Before social media businesses — apparently using sophisticated algorithms, artificial intelligence and other high tech tools — could influence our thoughts and behavior, newsletter writers and publishers, in a much simpler way, were trying their hand at mind control. By simply underlining key words and phrases in articles, and, sometimes, putting them in bold type, as well.
Does this old tactic explain former President Trump’s penchant for tweeting certain words and phrases in all-cap letters?
Speaking of words, the other day, in the Daily Post, I mentioned two of them that, somehow, streamed into my consciousness — the words, ‘With words.’
Featured in the article were people in the public eye, whose memorable, impactful words probably would have been in bold type and underlined, had they been in newsletter stories, years ago.
Some impactful, troubling words were featured the other day in the Vox news website. Words suggesting that one of our nation’s major political parties “is permeated with anti-democratic political attitudes and agendas.” And that “the prospects for rescuing” this particular party, “at least in the short term, look grim indeed.”
A number of charts, with statistics and graphs, were in the article, and the heading for one of the charts was “Today’s Republicans really hate Democrats — and democracy.” There were even more sobering words, describing the Republican Party as “an extreme outlier compared to mainstream conservative parties” in various other democracies, such as Canada and Germany, for example.
The article had other impactful, troubling words. These words, for example…
When you believe the opposing party to be an enemy, the costs of letting them win become too high, and anti-democratic behavior – rigging the game in your favor, even outright violence – starts to become thinkable.
I’ve always respected conservative Republican thinking, with regard to big government, states’ rights and spending. Years ago, I even received a very nice message, about an article I’d written, from a member of a well-known Republican senator’s family. The senator was a top conservative, at the time.
But weighing in on the Grand Old Party, at these moments in time, with a few words, what can one say?
GOD HELP!… Perhaps?