Whosoever coined the word Propaganda was a genius. In the dictionaries, the word is described to mean information, ideas, or rumours deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution or nation.
In 1718 Pope Urban VIII had set up College of Propaganda for the education of priests for foreign missions. Earlier in 1622 Pope Gregory XV had set up a Committee of Cardinals to train the foreign missions in the art of Propaganda.
In the third decade of the last century when the founder of the National Socialist (Nazi) Party in Germany, Adolf Hitler was building his inner core group, a brilliant young man happened to meet him. His name was Joseph Goebbels.
An interesting conversation took place between them.
“You have great ideas Mr Hitler”, said Goebbels. “But your team is deficient in one area.”
“Which area?” Hitler looked at him irritatedly.
“Propaganda, “replied Goebbels coolly.” The future political wars are going to be fought with this weapon. You can destroy your enemy without firing a single bullet. Just make the world believe your enemy actually is what you want your enemy to be seen as.”
“Well Mr Goebbels you may be right,” Hitler said: “Do I surmise that you can do it for me?”
“I can make the sun rise from the West, if the need be”, replied Goebbels confidently.
“That I think is not possible Dr Goebbels”, said Hitler “But you have won my confidence. I welcome you in my party”.
Who doesn’t know the role Dr Goebbels played in the rise of the Nazi Party and the Third Reich? His ability to transform Truth into Falsehood and Falsehood into Truth has become proverbial.
Under Goebbels, the development of the Media in Germany was of monumental dimensions.
The broadcasting network of Nazi Germany was so extensive that the sound waves reached every corner of the world in every language.
Propaganda and Media are twins. With advertising as an added tool, it is a deadly mix.
It goes to the credit of Mian Nawaz Sharif that despite his modest cerebral strengths and ordinary educational background, he has been able to use the above-mentioned ‘Deadly Mix’ far more effectively and successfully than his adversaries.
His bombardment of advertising is so fierce and uninterrupted that even the most ‘suspecting’ minds eventually become vulnerable. I have met some PML (N) supporters who actually argue that the Sun has begun to rise from the West under the dynamic leadership of Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif.
His Rumour-spreading network is not any less effective. The latest masterpiece is the Field Marshal stunt. Another area in which his network excels is the trading of souls and consciences. Absar Alam, Abdul Malik, Irfan Siddiqui, Attaul Haque Qasmi, Mujeeb ur Rahman Shami, Salim Bukhari, Habib Akram, Javed Chaudhry and Salman Ghani etc are classical examples.
