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The Smear: How the Secret Art of Character Assassination Controls What You Think, What You Read, and How You Vote QUOTES

The Smear: How the Secret Art of Character Assassination Controls What You Think, What You Read, and How You Vote QUOTES

1 " We're living amid an artificial reality, persuaded to believe it's real by astroturf engineered to look like grassroots. "

― , The Smear: How the Secret Art of Character Assassination Controls What You Think, What You Read, and How You Vote

2 " All of this evokes the dicta of successful historic propagandists described earlier. From Alinsky's Rules for Radicals:
>"Ridicule is man's most potent weapon."
>"Keep the pressure on. Never let up."
> "development of operations that will keep a constant pressure on the opposition."
>"Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."
>"Not every item of news should be published. Rather must those who control news policies endeavor to make every item of news serve a certain purpose."
>"Propaganda must facilitate the displacement of aggression by specifying the targets for hatred. "

― , The Smear: How the Secret Art of Character Assassination Controls What You Think, What You Read, and How You Vote

3 " The smear artist reveals himself by his disparate treatment of people and situations. He drapes himself in a superhero cape, claiming to defend the aggrieved. He pretends to right societal wrongs. In fact, though, he's motivated primarily by paid interests and his own selfish agendas. By definition, the job requires that morality and conscience be cast aside "

― , The Smear: How the Secret Art of Character Assassination Controls What You Think, What You Read, and How You Vote

4 " We plaster our news reports with political pundits not offering independent opinions but serving their masters. "

― , The Smear: How the Secret Art of Character Assassination Controls What You Think, What You Read, and How You Vote