joseph goebbels was hitler’s chief propagandist. In 1934, speaking of World War I, goebbels said this of his country’s enemies:
“The cleverest trick used in propaganda against Germany during the war was to accuse Germany of what our enemies themselves were doing. “
A version of goebbels’ comment – stated as a smart, effective way of attacking your opposition – has also been credited to the radical leftist saul alinksy.
But whoever said it, and however it was said, this strategy is often used, right up to the present…
…which may – may – include the following, pulled from Sudiksha Kochi’s article for USA Today:
House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., condemned Thanksgiving Day threats against Democratic lawmakers that ranged from “detailed threats of a pipe bomb placed in mailboxes to swatting” in a statement on Friday.
Multiple House Democrats from Connecticut, including Reps. Jahana Hayes, Jim Himes, and Joe Courtney, were the targets of bomb threats at their homes on Thursday.
“Thanks to the swift reaction from law enforcement, no devices were found and Members of Congress and their families were kept safe on the holiday,” Jeffries wrote.
Jeffries wrote that the threats against Democrats were signed with “MAGA” (Make America Great Again), the slogan for President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign.
The threats came a day after several of Trump’s cabinet nominees received similar bomb threats.
“America is a democracy. Threats of violence against elected officials are unacceptable, unconscionable and have no place in a civilized society. All perpetrators of political violence directed at any party must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Jeffries wrote.
Fascinating.
This past week a number of the people selected by President-designate Donald Trump were targeted exactly this way. The threats were credible enough for the FBI to actively start investigations. And, for the most part, mainstream media did not bury these ugly threats, but actually reported them.
And now, suddenly – we are told – the exact same thing happens to Democrats. Specifically, to a few Democrat politicians in Connecticut that no one ever heard of outside their district.
Absolutely nothing actually happened (e.g. no pipe bombs to check for fingerprints, no actual swatting events). But, remarkably, the alleged perpetrators somehow made good and sure to communicate they were “MAGA Republicans” so everyone would know that the attacks – which, again, did not take place – were on behalf of Donald Trump. Just like the ones made against his people; a point emphasized by Hakeem Jeffries.
Call me a hopeless cynic. But I have to tell you that this immediately raised my skepticism level through the ionosphere…and caused me to think of goebbels’/alinsky’s words.
How about you?
By the way, goebbels died on May 1, 1945, via suicide. I hope it was painful.
