The Prisoner of No. 10 | 200 comments (200 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: "despite a written a Constitution" (none / 0)

"Walter Lippmann, Public Opinion"

Walter Lippmann would have been well positioned to come to self-serving opinions himself, having served with Edward Bernays, subsequent author of 'Propaganda', on the Creel Commission and on the Committee on Public Information during WW I. The primary problem they faced was the opposition of so many German Americans to the US entering WW I on the side of the Allies.

Bernays showed how with techniques later described in his seminal Propaganda, while Lippmann provided the justification for using said techniques in Public Opinion. They, (the government), have been doing it ever since

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sun Sep 8th, 2019 at 03:54:39 PM EST
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Re: "despite a written a Constitution" (none / 0)

Have you never read Public Opinion?

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Sun Sep 8th, 2019 at 05:43:01 PM EST
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Re: "despite a written a Constitution" (4.00 / 4)

I have read parts. It seems an ill omen to me that he starts with Plato's image of the cave. Plato was NOT an advocate of the average person. He wanted to be the advisor to tyrants. Even the experience of being sold into slavery by one such tyrant who Plato was trying to advise did not dissuade Plato from his belief that only a ruler could see things rightly - if said ruler followed Plato's advise.

That I am on the right track with Lippmann is confirmed towards the end of chapter I when he states: "My conclusion is that public opinions must be organized for the press if they are to be sound, not by the press as it is today. This organization I conceive to be, in the first place, the task of a political science that has won its place as a formulator in advance of real decision instead of apologist, critic or reporter after the decision has been made."

Lippmann reifies the abstraction of 'Political Science' as some objective science. Political Science gives, in fact, about as successful and accurate description of the political process as US Mainstream Economics gives of the operation of the economy.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Sep 10th, 2019 at 02:49:06 AM EST
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Re: "despite a written a Constitution" (none / 1)

The problem for progressives is that they are so for total democracy that faithful average folks have nothing to choose from but Trump, Tories.

by das monde on Tue Sep 10th, 2019 at 06:53:48 AM EST
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You re too kind (4.00 / 2)

to political scientists...

Index of Frank's Diaries

by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Tue Sep 10th, 2019 at 11:37:26 AM EST
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"reifies the abstraction" (none / 0)

of opinion polls and abnormal statistical descriptions? landssakes.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Tue Sep 10th, 2019 at 02:35:09 PM EST
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Re: "reifies the abstraction" (none / 1)

Of Political Science. Note the caps.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."