On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, the conversation takes a deep dive into the complex and sensitive situation in Gaza, Palestine, Israel, and the broader Middle East, and how our perception here in America is being warped by misinformation from different sides.
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A Feeling of Déjà Vu for America
On the evening of Feb. 20, 1939, the marquee of Madison Square Garden was lit up for the big event: “Pro American Rally.” But it was the farthest thing from being American as can be. Uniformed members of pro-Hitler group The German American Bund carried American and nazi flags.
That being said, In the last week of December 1942, fifty leading German-Americans (including baseball legend Babe Ruth) signed a declaration condemning nazis which appeared in ten major American daily newspapers. Ultimately, American patriots stopped the American nazis.
Looking at the events this week at Columbia, MIT, NYU, and other elite US schools, they mirror much of the hate, horror and scale of The German American Bund. While some were there to genuinely support the civilians trapped in the ongoing conflict, there were others that openly supported Hamas’ extremist actions. It was very ironic to see banners about women and LGBT+ groups support, when they are the most oppressed in the world that these people envision.
What’s even worse is that there were reasons to suspect that these protests were sponsored by people who don’t want to get their own hands dirty.
(Mis)Information is Rampant
One of the downsides of our technological boom is the ease of access to information. Unfortunately, ease of access does not always mean a smart populace.
As information is shared from peer to peer, information gets distorted, if not outright manipulated to suit their agendas, that sometimes the victim comes out on the other end as the one being ganged on, instead of the oppressor.
This particularly true with social media sites, who has become the de-facto source of information for the younger generation. There was even a brief period where young people were lauding a speech that Bin Laden made to justify 9/11. Never mind the atrocities he and his jihadist group committed in the US and international stage, he made a great speech! Totally justified.
Call to Arms
Nazis have attacked America from within before. American patriots stopped them. The only question now is, will you and I empower radical jihadists nazis?
Or will we stop them, like our ancestors did 78 years ago?
To hear more of Christopher Lochhead’s points on the matter, download and listen to this episode.
Bio
Christopher Lochhead
Links
WSJ Article on the Anti-Israel Protesters
The World’s Record Holder for Executing Women Has Executed Three Women in Three Days
This Is Ahmad. He Was Queer In Palestine.
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