The purpose of propaganda is to invoke an emotional response from the target audience: one which is not based on critical thinking. Terror bombing is so morally offensive to its victims that it has always been used as a propaganda tool by the government. The greatest success of the ‘myth of the Blitz’ was the […]
The critical timeframe between the bombing of Hiroshima and the surrender of Japan has been largely ignored by historians. Sadao Asada’s essay, The Shock of the Atomic Bomb and Japan’s Decision to Surrender – A Reconsideration is a well-reasoned, critical exploration of the true factors which led to Japan’s surrender to the allies in August, […]
‘Colion Noir’ is the latest weapon to be deployed in The National Rifle Association’s ongoing battle to win over minorities to their maniacal cause. Noir has become a YouTube sensation – and a darling of the NRA – because supposedly he is a young black man who opposes even the most common-sense gun control laws. […]
I never understood the arguments against gay marriage. What’s the big deal? My wife and I will be married thirty-two years in October and we both agree that anyone crazy enough to want to get married in this day and age should be allowed to do so. Why should gays be denied the misery of […]
The Comstock Law, passed in the United States in 1873, was part of an ongoing – to this day! – campaign to legislate public morality in the United States. The Comstock Law was initially meant to stop the trade in “obscene literature” and “immoral articles,” particularly through the mail. It was named after Anthony Comstock, […]
King Henry VIII was the first Monarch to take legal action to control the press in pre-Enlightenment England. His methods were simple enough: he required all printers to pay licensing fees in order to be allowed to print anything. This concept became known as ‘prior restraint’: preventing the distribution of controversial materials before they are even […]
Mad Men is a perfect example of a serialized historical melodrama that permits viewers to re-evaluate the past. The show was created by Matthew Weiner, a co-writer and producer of The Sopranos, in 1999. Mad Men arguably tells us less about the 1960s than it does about the current desire for collective nostalgia for the […]
Effective celebrity activists use their fame and fortune to bring attention to important issues and to give credibility to legitimate representatives of social movements. Internationally-known celebrities can help expose and highlight problems which would normally get little or no news coverage without their involvement. But does celebrity involvement really make any difference in what people […]
Recreational drug use is a part of life. Experimentation with illicit substances can be very enlightening or it can be incredibly destructive, depending on the circumstances – and the individual. Like most things, moderation is a key component to leading a healthy, normal life. Adults should be able to make their own decisions regarding what […]
(Caution: italics ahead!): From the school playground to the presidential election, the art of a truly fine insult is a universally accepted cultural tradition with a long, inglorious history. The most effective insults use irony, metaphor and personification tropes – along with humor – as a way to attack their opponents’ character, and to frame […]
