PM Modi Should Control Clumsy Propagandists Lest They Do More Harm

Clearly, how a politician weaves propaganda and punishment into his strategy creates the fourth “P”: “perception”.

All politicians, without exception, use propaganda and punishment as a double-edged knife to wound their opponents. So, it’s not a question of “when” or “if” but “how” these instruments are used, since that determines the character, temperament, and longevity of a leader or his regime.

I reckon Adolf Hitler, who used both levers viciously, from vengeful murders to Goebbelsian untruths, is at an extreme end of the spectrum. No wonder he met a vicious end. At the opposite end are leaders like Nelson Mandela, who were calm, subtle, and moderate in deploying propaganda/punishment. Small wonder that Mandela enjoys near immortality.

(Too caught up to read? Listen to it instead.)