The Coercive Power of Manipulation in Propagandistic Discourses

The paper explores how manipulation, a fundamental part of human communication, is pivotal in political, religious, and advertising discourses. It discusses how both left and right political factions accuse each other of manipulating public opinion. The hypothesis posits that manipulation plays a coercive role in communication, particularly through propaganda, which is a communicative phenomenon driven by power entities seeking dominance. Propaganda is universal and transhistorical, reflecting the consistent intention of power. The study highlights how manipulation, as defined by linguist Teun van Dijk, involves the abuse of power to influence others detrimentally. The paper explains that propaganda and manipulation are intertwined, with the former being the message's content and the latter its expression. The text also examines the structure of manipulative discourses, emphasizing victimization and the identification of enemies. It contrasts constructive propaganda, which allows for public comparison and reasoning, with negative propaganda in totalitarian regimes, which suppresses opposing views to maintain control. Examples from various political leaders illustrate these dynamics. The study concludes that manipulation is central to propaganda, with coercion and subjugation as its bases, crucial for achieving power and control.