10 Commandments of War Propaganda, How They've Been Applied by NATO Media to Sway Public Opinion

Nearly a century ago, a British diplomat who had observed firsthand the creation of anti-German information in British government offices, described the counterfeiting procedures at work during the First World War.

Scenes from the first world war/Wikipedia.

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Arthur Ponsonby in his book, Falsehoods in War-Time, explains the basic mechanisms of wartime propaganda. However, these principles are not about the First World War—they were applied in all open conflicts, and also in the Cold War. They form the basis of the information war which is essential, more so today than in yesteryears, to win public opinion to a cause.

Ponsonby’s 10 Commandments

The principles identified by Ponsonby can be easily stated as ten “commandments.” Let's see how each of them and to what extent they have been applied by NATO’s propaganda services.

In Brief -

1. We do not want war
2. The other side is solely responsible for the war
3. The enemy has the face of the devil (or in the order of “ugly”)
4. The real aims of the war must be masked under noble causes
5. The enemy knowingly commits atrocities. If we commit blunders, they are unintentional
6. We suffer very few losses. The enemy’s losses are enormous
7. Our cause is sacred
8. Artists and intellectuals support our cause
9. The enemy uses illegal weapons
10. Those who question our propaganda are traitors

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