Propaganda Example 2: The L.A. Riots/Protests

Which word you use shows which propaganda you prefer

As we know:

Principle 8: Propaganda is Universal

Propaganda is everywhere and used by pretty much everyone. We found a stark example of this in the recent news out of Los Angeles. To lay the timeline out:

• Stephen Miller got mad at ICE officials for not arresting immigrants fast enough. He told them to not worry about finding the criminals, just arrest any immigrant. Go to Home Depot, to 7-Eleven, etc.

• When ICE started to do just that, local Angelenos started protesting. These were their neighbors being rounded up (household help, handymen) along with some criminals.

• ICE did not back down, and we had news stories of protestors yelling at them.

• A few idiots took advantage of the unrest to loot a few stores (perhaps 20 out of 60,000 in Los Angeles), and that allowed the shallow thinkers to paint ALL protestors as looters.

• The President took over the California National Guard and ordered 4,000 of them to the few blocks in L.A. where the protests were occurring, the ones where ICE agents got yelled at and a few idiots helped themselves to free iPhones. Oh, and he sent 700 Marines along with the 4,000 National Guard

So what caught my eye in the media as this was happening? A perfect propaganda example:

So these were “immigration riots”? What does that mean, that immigrants were rioting? That people were protesting immigrants?

To use “riots” instead of “protests” is a choice. The violence only ramped up when the National Guard showed up. Until then it was a protest with yelling. But just as when police break up a house party, that party suddenly becomes full of criminal elements and a riot breaks out. But it used to just be a party. And in L.A. it used to be a protest.

Where did this take place in L.A.? Where was it safe to be?

Looks like Malibu is safe. And Hollywood. And Long Beach, and Inglewood, and Torrance, and Beverly Hills, and Pasadena . . .you get the idea. That little triangle above is where the National Guard set up the roadblocks. But sure, all of L.A. was in flames . . .

So after ICE ratcheted up the tension by arresting neighbors, and people went protesting against that, and the National Guard was sent in along with Marines, the predictable happened: Everyone got mad at everyone else, and things gradually started calming down. Back to what it was when it started: a protest.

Oh, but some protestors waved the Mexican flag! Lots of online talk about insurrectionists followed (another propaganda word). But if we are not allowed to cherish one form of heritage, but we are celebrated for cherishing another form of heritage . . .:

It gets very confusing to be told the image at the top is an insurrectionist while the image at the bottom is a patriot.

The media propaganda example (“riot” versus “protest”) is an instance of:

Principle 27: Media is Biased Towards What Upsets You

So better to call a protest a riot since that will get the audience upset. Oh those poor Los Angeles residents who are being run out of town!

It’s important to realize in politics that:

Principle 35: We Need Both Political Sides

But only if both sides act in principled ways.

• When extremists on either side use propaganda words to inflame their listeners, they are not helping.

• If you see propaganda techniques being used in your choice of media, may I suggest you follow this principle:

Principle 34: Reading Only One Side Leads You Astray

Otherwise you will be as misled as all those who genuinely thought Los Angeles was under attack by immigrants rioting or something.