‘The Grit of Our Forefathers'

The Shorter Oxford Dictionary defines propaganda as ‘any association, systematic scheme, or concerted movement for the propagation of a particular doctrine or practice’. ² Lasswell placed the emphasis elsewhere, describing it as ‘the technique of influencing human action by the manipulation of representations’. ³ As far as they go, both are useful and complementary definitions. However, the Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences provides a fuller interpretation of the word which more exactly fits the actions of the propagandists I will shortly consider, when it argues that ‘propaganda is the relatively deliberate manipulation by means of symbols (words, gestures, flags, images, monuments, music, etc.), of other people’s thoughts or actions with respect to beliefs, values and behaviours which these people … regard as controversial’. ⁴