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The point of public relations slogans like 'Support our…

“The point of public relations slogans like 'Support our troops' is that they don't mean anything... That's the whole point of good propaganda. You want to create a slogan that nobody's going to be against, and everybody's going to be for. Nobody knows what it means, because it doesn't mean…” quote by Noam Chomsky
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“The point of public relations slogans like 'Support our troops' is that they don't mean anything... That's the whole point of good propaganda. You want to create a slogan that nobody's going to be against, and everybody's going to be for. Nobody knows what it means, because it doesn't mean anything. Its crucial value is that it diverts your attention from a question that does mean something: Do you support our policy? That's the one you're not allowed to talk about.”

Noam Chomsky

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Propaganda uses vague slogans to distract from substantive policy debates.

In simple terms: Slogans distract from real issues.

Key Takeaway

Question slogans and seek concrete policies.

Themes

media manipulation propaganda political discourse critical thinking

Mood

critical skeptical

Type

analytical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • political campaigns
  • advertising
  • public debate

Key Concepts

public relations semantic emptiness attention diversion

Questions to Reflect On

  • Why do people accept empty slogans?
  • How can citizens see through propaganda?
A Different Perspective

May understate the role of genuine messaging.

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