Bingo Demagogue

The Neverendum Story

12 Logical, legal and democratically legitimate arguments against a second independence referendum.

Unlikely, Unsafe, Unprecedented & Unpopular. “An independent Scotland should consider joining the Euro if it becomes a member of the European Union, according to a leading expert.” Herald 17th Feb Kirsty Hughes proposal is: unlikely, unsafe, unprecedented and unpopular. Kirsty has stated elsewhere an Independent Scotland seeking to join the EU would need to goContinue reading “Eurotrash”

Textbook Disinformation

All Quiet on the SNP Front? In Scotland we see two, literally, textbook disinformation strategies from the Scottish National Party. The textbook in question being “Propaganda & Persuasion – Garth S. Jowett, Victoria O’Donnell”. As a communication process ‘disinformation’ is described by two models developed by Jowett and O’Donnell. The deflective source model, and theContinue reading “Textbook Disinformation”

The Finnish Anchor

How is behavioural science being used in propaganda to influence your ability to estimate accurately? What do the number of calories in an apple have to do with how long an independent Scotland would take to join the EU? – it all depends how you ask the question! Cognitive biases. In many ways we’re simpleContinue reading “The Finnish Anchor”

Folksy Man of the People Posturing

“I wanna live like common people, I wanna do whatever common people do…” Pulp “Common People” The technique we are going to look at in this, the second chapter of the populist’s playbook is “Folksy Man of the People Posturing”. Our examples come from over two thousand years of history and across the political spectrum.Continue reading “Folksy Man of the People Posturing”

Promising the Impossible

One of the 12 tactics of Populists; Promising the Impossible. Why do they do it? How do they get away with it?! And what can we do about it?

The Prologue

Welcome to the podcast – The Populists Playbook. If you are concerned about the state of politics in the modern world If feel like roughly half of voters have taken leave of their senses If you want to be better informed about the propaganda that is being used to try and manipulate you – thenContinue reading “The Prologue”