Propaganda: Distractions and Diversions

• Propaganda techniques exploit cognitive vulnerabilities in reasoning and judgment.

Distractions & Diversions

• These techniques cause a loss of focus by introducing irrelevant tangents or attacking unrelated points, diverting attention from the core issue.
• Ad hominem: Attacks the person making the argument rather than the argument itself, focusing on character or motive.
• Adding qualifiers: Uses extra words or phrases to make a response meaningless while leaving a desired impression.
• Minimization: Portrays an unwanted issue as trivial to divert attention to matters deemed more important.
• Muddying the waters: Introduces irrelevant information or complex reasoning to confuse a straightforward issue.
• Non sequitur: A response unrelated to previous statements.
• Poisoning the well: Discredits an opponent in advance to encourage dismissal of their future claims.
• Projection: Accuses an opponent of the same underhanded tactics one is guilty of.
• Red herring: Introduces irrelevant information to divert attention from the real issue.
• Whataboutism: Deflects criticism by accusing hypocrisy and shifting focus to others.

Anxiety & Doubt

• Techniques and fallacies instill doubt, heighten anxiety, and cloud judgment, prompting action based on heightened emotions or uncertainty.
• Appeal to ignorance: Suggests something is true because it hasn't been proven false, or vice versa.
• Appeal to pity: Portrays oneself as a victim to elicit sympathy, deflect criticism, and create a shared vulnerability.
• Appeal to tradition: Suggests that abandoning a long-standing practice will have detrimental implications.
• Dog whistle: Uses ambiguous messaging to stoke fears, anxieties, or prejudices against marginalized groups covertly.
• Fear mongering: Spreads exaggerated rumors or warnings about impending danger.
• FUD: Raises uncertainty and doubt without specifics or credible evidence.
• Innuendo: Implies something negative without stating it explicitly.
• Scapegoating: Assigns blame to a vulnerable target, often without justification.
• Slippery slope: Suggests that allowing a small action will lead to inevitable dire consequences.

Oversimplification

• These techniques exploit the desire for simple solutions, omitting nuances and details.
• False dichotomy: Creates the impression that only two opposing options exist, ignoring alternatives.
• False equivalence: Implies that two different things are essentially the same by focusing on superficial similarities.
• Glittering generalities: Uses vague, emotionally charged language without specifics.
• Labeling: Casts a person or group into a rigid stereotype and assigns attributes to that identity.
• Proof by anecdote: Makes broad generalizations based on isolated examples.
• Slogan: A brief, memorable phrase designed to evoke emotion and reinforce a message.

Transfer & Association

• Techniques manipulate perception by associating people, ideas, or values with positive or negative qualities, transferring those associations onto the target.
• Common folk: Connects with an audience by implying shared struggles and concerns.
• Dysphemism: Replaces neutral language with derogatory language to create a negative association.
• Euphemism: Replaces offensive language with more palatable language.
• Fault as virtue: Reframes a weakness as a strength by highlighting positive aspects.
• Guilt by association: Discredits an opponent by linking them to negatively viewed entities.
• Honor by association: Defends sacred cultural values to transfer respect onto oneself.
• Name-calling: Uses derogatory terms to create lasting negative associations.
• Virtue words: Uses emotionally appealing words aligned with the audience's values to elicit support.

Propaganda techniques like ad hominem, minimization, and red herring divert attention from the main issue. These tactics introduce irrelevant information or attacks to confuse the audience. By muddying the waters and poisoning the well, clear reasoning is obstructed.