A Company That Survives On Manipulation
...esponsible, when in fact selling a product that kills the lives of thousands is far from responsible. The website is an ideal example of propaganda because of the company’s ulterior motive. The term Glittering Generalities is a propaganda characteristic and is defined as a device used to appeal to emotion by means of virtue. The Philip Morris website uses Glittering Generalities to divert attention from the negative effects of tobacco. Next the Company tries to associate themselves as individuals as well and an industry in hopes that the reader will feel closer to their message “Both as individuals and as a company, we are contributing time and resources to projects that support and promote economic development and improve the quality of life” (Morris, par. 2). This however the most hypocritical statement of the entire website, because in reality the company is not trying to improve the quality of life, but rather trying to improve the potency of the ad. Propaganda is dangerous because it can be misleading, and deception to a democracy can have a momentous impact due to the reliance on truth. Philip Morris uses propaganda when they justify their importance to the American economy. Philip Morris describes “Tobacco as an important part of this country’s heritage… more than any other commodity, tobacco has influenced U.S. history, as well as our nation’s development and economic growth” (Morris, par. 1). This technique of political rhetoric is dangerous not only to those who believe the lie but also to those who promote it. How long does it take for the manipulative power to overwhelm those who brandish it? The next step from propaganda is most often conformity, because the purpose of propaganda is not to persuade, it is to instruct compliance. Conformity promotes dictorial reliance, which is the negation of objective decision. With out an objective opinion, a democracy cannot exist. The advantage of detecting political rhetoric is independence from a coercive and subjective government. As long as we objectively search for political rhetoric we will remain active in defending our freedom. If we ...