Gianluca Magi
Ed. Plan B
pp. 196
Those who are not particularly familiar with issues of propaganda, social manipulation, disinformation - we could say, today: of psychological warfare – you will be surprised and perhaps disconcerted when reading the pages of this book. A text that has occupied Gianluca Magi for years and which has seen him go in search of primary sources including, above all, the consultation of the thirty thousand pages which summarize (in German) Goebbels' diaries. But, in addition to this rich block of basic information, other materials were also consulted, some produced by Goebbels himself (such as the texts of the speeches), others as secondary sources (in REFERENCES the author reported a selection of the texts consulted).
On this basis Magi composed a text which is structured into two large sections. The first traces the life of Joseph Goebbels (Rheydt, Rhineland, 29 October 1897 – Berlin, 1945 May XNUMX) underlining his extensive contribution to the information, propaganda and diffusion campaigns of Nazi ideas; the second exposes one by one the "eleven principles" that the author deduced from the analysis he carried out and which are a very current compendium of the most refined techniques for influencing the human mind and the masses.
“Man's will to dominate man, strategies of manipulation, social control and the art of deception are as old as the history of humanity” (p. 9). The text opens with these words, well introduced by a short essay by Jean Paul Fitoussi: a text which in the author's intention has the practical aim of being useful to the reader, allowing him to best defend himself from manipulation and, I would say, to develop as completely as possible vigilance , awareness of what happens in the world. After all, as has been authoritatively said, the new battlefield is the human mind: a new dimension that goes alongside the traditional ones and of which there has been proof in recent years, in some theaters of war - on the complex dimension of what is defined as "propaganda" see Jacques Ellul's volume, Propaganda (Plan B., 2023).
The fifty pages dedicated to retracing the life of Goebbels are divided into three "scenes" and several "acts", the last of which leads to Goebbels' suicide (and the suicide of his wife Magda, who takes her own life after administering of poison to their six children). Little by little, Goebbels emerges, taking inspiration from the techniques of commerce and advertising to package his products, developing skills as an influencer, troublemaker and catalyst, sometimes acting in the foreground, sometimes in the shadows, but always with the aim of using propaganda and all his "tricks" to influence the German people (in a socioeconomic situation in which it does not seem difficult to propose a new verb and stir up the citizens). Here is the skilful use of radio and cinema, the diffusion of Nazi ideas abroad through a network of newspapers published specifically outside the borders, the use of highly emotionally charged messages, the astute manipulation of facts and events that benefited the Führer and the cause of National Socialism.
Of incredible relevance is the mechanism of constructing an enemy, Poland, by staging a series of elements that will justify the Nazi invasion of that country, with the foresight not to let “never pronounce the expression 'war on Poland' in German newspapers, but rather 'response to Polish fire'” (p.49).
But the core of this book lies in the descriptions of eleven tactical principles, starting from the first which outlines the need to identify "an" enemy and represent it as the unique origin of all evil and danger - a system very similar to the creation of the classic scapegoat. As is known from commercial techniques, telling a person that a product is chosen by many - or, in our case, that a political opinion is shared by almost everyone - mobilizes the individual's gregarious instinct to lead him to think and do like the others. But propaganda must use emotional tones strong and words simple – slogans, empty of content but full of emotional charge, are perfect… So, once again, brains must be manipulated expertly, or decisively intoxicated, for example with theinfodemic, with a deluge of information in which one can no longer orient oneself and ends up believing the clearest and most persuasive message: “It's like a reception: the more people are invited, the sillier the conversation. It is the ideal condition for brain intoxication. Drugs are slogans" (p.133).
As others have stated over time, it is a good thing to repeat the message, it makes the plausible (or the artefact) become true, taking into account that the masses can be influenced as if they were almost illiterate children: therefore simple, suitable words... at least smart of all!
Corollary: it is very useful to gradually lower the level of intelligence and consciousness of the people.
The seventh tactical principle deals with counterpropaganda of which Goebbels became a master by always responding quickly and aggressively to every attack, discrediting the enemy, turning accusations against him, building false connections and false causes, or completely ignoring what came to light. In this picture, the use of terror to influence both the masses and the enemy also emerges: “victory is achieved not by counting how many you have killed, but how many moles you have scared away', says an ancient Arab proverb” (p.148).
Thus, we continue reading these pages, alternating interest and a vague sense of apprehension for what we might be led to think (and do!) without even realizing it; or, at least, without immediately realizing it: “It's much easier to give it to drink than to convince people that they drank it. Or, as Mark Twain put it, 'It is much easier to deceive people than to convince them that they have been deceived." (p.145).
From the beginning of Simplification and single enemy to that of Orchestration, From Psychic contagion al Silence - “of the approximately fifty thousand directives sent by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry to the press, a quarter were silencing instructions” (p. 157) – passing through the Likelihood... Eleven subtle and psychologically effective "manipulation principles", accompanied by attention in building artificial representations of reality: the thought here turns to what has recently been seen as the use of the so-called echo chambers in the realm of the virtual message, storytelling, and the rewriting of the past (the attempt to modify historical events and above all redefine them with ad hoc interpretations): “if in the past censorship operated by blocking the flow of information… today having power means knowing what to ignore” (p.123).
Different principles and different tactics are marked by appropriate examples of famous social psychology experiments; experiments that validate typical situations, such as the pressure of the group on the individual, the induction of conformism, the concrete possibility of extracting from people considered and experienced as completely normal violent if not sadistic ways of acting.
In conclusion, closing this book (of course Useful, as the author wanted) one can reflect on some of the multiple faces of cognitive war – see Castiello d'Antonio A. (2023), “We see things for what we are. Cognitive warfare from a psychological point of view”. Military Magazine, 2, 58-61 – and on the longevity of certain modes of exploitative and manipulative management of human minds; it happened yesterday, it's happening today. It's very, very likely that it will continue to happen tomorrow.
Andrea Castiello d'Antonio
