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...the point of public relations slogans like 'Support Our Troops' is that they don't mean anything [...] that's the whole point of good propaganda. You want to create a slogan that nobody is gonna be against and I suppose everybody will be for, because nobody knows what it means, because it doesn't mean anything. But its crucial value is that it diverts your attention from a question that does mean something, do you support our policy? And that's the one you're not allowed to talk about.

Noam Chomsky#50

PoliticsPolicyMediaPropagandaDebateAttentionCommunication

About this quote

What does it mean?
Vague slogans like 'Support Our Troops' distract from questioning specific policies by appearing universally acceptable.
In plain terms
Empty slogans stop you from asking if you support the actual war plans or just the people.
What can you take from it?
Ambiguous slogans prevent critical debate about specific government actions.

Where it applies

  • political discourse
  • media campaigns
  • public opinion

Putting it to work

  • critical questioning
  • policy debate
  • media analysis

Questions to consider

  • What questions do slogans avoid?
  • How do vague phrases influence opinion?

Another view

Some slogans build genuine solidarity even if they lack precise policy meaning.

More from Noam Chomsky

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  3. As early as World War I, American historians offered themselves to President Woodrow Wilson to carry out a task they called 'historical engineering,' by which …

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