Propaganda and Errors of Faulty Logic

Propaganda is information of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. Most commonly it is found in political campaigns and is used during wars to convince people of what is right and wrong. A common type of propaganda is name-calling. This is one of the more immature types if you ask me. It consists of attaching a negative label to an opponent in order to make them appear less qualified than you or your cause. Examples of name-calling is shown on the third page: "A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a TYRANT is unfit to be ruler of free people" (Jefferson, 124). Jefferson claims the King is a tyrant, which may or may not be true, but either way puts the idea in people's head and sparks an idea. Another type is called glittering generalities. Yes. It is actually called 'glittering generalities'. Sad, I know. Another term used to describe it is 'glad-words'. Basically these are terms like fair and honest and best. They have a pretty empty meaning but are meant to make people feel good and comfortable with whatever person or cause that is using the propaganda. Some example are scattered through out the text. In the second paragraph, Jefferson says "...that all men are created equal..." (Jefferson, 122). This isn't quite a word, but more a phrase. Jefferson is saying what the people want to hear. It doesn't really matter if he believes it or not. He knows that people want freedom, and putting that bluntly will get people on his side. Glad-words come about again on page 124, "In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms" (Jefferson, 124). Here, the author uses happy and 'glad' terms (humbler) to builds himself up and make his side appear much greener, if you will, than his oppositions. On page one some serious propaganda begins to occur. As far as I can tell, it can be classified as card-stacking. Card-stacking is pretty much stacking the odds in your favor. This could either mean stacking up cards in your favor OR stacking up cards AGAINST your opponent. In this case, it is against the opponent. One page one Thomas Jefferson begins to shpeel all of the wrongs the King of England has committed against the colonists. A few examples: "He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodations of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them, and fomidable to tyrants only", "He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners, refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither (I love that he just used hither for real.), and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands", and "For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us; For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states;" (Jefferson, 123). So as you can see, Jefferson pretty thoroughly stacks up the odds against the King. He makes it so that he appears to be the good guy, and the King the bad. This is a method of focusing on the other persons bad so no one looks at your own flaws.
     Jefferson literally lists off all the wrongs the King has committed for about two solid pages.  This is good evidence that Jefferson had few errors of logic, if any.  A type of error of logic can a lot of times be when people argue for the sake of arguing.  They don't have good back up or even reasoning for arguing.  It can also be when people are talking just to evade the actual problem, they just talk to distract.  Here, Jefferson avoids both.  He has a very good cause and really believes in that cause.  He also gives very strong and very extensive back up.  He shows that he is not arguing from ignorance, but is very well informed on the topic. 
  



Work Cited:

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., Douglas Fisher, Beverly Ann. Chin, and Jacqueline Jones. Royster. "The Declaration of Independence." Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 120-24. Print.

"Recognizing Propaganda Techniques and Errors of Faulty Logic." Recognizing Propaganda Techniques and Errors of Faulty Logic. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2012. <http://orderofsaintpatrick.org/marx1/propaganda-tech.htm>.