Japanese Propaganda

This propaganda poster differs from all the others I have investigated as the Japanese where trying to influence the Australian people not there own. This is just one of the many posters they dropped over Australian battlefields in an attempt to turn the Australians against the Americans. This is a difficult way of using propaganda as you are far less likely to get respect from your enemy. Although if there is any level of doubt from a soldier in there ally then this could go along way towards compounding this feeling.

German WWII Propaganda

The 'L'entente Cordiale' was an agreement signed in 1904 to improve Anglo-French relations and to deal with the threat of German expansion in Europe. This poster from 1915 shows the way the Germans used this threat against them to try and pursued the German people that it was in fact Britain trying to conquer Europe.

This poster is heavily laden with interestingly persuasive imagery, for start there is the contrast between the regal like bird representing Germany and the evil looking spider representing Britain. Then there is the way the spider is shown to be controlling other nations, especially the half devoured Frenchman, suggesting the recent conquest of France. As well as the already controlled Norway represented by there hoisted flag on the spiders leg, the poster also hints at who Britain will 'conquer' next, showing Uncle Sam and two others tied up in the background. Other thing to note are the dark clouds brewing behind Britain's 'conquering' spider showing their apparent evil desires and the German U-boat in the sea of Marmora showing the expectation of a German defence. This has been the most interesting propaganda poster I've come across so far, as it shows the clever way the German government used the signing of the 'L'entente Cordiale' to turn there people against the Allied forces.

American Anti-Communism

This poster from1938 depicted a threat that wasn't fully realised till the mid forties and the start of the Cold War. This was the Domino theory in which the prediction was that one communist country could convert a neighbouring country creating a domino effect. Despite the Soviet Union being part of the allies force during WWII it can be seen by the date of this poster AmericaUSSR's intentions. This concern was realised during the escalation of the Cold War as more and more communist countries arose from the post-war environment. This caused America to enter into a frenzy of anti-communism, therefore developing a propaganda war.

The Idea of the Domino effect is something that has been debated over for many years and it's importance can be seen in the way it may have been used to fuel American lead wars. A relation can also be argued for a similar situation in the Middle East at the moment. It's also interesting to see how it could be said that the media have been shedding a negative light on Muslims in a similar way they did to the communists. I think it's important to realise that stereotyping a nation or religion is only going to cause escalation and that instead a more intelligent stance should be taken. This is not to say that there is an easy answer but I believe that the use of education is more beneficial than force.

Hug A Hoodie

This picture represents a policy by David Cameron that was widely documented in the press, 'the hug a hoodie' campaign caused a lot of controversy when first brought up. This campaign was no doubt part of David Cameron's long term plan to rejuvenate the conservatives and help appeal to a younger audience, although it could have easily have been seen as more of a publicity stunt. I though this picture brilliantly summed up the way Cameron´s policy seemed to backfire.

American Propaganda

This American WWII poster targets the Japanese and portrays them as rats with the goal of helping defend the vulnerable Alaska from attack. This poster uses the power of association to try and entice people into serving their country but also portrays an entire nation as vermin. This may seem more appropriate when taking into consideration what the Japanese where doing at the time, but this racial profiling cannot be excused in any situation.

Propaganda

"You can't fool all the people all of the time, but if you fool the right ones then the rest will fall behind" This is a lyric by the independent hip-hop artist Dead Prez and I believe it is an analytical statement that sums up the affect propaganda has. The way the media uses the power of the image to influence our understanding is something that effects us everyday and it is very often only the open minded person who can see this process. The first poster is a 1944 WW2 Nazi poster published by the Dutch SS-Storm magazine, it warned the Dutch people against the evils of the invading Americans. This poster was an obvious attempt by the Nazi's to try and turn the Dutch against the Americans, who had seen Holland as an entry point into Germany. The other poster published in 1947 by the Catechetical Guild is a warning to America of the then immanent threat of communism. This so called threat of communism kept Americans scared for a long time and is great example of the media's use of propaganda.

Critical practice project

This is a recent project that I did for critical practice, we had to go on a walk any place, any distance. Then we had to write a short text about what we saw this what I ended up with.

I enter a poorly lit road which seems to be a dead end and by this time I am completely lost, so I investigate and come across a dark ominous alleyway at the end of the road. As I make my way down this dark passage I suddenly here footsteps behind me and see a dark figure out the corner of my eye, I quicken my pace and approach the end of the alleyway only to find a group of black teens, all with there hoods up, they confront me and start hassling me looking for a reaction but I ignore them and try to get passed, then one of them pulls a Knife from his pocket and holds it to my neck. Another one demands “give me your wallet and your phone” and before I have a chance to reply they pin me up against a rough garden wall, they search my pockets and find what they where looking for, the feeling of relief comes across me as they start to walk away, then the teen with the knife turns and throws me back up against the wall, he fumbles in his pocket for the knife panic sets in and I manage to struggle free but only to find his friend who plunges his own knife into my stomach, pain shoots across my body, my legs become weak and I start to fall, as my head hits the damp cold pavement I hear “this is Brixton station”, the tube jolts I awake and in a daze stumble off the train and up the escalators with an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach the only thought running through my head is that I will be coming across a dirty town with trouble round every corner. But as I exit I come across a bright vibrant city center with bustling shops, and lively markets, I see a beautifully lit old church towering above the shops, I then make my way to a local pub, and I find a modern looking bistro serving great food and full of friendly people, after a few pleasant drinks I move on, to find a modern Spanish style bar with a great atmosphere. I then proceeded to have a pleasant evening without any confrontations, that’s not say that nothing bad happens in Brixton, and sure I saw my fair share of dodgy looking people but no more than I see around the rest of London. And so I thought, maybe I should be careful about stereotyping places before I visit them.