The Birth of Propaganda

“The Birth of Propaganda” is poetic adaptation of the essay “Propaganda in a Democratic Society,” by Aldous Huxley, which expresses his warnings about the manipulation of language by totalitarian governments and corporations. The original essay is interpreted as a poem, written and voiced by Jabez L. Van Cleef. From a review on Garageband.com by Nicolas Walls: “Well spoken… this is a piece that sounds like it was written in a different time. The voice is clear and punctuated very well. It sounds like an essay from a great thinker. Not sounds like…but is! This is too much information to receive in one sitting. I find my self bogged down in thought. I feel as if I would enjoy decompressing these expressed sentiments and writing an essay of my own based upon what I have interpreted here. It is a lot to absorb even on my second listen. But I am completely intrigued…Excellent work.” An excerpt from Part 5: “Society, most of whose members Spend most of their time sated, Not fully sentient, and bloated With sense impressions of all kinds, Awash in sweet irrelevance, Breathing a vicarious miasma Of sport, bare skin, soap opera, Mythology and fantasy, Will find it hard to resist The assertions and encroachments Of those who profit from their torpor, Creating soft catatonias, And so controlling their ideas.”