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Michael, this is a fascinating question. I wish we were better at it. I
will address it from the POV of American's interest in influencing the
Arab street, the context of the thread. <br>
<br>
The major problem I see is that capitalism / liberal democracy has no
natural constitutancy, as socialism (or, welfare state politics) does.
Eric Hoffer illustrated that forty or so years ago in <i>The True
Believer</i> and <i>The Ordeal of Change</i>. The natural
constitutancy of socialism is the university and the intellectuals.
Since journalists are trained in the university, they tend to support
the socialistic world view. So it is an uphill battle to influence the
Arab street, since the official government line is socialistic
(Baathist) and the journalists are writing from that POV. BTW, see <i>Unholy
Alliance</i> for an argument that there is a de facto alliance between
the Left and Islamofascism. <br>
(C.f., <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.thefire.org/">http://www.thefire.org/</a> for illustrations of the lack of
diversity on university campuses)<br>
<br>
So persuasion would be very difficult since we (Americans) have no
natural allies in the media, especially middle east media. <br>
<br>
OK, I will take a stab at Michael's powerful question. Look to social
psychologist Robert Cialdini for some insights. His tools of persuasion
are:<br>
- Reciprocation: speak of the great sacrifices America has made
(standing against the whole world, shedding our blood . . .) to free
Afghanistan and Iraq of vicious dictators. Appeal to the Arab sense of
fair play. We don't want your oil, we want you as partners in freedom.
We have sacrificed for you; lift your eyes and help us.<br>
- Consistency: find times when the Arab world supported freedom and
persuade the Arab street that they should return to their roots and be
consistent with the 'better angels of our nature.' <br>
- Social proof: Produce vignettes of the many people in Afghanistan
and Iraq that are better off. Put a human face on the notion the
Americans - unique in all the world - fight not for dominance or
empire, but because it is the right thing to do. Small shopkeepers
saying how they are able to freely enjoy the fruits of their labors;
women saying they can now vote.<br>
- Liking: Emphasize enterprises like "Operation Iraqi Children"
showing how we like Arabs and sacrifice for their benefit.<br>
- Authority: Find Imams who will speak up for our efforts. (Well, I
didn't say it was practical, I just said these are the keys to
influence).<br>
- Scarcity: stories on how rare a possession true freedom is, and
how difficult it is to hold. <br>
<br>
I would love to hear others on the same topic.<br>
Lynn<br>
Salt Lake City<br>
Home of the 11-0 University of Utah football team, ranked 6th in the
BCS.<br>
<br>
Michael Christopher wrote:<br>
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cite="mid20041120191201.54571.qmail@web13421.mail.yahoo.com">
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<pre wrap="">No amount of explanation will ever overwrite that
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<pre wrap=""><!---->image.<<
--This leads to a good topic: how do you use rhetoric
to override an image, in general? How would you use
facts to override a repetitive, auditory diatribe or
talk radio belief system? Are images or words
incongruent with the other channel ignored or
filtered? When everyone sticks to a propaganda
channel, believing all other channels are poison, do
they tend to pick a channel that is either visual or
auditory, or is it a complex chemistry between images
and words?
Michael
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