Crowds On Demand: Believe Nothing You Hear, and Only One Half That You See

I heard a former newspaper editor say recently, "Believe nothing you hear, and only half that you see." It sounded like a line from a movie, but actually originated with Edgar Allen Poe.

This quote came to mind as I was reading a David Halberstam's The Fifties. I began reading this book because (a) Halberstam is a writer who is thorough in his research and effective in laying out his narrative, and (b) I grew up in the Fifties and Sixties and believed his book might give additional insights toward understanding myself and the context of my life. 

In Chapter 25 he writes about the factors that led the U.S. to manufacture a coup there and overthrow Mohammed Mossadegh, "the legally constituted but left-leaning prime minister of Iran" in order to install the Shah as head of Iran. The sentence that jumped off the page for me was this one:

"Roosevelt also brought with him $1 million, in Iranian currency, of which about $100,000 was subsequently used to rent a mob and pay off key people."

There were a couple reasons this stood out. First, it was the second time in the book something like this occurred. Second, because it still happens. And Americans think they are seeing protesters when in reality they are seeing shills, actors. How can we tell when what the cameras are showing us is real or staged? 

Chapter 25 is in the book because it details the beginning of America's interference in the politics of independent countries, a pattern that continues to this day. If we don't like a country's leader, we think we have the right to go in and take him out. We use PR to demonize them, actors to stage protests, and apply other kinds of pressure to drive people out of power who won't dance to the tune we play. It makes me want to cry for my country. 

In 2020 I wrote a blog post called The Art of Artifice: Capitalism and the Events Industry. In that article I share information about two companies that provide strategies, services and people to put on demonstrations. The one says they can create events anywhere in the world. Here's their promise:

With absolute discretion a top priority, our operatives create convincing scenes that become the building blocks of massive movements. When you need the appearance of outrage, we are able to deliver it at scale while keeping your reputation intact.

Let's stop being so gullible and exercise a little discernment. Check out The Art of Artifice: Capitalism and the Events Industry.   Related: He Who Controls the Narrative Controls the People