Design is Dangerous: Propaganda

Vivid images come to mind at the mention of the word, "propaganda".

Visual propaganda is a form of communication that aims to inspire a community towards some action or unified goal. It is advertisement, but most of the information is selectively presented and in most cases may not be entirely true. They are often used during wartime to alter the viewers beliefs about a subject to serve a political agenda. Keep in mind that good, or neutral propaganda have no negative connotations to it and were originally used to encourage civilian participation in the community.

Propaganda has the power to install fear, hate, and anger. It can drive an entire society towards war based on the loaded message presented.

The image on the left is a World War 2 propaganda post card that shows the three Axis powers; Germany, Japan, and Italy (NSW Migration Heritage Centre). The three nations are represented by a samurai flinging a sword upon the submarine ships of the Allied nations. The heavy use of red on the Axial figures contrast with the grey and brown haze of the Allies,  implying blood, war, rage, and anarchy amongst viewers. This message of this image is very black and white; the Axial are the evil enemies and the good Allies must fight them. There are no grey areas or room to know the truth behind the message.

Historically speaking, it is true that defeating the Axial powers saved the world. But looking at these propaganda posters now, we can clearly see that they were racist, biased to the extreme, and misleading. They merely create a hateful image that viewers can rely upon when justifying their cause for war against the "enemy". Also keep in mind that war is often a "rich man`s war and a poor man`s fight". One cannot help but wonder if the creators of these posters ever considered the lives of the civilians affected.

How would American society have reacted then had they seen the images from Hiroshima after the bomb had been dropped? How would they have reacted had they learned of the number of innocent children, teachers, artisans, and laborers who died instantaneously, slowly and painfully, or over time from leukemia? The bomb decimated an entire city and indiscriminately murdered a population.

The dangers of such propaganda is that it can create powerful emotions and motivations amongst its viewers that prevents them from thinking about the consequences of their actions. People can become blinded by their pursuit for justice or some form of goal that they lose sight of other important factors such as the value of human life. Society can forget that pain, suffering, and death is universal.