Raghav Week 12: Unseen Webs
Our choices are often dictated by the laws and policy that surround and control us. However, submission to power lacks sustainability and is less effective than steering an entire population or nation, which is where discrete approaches begin to develop in the form of soft power. In spheres of influence where simple judicial control cannot be applied, governments resort to subtly controlling the information and media people consume to consolidate their power, and such practices affect our daily lives in ways that are imperceptible. The distinction between soft power and hard power is a fine balance maintained by governments to build a common belief system among the people; the perfect example of such balance being disrupted was during the Cold War.
At the height of the conflict between democracy and communism, the Soviet Union and the United States became beacons for each belief system, not only creating a national image among its own people, but attempting to conform the world to their personal belief systems as well. While obvious and explicit exertions of power such as waging wars on many fronts were prevalent then, an unseen wave of propaganda and media bias began to take over the world. With popular figures promoting certain value systems and influential entertainment media like movies promoting others, the soft power exercised by America to villainize communist ideology became so ingrained that the concept of communism as a term meant someone who was anti-American and potentially even a radical terrorist. Such ingrained beliefs cannot be achieved through military enforcement which citizens would resist, but by instead placing motifs of it in each aspect of life.
When the fear of communism reached a peak during the Red Scare, harder power was exerted by individuals like Joseph McCarthy, and his intrusive fear of communism led him to exerting enforcing power over the people, not only causing countless problems but being even less effective at the resolution which was desired: to root out communism. McCarthyism became an issue not only because of the unlawful actions taken by law enforcement bodies, but also because it brought forth to the attention of the people the extent of influence that soft power systems like propaganda and entertainment had already had on their lives.
Propaganda of the Cold War
Even today, we live in a web of control of those who devise the content we consume as mere puppets. Even though more tactical governing bodies like those of the United States may not be as explicit with the beliefs they wish their citizens to hold (since the nation promotes freedom of expression), a large majority of American beliefs are derived directly from what politically affiliated news agencies and biased content producers publish. As they say, “you are what you read,” and what we read is not in our own control, but rather just a form of soft power of those who wish to bend our will.
Hello, Raghav! I completely agree with your perspective on how soft power influences our beliefs in ways we don't realize. Your analysis of how the Soviet Union and the United States used media to shape public perception during the Cold War is quite accurate and very profound. The way propaganda subtly ingrains ideologies into everyday life, especially through the media, is something we often overlook. As terrifying as it may be that we offer so much control to the media to sway our thoughts, it is just as fascinating to think about how the term "communism" became so closely associated with being anti-American, purely due to strategic media control. It has influenced how people perceive the word to the point where today, just calling another American a communist is seen as an insult. Your point about McCarthyism also really struck me, as it illustrated the dangers of hard power in response to the far-reaching effects of soft power. It intrigues me how deeply ingrained these media-perpetuated influences have become in continuing to mold how Americans think. Your post was an eye-opening read and really got me thinking about the information I consume and the influence it has on my own views!
ReplyDeleteHi Raghav! Your blog was very informative and built on knowledge that I gained while reading The Crucible. I also found that the influence of this power that the United States exerted and the demonization of communism can still be seen in later popular culture, as I have seen characters in movies and television shows from the 2000s and early 2010s call someone a “commie” if they simply do not like the person. The distinction between hard and soft power was interesting to learn about, and it makes sense that they are both prevalent but only one is obvious in its controlling methods.
ReplyDeleteHi Raghav. I have never heard of the term "soft power" before, so your blog was really helpful in explaining that concept to me. Your reframing of the Cold War as an ideological conflict between American capitalism and Soviet communism is really effective in portraying how the flow of information affects the people. However, I find it slightly contradictory that you described the use of soft power as subtle and imperceptible, as there is a plethora of blatant propaganda against the "enemy." According to Erika Lee in her book for our APT studies the most effective way to fight xenophobia is to have prominent figures and media express opinions against xenophobia, reflecting your own argument on soft power.
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