American foreign policy's use of propaganda
Propaganda:Its use by American foreign policy
The United States has utilized propaganda tactics consecutively throughout its
history, mainly within periods of international crisis. As far back as revolutionary times,
Americans have shown to have a clever grasp pertaining to the usefulness
propaganda has as a tool for foreign policy. “ The total wars of the early twentieth
century led the U.S government to employ propaganda on a massive scale as an
accessory to military operations…” (Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy 2002)
though the Cold War instilled propaganda as a core component of America’s foreign
policy. But, what is American foreign policy?
Foreign policy itself is, “The policy of a sovereign state in its interaction with
other sovereign states.” () Now, the main component of foreign policy is the display of
its own nation’s interests. For that, the foreign policy must defend and even promote
said nation’s interests among other nations. Thus foreign policy may use various tools
among that of propaganda. From what we initially know of propaganda, we may see
the use of such a tool as deemed for the use of a totalitarian government. But America
has employed numerous euphemisms for their propaganda in order to set apart itself
from some wicked implications. So this begs the question, exactly what is propaganda?
Propaganda, as the Merriam Webster dictionary may put it, is the “ideas or
statements that are often false or exaggerated and that are spread in order to help a
cause, a political leader, a government, etc.” It forgets to mention though the three
types of propaganda, Logos - which is propaganda based on sole facts and evidence,
Pathos - which targets individuals feelings based on imagery or written illustration, and
Ethos - a way to promote or denounce a cause, interest, person etc. based on
credibility. These types can be manipulated and mixed in order to have its viewers not
The United States has utilized propaganda tactics consecutively throughout its
history, mainly within periods of international crisis. As far back as revolutionary times,
Americans have shown to have a clever grasp pertaining to the usefulness
propaganda has as a tool for foreign policy. “ The total wars of the early twentieth
century led the U.S government to employ propaganda on a massive scale as an
accessory to military operations…” (Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy 2002)
though the Cold War instilled propaganda as a core component of America’s foreign
policy. But, what is American foreign policy?
Foreign policy itself is, “The policy of a sovereign state in its interaction with
other sovereign states.” () Now, the main component of foreign policy is the display of
its own nation’s interests. For that, the foreign policy must defend and even promote
said nation’s interests among other nations. Thus foreign policy may use various tools
among that of propaganda. From what we initially know of propaganda, we may see
the use of such a tool as deemed for the use of a totalitarian government. But America
has employed numerous euphemisms for their propaganda in order to set apart itself
from some wicked implications. So this begs the question, exactly what is propaganda?
Propaganda, as the Merriam Webster dictionary may put it, is the “ideas or
statements that are often false or exaggerated and that are spread in order to help a
cause, a political leader, a government, etc.” It forgets to mention though the three
types of propaganda, Logos - which is propaganda based on sole facts and evidence,
Pathos - which targets individuals feelings based on imagery or written illustration, and
Ethos - a way to promote or denounce a cause, interest, person etc. based on
credibility. These types can be manipulated and mixed in order to have its viewers not