Manipulating the Masses - Writers Forum

Creator · 09-13-2007, 05:24 AM

Before I start I must mentioned that I am not an extremist.

Ok, one of sagas I have been planning all this twelve years needs a good rewrite but then I encounter several problems and this one is most pressing...

Alpha Omega plotlines and events are sparked off not by the leaders of the world in this tale but rather by a single madman with a psychological wound that will make him do things that will change the world as we know into the Alpha Omega universe.

He in his hatred for a certain type of people, he has manipulated the masses via well I am stumped on this one.

But how does someone manipulate the masses especially if they are mostly reasonable and still have some ethics.

Basically I need a very "good' way to start the masses to do something that they should not have done once they are convinced to the dark side. I try not to look up too much on Adolf Hitler for fear of corruption.

I will post more details by tonite Singapore time

playstation60 · 09-13-2007, 12:33 PM

Up until I read the last paragraph I was going to tell you to research Adolf Hitler. He would be an excellent source for information. Another would be to research George W. Bush, in his ability to get himself re-elected to a second term, his ability to manipulate the international community to invade Iraq under the premise of WMDs, and upon finding none still not issue an apology for wrong intel.

But in terms of your story, I think that Hitler would be a good starting point.

wmd · 09-13-2007, 08:16 PM

The best way to manipulate the masses is with fear...

Mike C · 09-14-2007, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmd

The best way to manipulate the masses is with fear...

Or the perception of fear. Hitler exploited a situation where the people were willing to surrender rights in exchange for strong leadership and safety. Bush exploited a situation where the people were willing to surrender rights in exchange for strong leadership and safety.

Ooh, a parallel...

To extend this to a worldwide level, though... hmm, good luck.

lin · 09-14-2007, 01:35 AM

Fear and greed are very useful, sort of the usual stock in trade. The Mexican version of this is called "Plata o plomo"...you take the narcos' silver or you get the lead. That two pronged approach is hard to beat.

But I think there are more insidious ways to do it. One of the strongest would be to create love or exploit existing love. There are probably more dictators who could fill a plaza with weeping, cheering people who just love the shit out them than the creepy Idi Amin type. Hitler, for one.

Bin Laden and Khomeni for two more.

By coopt, I mean being in somebody they DO love. Evita Peron.

Religions...which we are starting to see can trump governments...tend to work this one.

So how about this...instead of the usual stuff, which got pretty well done with V for Vengence, how about going for the messiah route. He swings a marriage to an adored actress, engineers her towards a cult following. She has created miracles. He sweetness if genuine and she doesn't completely realize what it going on. This could fuel a complex, powerful dramatic engine.

Or you could just do the "scare them about some disease" thing again.

lin · 09-14-2007, 01:38 AM

Speaking of Mexico, the lesson from a one-party government there that permeates all levels of society is that it's better to buy people in than to repress them.

Americans generally fail to understand that sort of thing. Though Tamany Hall is the perfect example of the Big Machine. EVERYBODY is in on it and it's hard to even make much of a case for it being a bad thing.

Creator · 09-14-2007, 07:38 AM

OK... I got this villain sort out.... I just seen the movie Hitler the Rise of Evil and also read up on him and also researched some of my "personal enemies".

OK... Basically, this man called Selector is his own father due to the fact that the original man or father of this Selector fell in love in his youth. Sounds normal? but then he discovered his partner was once a man! And also "she" was infected by HIV still incurable by 202X.

He wanted to make sure his genes survive despite the HIV eating his body away slowly and wanted those carriers to suffer double the pain they have brought upon him....

But then the world still had reasoning power so I was thinking maybe the's villain chance came during a crisis. A pandemic might gave him the upper edge to get rid of those he despised.

Any questions?

Mike C · 09-14-2007, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lin

But I think there are more insidious ways to do it. One of the strongest would be to create love or exploit existing love.

I'd counter that with the thoughts of probably the most insightful statesman ever...

It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.

and

It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.

Niccolo Machiavelli

That guy understood power, and how to use it.

Hitler didn't rise to power because he was loved, but because he was ruthless. He became loved because he presented himself as a saviour from a worse alternative, and instead created enemies (jews, communists, etc) for the people to hate. In fact Stalin took the same route. To make the people love a dictator, they must first fear him.

Joe Moore · 09-14-2007, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Creator

A pandemic might gave him the upper edge to get rid of those he despised.

Pandemic is a pretty wide brushstroke. But if your character’s hate is that broad, then it might work. I would also look into the motivation of Islamic extremists. What motivates someone to blow themselves up to kill their perceived enemy? Even though their reason’s have not spread to the point that it has motivated the masses yet, it could shed some light on what you need to complete your character’s motivation. Also remember that unlike the Hitler era, today there are no boundaries and limitations on communication. For instance, we no longer rely on the members of the press to gather our news and bring it to us. Today, everyone is a news gatherer, and the means to get the news out or “motivate the masses” is as fast as clicking on YouTube. So the means to motivate are readily available. You just need the right spark to light the fire. It could be fear as WMD suggested or some other close-to-home issue. But it must be something that affects the individual, not the masses. As each individual becomes aware of the “fear”, the masses are born. Good luck.

Mike C · 09-14-2007, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lin

how about going for the messiah route.

Interesting, but would people accept a Messiah with a popsy?

Jesus (to disciples): Hey guys, this is that hooker Mary I've been telling you about, the one who gives great head... we're getting married!

They'd crucify him themselves.

The messianic angle was done really well in Neville Shute's No Highway.

The messiah came to an untimely and sticky end. As prophesied by Machiavelli again:

Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed.

because

Men shrink less from offending one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.

In all matters of government and skulduggery, Machiavelli can't be beat.

**Edit: And Peron proves my case - she was loved by the people, but hated (never feared) by those that held the real power in Argentina, which is why she was forced to withdraw from standing for Vice-President.

lin · 09-14-2007, 03:29 PM

Machiavelli never actually ran anything.

Had he BEEN a prince, I think he would have figured out that appealling to self-interest works much better than making people afraid.

The history of the world actually shows this, despite whatever cynical views sound cool. Brutal regimes fall away, governments and organizations that promote self-interest and buy it in survive and prosper.

Creator · 09-14-2007, 10:18 PM

Ah.... I know... maybe the villain actually targetted not just transsexuals, he also targeted those with STDs or even those with unnatural sexual orientations.

I just looked into the history of some of the worse STD nightmares ever. they all started out more or less with a person or a group or something. This guy might just emulate it! and then give a report with "some" editing to convince the masses laymen and professionals unlike and plus the desperation.... well you got yourself a STD Wars!!!!!

a small reminder I have little against them.

Prophetic Windbag · 09-17-2007, 04:34 AM

This is Hitler. If you want to do this, your going to have to get your hands dirty. Your going to have to "corrupt" yourself a little in order to bring this man alive. Have fun.

red lantern · 09-18-2007, 04:26 PM

wmd makes a great point, fear is one of the more fluid and consistent manipulators. Fear of the unknown, fear of the misunderstood, fear of the different-to-us all work wonders. If he plays on this motives the masses he will define this fear to them, they will begin to see it everywhere and they will believe he is the only one who can and will them. If you are a play station fan at the beginning of a game called 'Kill zone' the general of the invading army gives a very patriotic speech to motivate his troops to kill the population of thier old world, very emotive and clever.

Or as the venerable Bene Gesserit say: fear is the mind killer

Creator · 09-19-2007, 06:54 PM

How about desperation? In the case of my villain, the HLV he created could make the human race go extinct cause it's not just sexually transmittable and it turns the sufferer into a mindless sexual predator, it makes the sufferer infertile as long as he is infected.

And as the disease devastates the human population reducing it by 3/4 of what it is now. So my villain concocts the cure and gets himself rich....! he falsely also claimed that it was the GLBT population that caused the disease.