The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) propaganda campaign is well-funded and highly coordinated. It’s time for some coordinated pushback from unexpected quarters.
An increasing number of Americans and others are becoming aware of the highly-coordinated propaganda campaign being waged by the CCP against America and the world.
The campaign is multi-pronged, including pronouncements by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, repetition by Chinese “wolf warrior” diplomats in the world’s capitals, and relentless repetition by Chinese state-run media. An element of the latter’s modus operandi is to frequently quote obscure Westerners—including academicians, journalists, members of left-wing think tanks, former pro-China government officials, politicians, and even people on Beijing’s payroll—to ostensibly give credence to, and reinforce, the false narratives being conveyed by the CCP-controlled media.
• China was not the source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. • China’s strict lockdown procedures defeated the virus—a model for the world. • Chinese leadership is benevolent—a “shared future” on CCP terms. • The United States is a failing country (in all respects). • Taiwan is part of China. • China–U.S. moral equivalence. • China is the future; the United States is the past.
The Chinese propaganda machine is a well-funded monolith that is relentless in propagating these narratives, and it simply doesn’t deviate from its messages, apparently believing in the adage attributed to Josef Goebbels, Adolf Hitler’s propaganda minister:“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
How to counter the CCP’s lies and overwhelm the Chinese propaganda with the truth?
That’s a difficult proposition for the democratic nations of the world, whose very essence is toleration of dissenting opinions (and bald-faced lies) and a plethora of voices across the political spectrum. A coordinated response among governments, let alone by the chattering and political classes, is virtually impossible, especially when some of them are pro-CCP to begin with.
It may seem to be an insurmountable task, but there is a way to cut through the thick CCP fog—and that is to exploit cultural icons to convey the real truth. It is no secret that Western culture is dominated by the left: Hollywood, academia, the music industry, sports figures, and the legacy media. These people dominate social and regular media discussions and have millions of followers, particularly among the younger generations, and thereby exert a large influence on cultural topics.
That said, there is an increasing number of erstwhile left-of-center cultural icons who are breaking with the synergistic CCP and leftist narratives to speak out in matters of personal conscience (and about the obvious).
Joe Rogan
The CCP message to the world about controlling and containing the spread of COVID-19 is lockdowns and vaccines. Nary a word about the effectiveness of early treatment with a variety of available and inexpensive antiviral therapeutics drugs. The Western media and political elites have been echoing that narrative for 20 months.Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers is a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers football team, a former league Most Valuable Player (MVP), a Super Bowl MVP, and arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League (NFL). He is a marquee player for the NFL, which regularly advertises his fame to attract more fans.
Enes Kanter Freedom
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has been kowtowing to the CCP for three decades in order to promote the NBA in China (and make a ton of money in the process, of course, via a multibillion-dollar partnership that involves media rights, streaming, merchandise sales, and others).Fast forward to October 2021 where Enes Kanter, star center for the Boston Celtics, has criticized China for improper treatment of Chinese minorities, particularly in East Turkestan (Xinjing). He has also criticized shoemaker Nike for its ongoing “silence on injustice in China,” and has worn customized shoes with the words “Modern Day Slavery” and “No More Excuses” written on them, in a continuing protest.
Celebrities Against Cancel Culture
The CCP publicly promotes “diversity.” Diversity is an intrinsic characteristic of the world, said East China News Service—while privately funding and supporting the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the United States in order to undermine American society, and the country, in general.
Peng Shuai
Lastly, leveraging Chinese cultural icons works wonders in silencing CCP propaganda, too. Last month, Chinese tennis champion Peng Shuai accused Zhang Gaoli, a former vice premier and member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, of sexual assault. Since then, the CCP has scrubbed all mention of Peng and censored any discussion of her accusations.Conclusion
Countering the CCP’s gargantuan propaganda enterprise is difficult but possible, and Western cultural icons are increasingly becoming leaders in breaking through the communist lies. Counter-propaganda is an element of deterrence, as confronting Chinese lies results in educating people on the truth and empowering Western leaders to take diplomatic and concrete actions to deter Chinese aggression.Western celebrities have millions of fans and followers who amplify the criticism of Chinese actions, as well as help destroy CCP propaganda narratives. Much more of that is needed!
