BANDWAGON – DISINFOPEDIA BANDWAGON

"YOU'RE EITHER WITH US, OR AGAINST US" APPEALS TO AN AUDIENCE TO JOIN

A GROUND SWELL OF PUBLIC OPINION AND ACTIVITY BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE
IS JOINING. THE BANDWAGON TECHNIQUE COMMONLY APPEALS TO FEELINGS OF
LOYALTY AND NATIONALISM, AS WELL AS THE DESIRE TO BE ON THE WINNING
SIDE. THIS TECHNIQUE TENDS TO OBSCURE THE ETHICS OF THE ACTIVITY AT
THE EXPENSE OF VICTORY: BETTER TO BELONG TO THE WINNING SIDE THAN BE
TOO CONCERNED WITH THE RIGHTNESS OF THE MEANS TO ACHIEVE IT. "4 OUT
OF 5 DOCTORS ECOMMENDS..." USES BOTH THE BANDWAGON TECHNIQUE AND THE
ARGUMENT TO AUTHORITY TO PROMOTE AN ACTION. (THE TWO TECHNIQUES ARE
COMMONLY FOUND LINKED.) IN PSYCHOGRAPHICS TERMINOLOGY, THE BANDWAGON
TECHNIQUE APPEALS MOST STRONGLY TO THE GROUP CALLED BELONGERS, THOSE
WHO MAKE DECISIONS BECAUSE
THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING.
IN THE POST-911 WORLD, PUBLIC FIGURES IN THE U.S. HAVE OFTEN FOUND IT
DIFFICULT TO EXPRESS EVEN MILDLY CRITICAL OPINIONS OF BUSH
ADMINISTRATION FOREIGN POLICIES--SO POWERFUL IS THE BANDWAGON
MENTALITY THAT SEEKS TO ASSERT THAT EVERYONE HAS TO UNITE IN THE
FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, THE AXIS OF EVIL, THE MAKERS OF WEAPONS OF
MASS DESTRUCTION, THOSE AGAINST FREEDOM. OBSCURED IN THIS POWERFUL
PROPAGANDA TECHIQUE ARE THE FACTS: THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE U.S. HAS
MORE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION THAN ANY OTHER NATION, AND IS THE
WORLD'S LARGEST ARMS DEALER. HOWEVER, AS THE "WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL
NATION," THE U.S. HAS TREMENDOUS BANDWAGON APPEAL. LURKING BEHIND THE
BANDWAGON TECHNIQUE IS THE FEAR OF LOSING AND THE THREAT OF
REPRISALS.
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AGENDA. IT IS A PROJECT OF THE CENTER FOR MEDIA & DEMOCRACY; EMAIL
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