I have always been perplexed about the ”herd-instinct” of the American people.  The most recent example of the ‘follow the crowd” mentality was the election of Barack Obama by the zombie brigade. Masses of people voted for him knowing nothing about his background except for they knew he would provide change.

Sorry, but it was a dumb presidential election…no thinking was involved whatsoever…just idol worship…kool-aid drinking.

Now we have millions of worshipers coming to Washington, DC for the 4-day inaugural proceedings. No rooms can be found, so people are renting out their homes and rooms in their homes. There are staging areas for buses that are at total capacity, such as RFK stadium.  And to top the dumbness off the DC council has voted to allow bars to remain open until 5 a.m. Why? Can’t they get enough drinking done by 11 pm…1a.m…2 a.m.?  I don’t get it!

Things are starting to make sense to me now though.  I have been doing some research on America as a consumer society and how materialism has taken over.  In this research I came across information concerning one of  the “fathers of Public Relations,” Edward Bernaise.

Bernaise (November 22, 1891 – March 9, 1995), nephew to Sigmund Freud, was one of the first to attempt to manipulate public opinion using the psychology of the subconscious. He felt this manipulation was necessary in a society, which he regarded as irrational and dangerous as a result of the 'herd instinct'.

He stated "If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it?”

In "This Business of Propaganda" (1928), his most important book, Bernaise argued that the manipulation of public opinion was a necessary part of democracy:

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ...In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”