The Pursuit for JUSTICE.:The 'Enemy' Called PROPAGANDA!

Not long ago the vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr Mahamadu Bawumia gave a lecture on the state of the Ghanaian economy saying, the economy is on an unsustainable path with the highest budget deficit in Ghana's history. The economist and former deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana warned that poor economic management has consequences.

I got scared after reading this from the former deputy boss of the Bank of Ghana. More to worsen my fear is the fact that the nation is going through deep crisis on electricity, water, fuel and gas shortage.

However pondering over these crises with Dr Bawumia's warning on poor management of the economy has brought back insight I considered from the past. Whereas Dr Bawumia would want to relate this to poor management, I will like to contribute the state of Ghana's economic woes to the devil called 'propaganda'.

Both Cambridge and Oxford dictionaries defines propaganda as information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or view. There is no iota of doubt that this is what has characterized the governance of this country over the years. With the rate almost increasing every day from government in power to the opposition, I beg to ask where this nation is heading to.

An article by Professor Ralph D. Casey School of Journalism, University of Minnesota gave an account of Hitler's strategy of governance by propaganda. In the article Democratic vs Enemy Propaganda he said; Hitler and his partners in aggression are not the only experts in propaganda, however. The weapon of propaganda in the modern world must be parried and the blows returned by counter-propaganda. In the struggle for men's minds that is constantly being waged by propagandists there is, however, a fundamental difference between the propaganda of dictatorship and the propaganda of democracy.

Hitler himself, in Mein Kampf, laid down his rules for dictatorship. He stated the “principle of the whopping lie” and of the gullibility of the masses. If you are going to tell a lie, he said, and nobody doubts that he intended to, don't tell a little one, because it will be recognized as a lie. Tell the biggest and most unlikely lie you can think of, keep on telling it, and the people will think it must be the truth and believe it. “The greater the lie, the more effective it is as a weapon,” said the master of the alleged “master race.”

Moreover, he went on, don't be fooled into thinking that you have to sway the influential people—the leaders of opinion—to your side first. “Toward whom must propaganda be directed,” he asked, “toward the scientific intelligentsia or toward the uneducated masses?” His answer was, “It must always and exclusively be directed toward the masses. The teachability of the great masses is very limited, their understanding small, and their memory short.” In a word, he believes that it pays to take advantage of ignorance and that it is therefore best to keep the people ignorant.

Democracy is a different kind of system from the ground up. It is based on the people, and it works well in proportion as the people are enlightened and informed about what goes on both in peace and in war (though of course democratic people recognize the wisdom of some wartime censorship imposed for security reasons). This basic democratic principle was stated by President George Washington in his Farewell Address when he said, “In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should he enlightened.” To the degree that people are denied access to the facts and to a wide range of independent interpretations of the facts, democracy fails to function effectively.

These simple truths determine the underlying or governing principles of democratic propaganda. The Nazis blindfold their people against the truth. In exact opposition to the rules of Hitler, the democratic countries must present the truth in their propaganda. A free people will soon find out the truth in spite of official suppressions and distortions. And when propaganda has been revealed to be deceitful and distorted, it no longer is effective. Moreover, democratic propaganda must observe the right of the people to know the facts, however unpleasant they may be. The strategy of truth is not only in accord with the basic principles of democracy, but is also a hard-headed and realistic policy for effective dealing with allies, neutrals, and even enemies.

Nonetheless government has over the years come to accept the principles of propaganda in its administration. Government in its cleverness knows very well majority of Ghanaians are illiterate and cannot ascertain when the government is being truthful or being roguish. Limiting the citizens from getting the right and correct information about its dealings; provide rather sugar-coated information to the people.

One William Randolp Hearst of the Department of Journalism, Kansas University was asked to distinguish between legitimate publicity and propaganda. His answer was; "legitimate publicity is the spreading of truthful information, or facts, about any cause or condition which is of interest or importance to people generally, and not for the pecuniary or other advantage of the person spreading it whereas propaganda is the giving out (or hiring of) opinions, arguments, or pleas to induce people generally"

I believe the people of Ghana need to be given legitimate publicity and not the propaganda. I believe our founding fathers did not build this country on this evil called propaganda but rather truth. It took the truth, hard work and faithfulness of a certain group of leaders to set up all the social and economic intervention programmes this country is enjoying till now. However, managing these things by our current leaders has rather been poor.

I want to hit it hard on the NDC government because it is the ruling government and has not been truthful to Ghanaians for one bit. They cushioned themselves in the mighty arms of propaganda when they were in opposition, in power and when they wanted to be retained. They would rather play on the emotions and heart of the people to get what they want and when they are done they leave the people to suffer.

Government has been able to play propaganda with every sector of this economy. They give a sharp rebuttal to anyone who comes to question the state of the economy. Example the vice president Amissah Arthur was quick to respond to statement made by Dr Bawumia about the state of the economy. The vice president is telling Ghanaians there is nothing wrong with the economy of Ghana. Meanwhile, businesses are crying, industries are weeping and the citizens are wailing. Or is government not for the people and by the people?

We have a country that has been able to maintain single digit inflation close to a year but this claim is not materializing on the activities of the economy. Exchange rates are high, borrowing cost of this country is simply unprecedented, and the standard of living for the Ghanaian people is just unmentionable. So I ask, what is the government hiding from his people?

Till today, Ghanaians are still not aware of the cause of the death of late president Atta-Mills. NDC and the government played propaganda on the health status of late president Mills till they could not play it any longer on the mighty powers of death. Sometimes I ask, for how long can one be living with deceit.

There is a day coming where the people will understand and know the strategies of people seeking political power and those who have already gotten the power. When this is achieved, the people will no longer be deceived to sell their votes when there is election but will vote base on what the candidate can do. Ghanaians should wake up and demand accountability from the people they voted to lead them. Propaganda should not be the bedrock of power seeking and government. Political leaders should be held accountable to their own words.

One day a woman possessed with demons challenged some disciples of Jesus Christ saying; Jesus Christ I know, Peter I know but you, who are you? This is the same question I ask the NDC government, NPP's free maternal care I know, NHIS I know, MMT I know, School Feeding I know, Capitation Grant I know but NDC what do Ghanaians know you for?

God bless our home land Ghana. Yes we can!
By: Abraham Radson
http://[email protected]