SIMON DUFF relishes the cross contamination of Damien Hirst’s greatest hits by street artists from France and the US
Pedagogy vs brainwashing
MICHAL BONCZA recommends a compact volume that charts the art of propagating ideas across the 20th century
(L to R) the book cover; Labour Party election poster 1945; A Black Panthers poster ‘Warning to America,’ 1970 designed by Emory Douglas; How the Church Sowed its Religion in Spain, a Civil War (1936-39) poster by the General Union of Workers (UGT) denouncing the Catholic priests collaboration with fascism
In view of the grooming gangs inquiry, SIMON PARSONS feels the relevance of this powerful examination of trauma suffered at Medomsley Youth Detention Centre
JOHN GREEN doubts the motivations of a US war photographer who never questions why, or for whom, she is producing images of imperialist conflict
MARIA DUARTE reviews Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Hedda, The Mastermind, and Regretting You
TONY CONWAY welcomes a thrilling and concise history of Hope not Hate, that is also a manual full of tactical advice
PAUL DONOVAN welcomes an inspiring account of living with deafness that has important lessons for the treatment of deaf people in today’s UK
Propagandopolis
Bradley Davis, Fuel, £24.95
WERE you to start a conversation about propaganda you’ll probably never hear the end of it with all parties “propagating” ad nauseam their take on it.
Its etymology is in the Catholic Church’s doctrine Congregatio de Propaganda Fide (Congregation for Propagating the Faith) made public in 1622 which was essentially a blueprint for dealing with the Reformation — to put it simply: to delay, at all costs, the political advance of the ideas of nascent capitalism.
During and after the advent of the French revolution in 1789 the term was extended to secular activities. In the English language it acquired a derogatory meaning in the 19th century, while in other languages it retains neutral or positive connotations.
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PAUL DONOVAN is fascinated by an account of the long history of Catholic Church’s involvement in espionage