Phyllis Beveridge Nissila

Many people are upset today about the fact that even though another effort by the far-left branch of the Democrat party to fatally demonize their nemesis, President Donald Trump, with what they promised was another “something” that might prove he is impeachable has failed; nevertheless, the impeachment frenzy continues!

But in my view, the far left is successful, just using a completely differant strategy. A strategy one might call the “accuse-leak-investigate-fail (ALIF) technique” (but it is by no means fail safe).

What I’m referring to is a strategy that could very well be based on the work of two men famous in the world of  propaganda: Marshall McLuhan and Joseph Goebbels.

McLuhan is known for coining the phrase, “the medium is the message,” i.e, “a medium itself, not the content it carries, should be the focus of study. He said that a medium affects the society in which it plays a role not only by the content delivered over the medium, but also by the characteristics of the medium itself.” (source).

As employed by the far left in the U.S. just now, the medium is one ALIF after another after another until either the polls reveal Trump is out of favor with the people for long enough, or until the 2020 election is over.

The “characteristic” of this medium is to continuously demonize him in the most shocking way by accusing him of having done something that merits stripping him of his presidency. And that keeps the investigations going. And that keeps up at least the appearance of his possible culpability (and appearances have great value in the world of propaganda).

As to the “content” of the medium, this is where the Big Lie comes in.

The Big Lie, a term coined by Adolph Hitler and developed by Joseph Goebbels to demonize the Jews in Germany before and during World War II, refers to the “use of a lie so ‘colossal’ that no one would believe that someone ‘could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.'” In other words, the lie is so large, so unbelievable, the hearer would be more inclined to believe it–as long as it is repeated often enough.”

And repetition is key, for, the article continues, “The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly – it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over.”

And what could be so big, so outrageous, so shocking it would cause a crisis so horrible (or so it is hoped, anyway) that it would call for impeachment of the leader of the free world?

Fast Forward to the U.S., of late, and take your pick.

Yesterday and for the last three years, it was the Russia hoax, today, the Ukraine hoax, tomorrow, who knows. Not to mention many smaller, messy affairs that also failed to bring him down.

However, as brilliant as this strategy might be, there are certain flaws, as in, what happens when the people figure out somebody (or some people) have been crying wolf just a little bit too often? And the wolf is dressed in sheep’s clothing?

But here’s something else unique–and potentially very harmful–to the far left’s medium, method, and message.

While they fein horror over the scandal du jour, Guess Who has to hold yet another White House press conference?

And Guess Who will begin the press conference typically by detailing the real news, such as a roaring economy, lowest unemployment rates for minorities and women in decades and/or history, close to one-half million new or renewed manufacturing jobs, 150 new judges sworn in, to name scant few of some several hundred accomplishments as of just the beginning of 2019, while the “press” has to sit there and fume until he’s finished covering what the American people really want to know–and that the press refuses to cover–before they are permitted to ask only one or two questions  on the latest ALIF “crisis”?

Hmmmmm…

Not a bad strategy either.

(But let’s keep this one our little secret.)

Meanwhile, as they say across the pond, keep calm and carry on.