Relations campaign. Now the |
| created a new and unheard of use for the | | | | word "terrorism" is constantly being spun in the |
| product. He asked the medical community if it | | | | media as a threat to "freedom." According to the |
| was better for people to have a hardy breakfast | | | | media, terrorists seem to be everywhere. |
| or a light breakfast. Doctors agreed that a hearty | | | | Opposing this war could get you labeled as a |
| breakfast was better. The breakfast of that | | | | traitor. You may get called a "conspiracy theorist" |
| period consisted of toast, coffee, and juice. | | | | if you question the government's explanation of |
| Bernays added bacon and eggs to this breakfast. | | | | the events leading to this war. |
| He started a marketing campaign that touted the | | | | Elections are handled exclusively by the media. |
| medical benefits of a hearty breakfast that | | | | The candidate that invests the largest amount of |
| included bacon and eggs. To this day, an "all | | | | money or wages the best Public Relations |
| American" breakfast includes bacon and eggs. | | | | campaign wins. How qualified is the candidate? No |
| Another of his campaigns was for the American | | | | one knows. The government can save a lot of |
| Tobacco Company. By the mid twenties, smoking | | | | election expenses by just appointing Paris Hilton as |
| was prevalent in the United States and cigarettes | | | | president and Jay Leno as vice-president. This |
| were the most popular form of tobacco. Women, | | | | result would be equivalent to that of the actual |
| however, were not allowed to smoke in public. In | | | | elected candidates in the next election. The people |
| 1928 the American Tobacco Company hired | | | | are controlled by spin initiated by powerful |
| Bernays to try and change this. He consulted with | | | | corporate aliens controlling the media. Spin requires |
| a psychoanalyst A.A. Brill, who suggested that | | | | a candidate to always look good, but ignores the |
| what women really want was the freedom to do | | | | candidate's actual ability to do his or her job |
| the same things men do. So during New York's | | | | efficiently. No candidate, however qualified, can |
| 1929 Easter Parade, Bernays hired debutantes to | | | | win without a lot of money to buy spin |
| march in the parade pretending to be | | | | campaigns. Candidates are just faces and |
| suffragettes. On his signal, these women all lit up a | | | | personalities that distract the masses and really |
| cigarette. He had photographers standing by to | | | | may have very little of the skills needed to run |
| mark the event and referred to cigarettes as | | | | the government. There seems to be an "invisible |
| being "torches of freedom." It appeared that | | | | government" as Bernays said that is the true |
| anyone against women smoking was against | | | | ruling power. |
| women's liberation as well. Bernays saw to it that | | | | In order to have a true election, media must be |
| this event was publicized throughout the world. | | | | left out of the election process. I believe that this |
| Smoking by women everywhere quickly | | | | is possible, but will not occur anytime soon for |
| skyrocketed when they began to associate | | | | obvious reasons. Logic, not unconscious impulse |
| cigarettes with freedom. | | | | must guide our choices. |
| Here is how Bernays felt about Public Relations | | | | Not all people succumb to spin. The more a |
| and democracy: | | | | person thinks as an individual, the less likely his or |
| The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the | | | | her ideas are affected by media campaigns. This |
| organized habits and opinions of the masses is an | | | | is why, while most people today believe, because |
| important element in democratic society. Those | | | | of the media, that there's a terrorist lurking |
| who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society | | | | around every corner, some still question this |
| constitute an invisible government which is the | | | | premise. Being aware of how your unconscious |
| true ruling power of our country. | | | | mind can influence your thoughts can get you to |
| Democracies are not the only forms of | | | | investigate more of what the media tells you |
| government that use spin. Doctor Joseph | | | | before reaching a conclusion. |
| Goebbels, Hitler's propaganda minister, kept copies | | | | The recent film "Thank You for Smoking", now |
| of Bernays' books in his extensive "mind control" | | | | on DVD, is an insightful and entertaining feature |
| library. Bernays never had Hitler as a client, but | | | | covering the subject of spin. A book that covers |
| some techniques from his books were used in the | | | | more of Bernays campaigns and Public Relations in |
| Nazi campaign against the Jews. | | | | general is "The Father of Spin: Edward L. Bernays |
| During his later years Bernays saw how Public | | | | & the Birth of Public Relations" by Larry Tye. |
| Relations was currently being misused. On his | | | | |