Documentarian John Pilger writes:
What is modern propaganda? For many, it is the lies of a totalitarian state. In the 1970s, I met Leni Riefenstahl and asked her about her epic films that glorified the Nazis. Using revolutionary camera and lighting techniques, she produced a documentary form that mesmerized Germans; her Triumph of the Will cast Hitler's spell.
She told me that the "messages" of her films were dependent not on "orders from above" but on the "submissive void" of the German public. Did that include the liberal, educated bourgeoisie? "Everyone," she said.
Today, we prefer to believe that there is no submissive void. "Choice" is ubiquitous. Phones are "platforms" that launch every half-thought. There is Google from outer space if you need it. Caressed like rosary beads, the precious devices are borne heads-down, relentlessly monitored and prioritized. Their dominant theme is the self. Me. My needs. Riefenstahl's submissive void is today's digital slavery. [editor emphasis.]source
