Knightmare
Coach
- Messages
- 10,716
As I sat down and waited for the computer to boot up, I picked up this textbook on WW1 that my sister is studying for her exams. I opened to a section discussing how the British used propaganda during the war, and as I read, was amazed at how much of it is similar to what the AFL are doing, 90 years later. The rules of British/ AFL propaganda are laid out in dot point:
. Propaganda uses stereotypes. Germans are like any other people. There are kind, gentle Germans and there are brutes; some are intelligent, some are stupid; some are compassionate, some insensitive. However, propaganda can never allow this reality to be considered. According to the propaganda all Germans are savage barbarians who rape women, murder priests and throw babies into the air for bayonet practise. Rudyard Kipling,a popular British writer of the time, said that the world contained human beings and Germans.
In the wider spectrum, NRL players are like any other cross-section of men. Many of them are respectful towards members of the general public, however some are arrogant and boorish too. Many (like Preston Campbell and Nathan Hindmarsh) do a great amount of community work during the week. However, AFL propaganda doesn't want potential fans in Victoria or the southern states to ever think this reality exists. According to them, all Rugby League players are neckless cavemen who binge drink every night of the week, assault young, innocent women and get into bar fights. If an AFL player is found guilty of such acts it is problem reflected in general society. But if a Rugby League player does the same (or even less) it is just more 'proof' that the whole culture of the game is a "culture to despise."
. Proper names should not be used. Our brave lads are not fighting Germans. They are fighting 'Huns', 'the Boche' or 'the enemy'. Germans are people, 'Huns' are not and such labels make more effective cartoon caricatures. It also makes it easier to kill them.
The code which is "In a League of its' own" is not fighting a game followed or played by normal people. It is fighting a game played only by alcoholic cavemen and uncultured bogans who only follow the NRL because it is what they have been brought up on. The only reason they haven't embraced the AFL is because they have never watched a game. If/ when they do, they will be converted for life. This is why the AFL must have teams in Western Sydney and on the Gold Coast, to educate these philistines who are still in the dark ages.
. Propagandists are selective in their use of material. This is where censorship comes in. Propaganda avoids referring to information that does not fit the required picture. For example, British propagandists would never refer to incidents where enemy soldiers helped wounded "Tommies". Defeats have to be ignored or minimised, and victories played up.
The AFL, with the Melbourne media in its' pocket, plays Colonel Klink to any goings on that run against the self- propogating idea that the AFL is a code which is played clean and fair on the field, with no tolerance for thuggery, while off field is played by upstanding men who know how to treat women and aren't taken by drug or alcohol abuse like their NRL counterparts. The Melbourne media only gives the NRL wide-spread coverage if Nate Myles drops a brick in a hotel corridor or Big Game allegedly hits his missus. They never give mention to the Hazem El Masri's of this world. Conversely, Michael O 'Loughlin is a hero whose name was never linked to the rape of a yong woman in a park. Albert Proud is just a fringe grader for the Brisbane Lions, nothing more. And that ex- Carlton CEO is an idiot for suggesting that hush money was paid to rape victims during his time in charge there. Who does he think he is, The Police? That sort of thing only ever happens in thugby league!
. Propaganda frequently lies. Victories can be concocted and German atrocities invented.
The Swans holding a women's gala dinner means that the AFL as a whole, is a code which knows how to treat women. Matthew Johns being involved in an extra-marital, but consensual, affair with a groupie 7 years ago with some of his team-mates, means that the NRL is a "code of silence" with a seedy underbelly to it, a game still watched and run by male chauvinists who think that the only role women should play in the NRL are as cheerleaders or groupies.
. Effective propaganda is repetitive, according to Adolf Hitler, germany's leader in World War 2. He made the point that the bigger the lie and the more frequently it is repeated, the more likely it will be believed. If the British press repeatedly print stories of German atrocities against British people, these stories will gradually seep into the consciousness of the British people and be accepted as fact. The fact that they probably did not happen is not relevant.
"The NRL is a culture of binge drinking, drug abuse, harrassment of women and cover-ups. Similar incidents in the AFL are isolated ones and just a problem in general society. The Storm aren't shown live in Melbourne because nobody would want to watch them anyway. The Swans and the Lions are shown live into the northern states because everyone follows them up there. More and more kids in the northern states are taking up Aussie Rules, which is why there are more Auskick programs and why we must put teams in Western Sydney and the Gold Coast to meet huge demand. AFL get bigger crowds which is proof that way more people in Australia follow AFL than NRL. We have a team in every capital city, which is proof that we are the only truly Australian code. All we have to do is put a team in a Rugby League stronghold and people will instantly see what a better game we have and convert. After that, we can expland to places like the USA, England and Brazil where people will be converted from American Football and soccer to follow our game, because our code is in a League of it's own!"
Repeat the above enough times constantly in the print and television media and the results can be seen on places like Bigfooty...
. Propaganda makes strong assertions. These assertions do not need to be proven or backed up with evidence. It helps if they can be backed up with the appeal to authority, for example 'General Staff sources state that...', 'Eyewitnesses have told authorities that...' or 'Priests have confirmed that...'.
Assertions made about the NRL don't need to be proven or backed up with evidence. If they give the impression of being backed up by a valid authority, that is good enough. eg "Noreen has lived in Rugby League heartland for 25 years....." "Patrons and members of the public during Mad Monday reported....." or the old favorite of the likes of Rebecca Wilson: "NRL insiders claim that...."
In short, the AFL propaganda machine is nothing new. It certainly isn't the first time lies and half-truths have been invented about "the enemy".
. Propaganda uses stereotypes. Germans are like any other people. There are kind, gentle Germans and there are brutes; some are intelligent, some are stupid; some are compassionate, some insensitive. However, propaganda can never allow this reality to be considered. According to the propaganda all Germans are savage barbarians who rape women, murder priests and throw babies into the air for bayonet practise. Rudyard Kipling,a popular British writer of the time, said that the world contained human beings and Germans.
In the wider spectrum, NRL players are like any other cross-section of men. Many of them are respectful towards members of the general public, however some are arrogant and boorish too. Many (like Preston Campbell and Nathan Hindmarsh) do a great amount of community work during the week. However, AFL propaganda doesn't want potential fans in Victoria or the southern states to ever think this reality exists. According to them, all Rugby League players are neckless cavemen who binge drink every night of the week, assault young, innocent women and get into bar fights. If an AFL player is found guilty of such acts it is problem reflected in general society. But if a Rugby League player does the same (or even less) it is just more 'proof' that the whole culture of the game is a "culture to despise."
. Proper names should not be used. Our brave lads are not fighting Germans. They are fighting 'Huns', 'the Boche' or 'the enemy'. Germans are people, 'Huns' are not and such labels make more effective cartoon caricatures. It also makes it easier to kill them.
The code which is "In a League of its' own" is not fighting a game followed or played by normal people. It is fighting a game played only by alcoholic cavemen and uncultured bogans who only follow the NRL because it is what they have been brought up on. The only reason they haven't embraced the AFL is because they have never watched a game. If/ when they do, they will be converted for life. This is why the AFL must have teams in Western Sydney and on the Gold Coast, to educate these philistines who are still in the dark ages.
. Propagandists are selective in their use of material. This is where censorship comes in. Propaganda avoids referring to information that does not fit the required picture. For example, British propagandists would never refer to incidents where enemy soldiers helped wounded "Tommies". Defeats have to be ignored or minimised, and victories played up.
The AFL, with the Melbourne media in its' pocket, plays Colonel Klink to any goings on that run against the self- propogating idea that the AFL is a code which is played clean and fair on the field, with no tolerance for thuggery, while off field is played by upstanding men who know how to treat women and aren't taken by drug or alcohol abuse like their NRL counterparts. The Melbourne media only gives the NRL wide-spread coverage if Nate Myles drops a brick in a hotel corridor or Big Game allegedly hits his missus. They never give mention to the Hazem El Masri's of this world. Conversely, Michael O 'Loughlin is a hero whose name was never linked to the rape of a yong woman in a park. Albert Proud is just a fringe grader for the Brisbane Lions, nothing more. And that ex- Carlton CEO is an idiot for suggesting that hush money was paid to rape victims during his time in charge there. Who does he think he is, The Police? That sort of thing only ever happens in thugby league!
. Propaganda frequently lies. Victories can be concocted and German atrocities invented.
The Swans holding a women's gala dinner means that the AFL as a whole, is a code which knows how to treat women. Matthew Johns being involved in an extra-marital, but consensual, affair with a groupie 7 years ago with some of his team-mates, means that the NRL is a "code of silence" with a seedy underbelly to it, a game still watched and run by male chauvinists who think that the only role women should play in the NRL are as cheerleaders or groupies.
. Effective propaganda is repetitive, according to Adolf Hitler, germany's leader in World War 2. He made the point that the bigger the lie and the more frequently it is repeated, the more likely it will be believed. If the British press repeatedly print stories of German atrocities against British people, these stories will gradually seep into the consciousness of the British people and be accepted as fact. The fact that they probably did not happen is not relevant.
"The NRL is a culture of binge drinking, drug abuse, harrassment of women and cover-ups. Similar incidents in the AFL are isolated ones and just a problem in general society. The Storm aren't shown live in Melbourne because nobody would want to watch them anyway. The Swans and the Lions are shown live into the northern states because everyone follows them up there. More and more kids in the northern states are taking up Aussie Rules, which is why there are more Auskick programs and why we must put teams in Western Sydney and the Gold Coast to meet huge demand. AFL get bigger crowds which is proof that way more people in Australia follow AFL than NRL. We have a team in every capital city, which is proof that we are the only truly Australian code. All we have to do is put a team in a Rugby League stronghold and people will instantly see what a better game we have and convert. After that, we can expland to places like the USA, England and Brazil where people will be converted from American Football and soccer to follow our game, because our code is in a League of it's own!"
Repeat the above enough times constantly in the print and television media and the results can be seen on places like Bigfooty...
. Propaganda makes strong assertions. These assertions do not need to be proven or backed up with evidence. It helps if they can be backed up with the appeal to authority, for example 'General Staff sources state that...', 'Eyewitnesses have told authorities that...' or 'Priests have confirmed that...'.
Assertions made about the NRL don't need to be proven or backed up with evidence. If they give the impression of being backed up by a valid authority, that is good enough. eg "Noreen has lived in Rugby League heartland for 25 years....." "Patrons and members of the public during Mad Monday reported....." or the old favorite of the likes of Rebecca Wilson: "NRL insiders claim that...."
In short, the AFL propaganda machine is nothing new. It certainly isn't the first time lies and half-truths have been invented about "the enemy".
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