Abstract

Article

It has become part of the mode of propaganda, which is easily facilitated through the unsophisticated media, to adopt an emotive title for something which has a hidden agenda.

Whn oe sees the words, Democratic, Human Rights, Patriotic, and their derivatives, it is necessary to take care, to investigate further.

Some 'Democratic Republics'are plainly not democratic.  The 'Democracy Protesters' in Hong Kong will certainly involve many adherents, or their childreen, of the Kuo Min Tang, the corrupt supporters of Chiang Kai Chek, who were driven from their shameful control of China and took refuge in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Unfortunately, this is not investigated by the media, who happily adopt the use of the  Many protestors in HK are very violent and destructive, and those who are not, and who rightly enjoy the right to peaceful protest, contaminate the just features of their cause by failing to reject and denoounce the violent ones.

Having regard to the violence of the 'democracy protestors', burning and smashing of property, attacking police, serious assaults on police and others, including twice trying to burn a policeman alive, one must wonder what form of democracy would come under their rule.  It cannot be said that the peaceful protestors would rule, for they do not renounce the violent ones, who would be very forceful if power could fall into their hands. While the government may have its detractions, it does not follow that its removal by the protests would lead to a better result.

'Human Rights' organisations consist of persons who elect themselves to be spokespersonson the subject, and claim the moral strength of the title while applying selection and bias.  The ABC and SBS often cite a 'Syrian Human Rights' organisation despite that a Google search would show that it is conducted by a single anti-Government activist in England.

Patriot' is a favourite title adopted but abused by extremeist far right activists who would probably be missing if it became necessary to defend the country against an armed enemy.  A great 'patriot who also claims to be the American President dodged the draft for the Vietnam war.

In some ways it is a pity to see worthy words malappropriated, but some of them have the disadvantage of being excessively emotive.

The cure is to avoid the deception of labels, and to demand access to greater scrutiny of those who employ them.