‘New Open-Communication’ ‘Resident-Friendly Outreach’ Propaganda

ABSTRACT: “Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist.”

“The purpose of propaganda is to promote a partisan or competitive cause in the best interest of the propagandist but not necessarily in the best interest of the recipient.”

“Information communicated by the propagandist may appear to be indisputable and totally factual. The propagandist knows, however, that the purpose is not to promote mutual understanding but rather to promote his or her own objectives. Thus, the propagandist will attempt to control information flow and manage a certain public's opinion by shaping perceptions through strategies of informative communication.”

Source: Propaganda and persuasion/edited by Garth S. Jowett, Victoria O'Donnell.-5th ed., 2012

Prior to the commencement of the August 5, 2014, City Council meeting, “Mayor Jason Burnett told a packed audience that the council gave its unanimous support to Stilwell and City Attorney Donald Freeman, but acknowledged "a serious communication problem" and promised a more resident-friendly outreach.,” according to reporting in The Monterey County Herald. Consequently, the mayor distracts the public from the seriousness and substantive content of the nine points on the PETITION TO TERMINATE THE CURRENT CITY ADMINISTRATOR, misrepresents the issue as merely “a serious communication problem” thereby attempting to evade responsibility and accountability for past city violations and actions, specifically the actions of City Administrator Jason Stilwell, the mayor and city council.

We, the residents of the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, have an opportunity to decide what kind of village we want to live in. One of the purposes of the PETITION TO TERMINATE THE CURRENT CITY ADMINISTRATOR was to inform and promote our capacity to reason and make decisions. We collectively have a choice: we can mollify ourselves with the propaganda and distraction techniques of our mayor or we can confront the truth and reality and decide to work to change the local government status quo.

ONLINE POLL RESULTS (The Monterey County Herald)
“Will Carmel deliver on its promise to be more community friendly?
YES 10% NO 90%

"Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state."
—Noam Chomsky, Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda, 1997

Propaganda is as powerful as heroin; it surreptitiously dissolves all capacity to think.”
― Gil Courtemanche, A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali