[Review] Albrecht Müller - Believe little, Question everything, Think for yourself - The Methods of Manipulation 2020-02-01

Albrecht Müller (SPD) was born in Heidelberg in 1938, he is a graduate in economics, author, publicist and still a member of the SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands/Social Democratic Party of Germany). In 1972 Müller (SPD) led the election campaign for Chancellor Willy Brandt (SPD) who was in office from 1969 to 1974. From 1972, Müller (SPD) headed the planning department under Willy Brandt (SPD) and Helmut Schmidt (SPD). Between 1987 and 1994 Müller (SPD) was also a member of the German Bundestag. [1] [2]

Democracy is often used synonymously with self-determination. In fact the intersection depends on the degree of manufacturing of consent and the external influence on the public debate. As a result political decisions are made under the influence of individual interest groups. And Müller (SPD) has made it his goal to uncover the manufacturing of consent he diagnosed through the media, politicians and political parties. For this Müller (SPD) wrote this and other books and has co-initiated the NachDenkSeiten blog and writes there regularly. [1] [2]

Müller (SPD) assumes that many or even most political decisions are made under the influence of massive manufacturing of consent. For this Müller (SPD) describes the way in which this manufacturing of consent is carried out. In addition Müller (SPD) describes many small examples in every way as well as further detailed examples.

1. " Language Arrangements "
   Language arrangements serve to influence the public debate through targeted language arrangements for the benefit of one's own agenda. Examples of this are the designation of democracies as dictatorships or vice versa or one-sided considerations like we are doing well, the labor market is too inflexible or wages or ancillary wages are too high.
2. " Manipulation using constantly used and loaded terms "
   Instead of just saying what is one can also use positive or negative loaded terms. Examples of positive loaded terms are reform, western community of values (westliche Wertegemeinschaft), export surpluses, black zero (schwarze Null, meaning no new debt) or humanitarian wars. And examples of terms with negative connotations are populist, reformitis or cross-front.
3. " Tell stories in abbreviated form "
   Also if only the truth is reported manufacturing of consent can occur by omitting parts of the story. Examples include the confrontation with Russia, which also precedes NATO's eastward expansion, the crisis in Ukraine, which is also preceded by an unconstitutional change of government and the war in Syria, which is preceded by the arming and training of opponents to the government by the West as part of Operation Timber Sycamore.
4. " Conceal "
   Instead of leaving out only parts of the story entire stories can simply be kept secret. It is the increase of telling stories in abbreviated form. Examples of this are the privatization of GDR (German Democratic Republic/East German State) companies by the Treuhandanstalt (Treuhand/trust fund) or the secret armies of NATO under the names Operation Stay-behind (general) and Operation Gladio (Italy) which is why Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti resigned in October 1990.
5. " Repeat - Constant Drip hollows the Stone "
   In order to propagate untruths or half-truths one can simply repeat them as often and loudly until they are believed. Examples for this are that demographic change and globalization are the two major challenges of our time, that only Russia is to blame for the current East-West conflict or that we are doing well.
6. " Overexaggerate - Something will get stuck "
   To underline one's own message one can simply exaggerate. Examples of this are that even before the Warsaw Pact was dissolved, the SPD was Moscow's fifth column, during the debate on the NATO Double-Track Decision that the pacifism of the 1930s made Auschwitz possible and after the financial crisis the then Federal Minister of Economics Rainer Brüderle (FDP ) spoke that the crisis was just overcome well but overcome in a new economic miracle.
7. " Send the same Message from different Corners "
   The way in which statements are received always depends on the attitude of the lecturer. Opposition can therefore be avoided by sending the same message from different corners and also from the designated opposition. This happened for example through the liberalization of the labor market as a result of Agenda 2010 and participation in the Yugoslavian war by the government of none other then the SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands/Social Democratic Party of Germany) and The Greens.
8. " Everyone in the group agrees. Then it has to be right. "
   Instead of just having many people represent the same message entire groups can represent the same message. It is the increase in sending the same message from different corners. This happens especially in talk shows of German public broadcasting.
9. " The Seesaw Swing Effect (Wippschaukeleffekt) "
   With the seesaw swing effect (Wippschaukeleffekt) the author describes a type of reinterpretation of how individual people or positions are promoted by attacking the opposite people or positions. This behavior distracts from other things and shifts the political middle between left and right, conservative and progressivism and others.
   So instead of saying something good about one side something bad is said about the opposite side. An example of this is how the incumbent President of the United States Donald Trump (R) is badly spoken and written about although he is less inclined to wage war than his predecessors George W. Bush (R) or Barack Obama (D).
   Alternatively people or positions can be moved more or less into a political spectrum. An example of this is how the CDU/CSU is described as social democratized even though the Agenda 2010 or the Riester pension were never abandoned and the standard of living of the lower and middle income groups stagnate or even dropped. This also suggests that this economic policy is already or sufficiently social democratic.
10. " Use Surveys to manufacture Consent "
    Surveys can be used to either mobilize, slow down or deceive the electorate. Müller (SPD) describes how it was debated in 1985 whether a more positiv poll should be published before the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia to create a pull-in effect or a more negative poll to generate more pressure for the election campaign under the SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands/Social Democratic Party of Germany). And before the state elections in Saxony and Brandenburg surveys were published that predicted poor results. After the elections the losses of the SPD and CDU/CSU appeared smaller.
11. " Say B and mean A "
    Another kind of reinterpretation is to claim that a person or position is not be really bad, but is only misunderstood. Examples of this are that the work of the SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands/Social Democratic Party of Germany) or Agenda 2010 are not really bad but are only misunderstood.
12. " Establish or use NGOs "
    A covert and non-transparent form of manufacturing of consent is to use NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) for ones own agenda or even to found them. It is essentially an appeal to Authority or argument from authority. As an example of this Müller (SPD) mentions that the US government has supported NGOs before the unconstitutional change of government in Ukraine with 5 billion US-Dollar. Another example but not mentioned in the book is how the INSM (Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft/Initiative New Social Market Economy) was first founded by employers' organizations and was then involved in Agenda 2010.
13. " A Collection of hints makes the half-truths true "
    With this point Müller (SPD) describes not one but a combination of methods of manipulation to a common goal. As an example Müller (SPD) cites the manipulation of the current east-west conflict such as the reunification of Crimea with Russia, the shooting down of the MH17 or the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.
    See:
    Transatlantic Lobbies
14. " Experts help - to manipulate "
    In addition to controlling or even founding NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) for one's own agenda the appeal to experts are also explained. In essence it is an appeal to Authority or argument from authority. An example of this approach is the introduction of the Riester pension and how Bert Rürup, Bernd Raffelhüschen and Meinhard Miegel helped and acted as experts.
15. " Link Names and use them to rate Individuals "
    In order to equate people or positions with others or to let the negative opinion rub off on others they can be equated. Müller (SPD) explicitly mentions the equation of Donald Trump (R), Recep Erdogan (AKP) and Vladimir Putin by book authors, journalists and moderators.
16. " Targeted use of Emotions "
    Instead of convincing with arguments one can simply appeal to emotions. Müller (SPD) mentions for this how the current east-west conflict is commenced with fear and the Agenda 2010 was commenced with the fear of a macroeconomic downturn.
17. " Use and stage Conflicts to express Opinions "
    With this point Müller (SPD) describes not one but a combination of methods of manipulation to a common goal. As an example Müller (SPD) again mentions the manipulation in the current east-west conflict. The US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell has threatened with a troop withdrawal and this was probably never meant seriously.
    See:
    Transatlantic Lobbies

[1,p.21-61] With many different examples from domestic, foreign and economic policy on around 150 pages the book offers great benefits with a short reading time. The outlined methods of manipulation are all understandable and illustrated with examples. The book also helps to understand current and future manufacturing of consent.

[1] Albrecht Müller - Believe little, question everyone, think for yourself - How to see through manipulations - ISBN 978-3864892189
[2] NachDenkSeiten
https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/