Organizing Chaos

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.

Deliberately and intelligently manipulating the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important part of democratic society. Those who manipulate this hidden system form an invisible government. This invisible government is the real ruling power in our country.

We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must coöperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society.

Men we have never heard of largely govern us, shape our minds, form our tastes, and suggest our ideas. This influence is a logical result of how our democratic society is organized. Huge numbers of people must cooperate this way if they are to live together in a smoothly functioning society.

Our invisible governors are, in many cases, unaware of the identity of their fellow members in the inner cabinet.

Our unseen rulers often do not know who else belongs to the inner circle of power.

They govern us by their qualities of natural leadership, their ability to supply needed ideas and by their key position in the social structure. Whatever attitude one chooses to take toward this condition, it remains a fact that in almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons—a trifling fraction of our hundred and twenty million—who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind, who harness old social forces and contrive new ways to bind and guide the world.

They govern us through their natural leadership, their ability to provide needed ideas, and their key positions in society. Whatever we think of this situation, one fact remains. A relatively small number of people dominate almost every aspect of our daily lives. Their influence extends to politics, business, our social behavior, and our thinking about right and wrong. These people are a tiny fraction of our population of 120 million. They understand how the masses think and how they behave in society. They pull the strings that control the public mind. They harness old social forces and devise new ways to bind and guide the world.

It is not usually realized how necessary these invisible governors are to the orderly functioning of our group life. In theory, every citizen may vote for whom he pleases. Our Constitution does not envisage political parties as part of the mechanism of government, and its framers seem not to have pictured to themselves the existence in our national politics of anything like the modern political machine. But the American voters soon found that without organization and direction their individual votes, cast, perhaps, for dozens or hundreds of candidates, would produce nothing but confusion. Invisible government, in the shape of rudimentary political parties, arose almost overnight. Ever since then we have agreed, for the sake of simplicity and practicality, that party machines should narrow down the field of choice to two candidates, or at most three or four.

People do not usually realize how necessary these invisible governors are for our shared life to function smoothly. In theory, every citizen may vote for anyone they choose. Our Constitution does not include political parties as part of the machinery of government. Its framers seem not to have imagined anything like the modern political machine in our national politics. But American voters soon found that their individual votes would create nothing but confusion without organization and direction. Those votes might be spread across dozens or hundreds of candidates. Invisible government, in the form of early political parties, arose almost overnight. Ever since then, we have agreed that party machines should narrow our choices to two candidates, or at most three or four. We have accepted this arrangement for the sake of simplicity and practicality.

In theory, every citizen makes up his mind on public questions and matters of private conduct. In practice, if all men had to study for themselves the abstruse economic, political, and ethical data involved in every question, they would find it impossible to come to a conclusion about anything. We have voluntarily agreed to let an invisible government sift the data and high-spot the outstanding issues so that our field of choice shall be narrowed to practical proportions. From our leaders and the media they use to reach the public, we accept the evidence and the demarcation of issues bearing upon public questions; from some ethical teacher, be it a minister, a favorite essayist, or merely prevailing opinion, we accept a standardized code of social conduct to which we conform most of the time.

In theory, every citizen forms their own opinions on public issues and matters of personal conduct. In practice, every question involves complex economic, political, and ethical information. If everyone had to study all that information themselves, they would find it impossible to reach any conclusion. We have voluntarily agreed to let an invisible government sort the information and highlight the main issues. This narrows our choices to a manageable range. We accept evidence about public issues from our leaders and the media they use to reach the public. We also accept how these leaders and media define the issues. We accept a standard code of social conduct from some moral guide. That guide may be a minister, a favorite essayist, or simply prevailing opinion. We follow that code most of the time.

In theory, everybody buys the best and cheapest commodities offered him on the market. In practice, if every one went around pricing, and chemically testing before purchasing, the dozens of soaps or fabrics or brands of bread which are for sale, economic life would become hopelessly jammed. To avoid such confusion, society consents to have its choice narrowed to ideas and objects brought to its attention through propaganda of all kinds. There is consequently a vast and continuous effort going on to capture our minds in the interest of some policy or commodity or idea.

In theory, everyone buys the best and cheapest goods available on the market. In practice, suppose everyone checked prices and ran chemical tests before buying any of the dozens of soaps, fabrics, or bread brands. Economic life would become hopelessly gridlocked. To avoid such confusion, society agrees to limit its choices to ideas and objects promoted through propaganda of all kinds. As a result, a vast, continuous effort is underway to capture our minds for some policy, product, or idea.

It might be better to have, instead of propaganda and special pleading, committees of wise men who would choose our rulers, dictate our conduct, private and public, and decide upon the best types of clothes for us to wear and the best kinds of food for us to eat. But we have chosen the opposite method, that of open competition. We must find a way to make free competition function with reasonable smoothness. To achieve this society has consented to permit free competition to be organized by leadership and propaganda.

Instead of propaganda and one-sided arguments, it might be better to have committees of wise men choose our rulers. These committees would tell us how to behave in private and public. They would also decide the best clothes for us to wear and the best foods for us to eat. But we have chosen the opposite approach: open competition. We must find a way to make free competition work reasonably smoothly. To achieve this goal, society has agreed to let leadership and propaganda organize free competition.

Some of the phenomena of this process are criticized—the manipulation of news, the inflation of personality, and the general ballyhoo by which politicians and commercial products and social ideas are brought to the consciousness of the masses. The instruments by which public opinion is organized and focused may be misused. But such organization and focusing are necessary to orderly life.

Some aspects of this process are criticized, including the manipulation of news and the exaggeration of people's importance. The criticism also targets the hype used to bring politicians, commercial products, and social ideas to the public's attention. The tools used to organize and focus public opinion may be misused. But organizing and focusing public opinion are necessary for an orderly society.

As civilization has become more complex, and as the need for invisible government has been increasingly demonstrated, the technical means have been invented and developed by which opinion may be regimented.

Civilization has grown more complex, and the need for invisible government has become increasingly clear. Alongside these changes, technical methods have been invented and developed that can bring public opinion into line.

With the printing press and the newspaper, the railroad, the telephone, telegraph, radio and airplanes, ideas can be spread rapidly and even instantaneously over the whole of America.

Printing presses, newspapers, railroads, telephones, telegraphs, radio, and airplanes let ideas spread quickly, even instantly, across all of America.

H. G. Wells senses the vast potentialities of these inventions when he writes in the New York Times:

H. G. Wells recognizes the enormous potential of these inventions when he writes in the New York Times:

“Modern means of communication—the power afforded by print, telephone, wireless and so forth, of rapidly putting through directive strategic or technical conceptions to a great number of coöperating centers, of getting quick replies and effective discussion—have opened up a new world of political processes. Ideas and phrases can now be given an effectiveness greater than the effectiveness of any personality and stronger than any sectional interest. The common design can be documented and sustained against perversion and betrayal. It can be elaborated and developed steadily and widely without personal, local and sectional misunderstanding.”

“Modern communication tools include print, telephones, radio, and other technologies. They allow strategic or technical plans and instructions to reach many cooperating centers quickly. They also allow quick replies and productive discussion. These tools have opened up a new world of political activity. Ideas and phrases can now have more influence than any individual and more power than any regional interest. The shared plan can be put in writing and protected against distortion and betrayal. The plan can be expanded and developed steadily and widely without misunderstandings among individuals, local communities, or regions.”

What Mr. Wells says of political processes is equally true of commercial and social processes and all manifestations of mass activity. The groupings and affiliations of society to-day are no longer subject to “local and sectional” limitations. When the Constitution was adopted, the unit of organization was the village community, which produced the greater part of its own necessary commodities and generated its group ideas and opinions by personal contact and discussion directly among its citizens. But to-day, because ideas can be instantaneously transmitted to any distance and to any number of people, this geographical integration has been supplemented by many other kinds of grouping, so that persons having the same ideas and interests may be associated and regimented for common action even though they live thousands of miles apart.

What Mr. Wells says about political processes is equally true of business and social processes and all forms of mass activity. Society’s groups and associations are no longer bound by “local and sectional” limits. When the Constitution was adopted, the basic unit of organization was the village community. Each village produced most of the goods its people needed. Its shared ideas and opinions developed through personal contact and discussion among its citizens. But today, ideas can be transmitted instantly over any distance and to any number of people. Because of this, many other kinds of groups have formed alongside those based on geography. As a result, people with the same ideas and interests may be brought together and organized for common action, even though they live thousands of miles apart.

It is extremely difficult to realize how many and diverse are these cleavages in our society. They may be social, political, economic, racial, religious or ethical, with hundreds of subdivisions of each. In the World Almanac, for example, the following groups are listed under the A’s:

It is extremely difficult to grasp how many different divisions exist in our society. These divisions may be social, political, economic, racial, religious, or ethical, with hundreds of subdivisions in each category. In the World Almanac, for example, the following groups are listed under A:

The League to Abolish Capital Punishment; Association to Abolish War; American Institute of Accountants; Actors’ Equity Association; Actuarial Association of America; International Advertising Association; National Aeronautic Association; Albany Institute of History and Art; Amen Corner; American Academy in Rome; American Antiquarian Society; League for American Citizenship; American Federation of Labor; Amorc (Rosicrucian Order); Andiron Club; American-Irish Historical Association; Anti-Cigarette League; Anti-Profanity League; Archeological Association of America; National Archery Association; Arion Singing Society; American Astronomical Association; Ayrshire Breeders’ Association; Aztec Club of 1847. There are many more under the “A” section of this very limited list.

The League to Abolish Capital Punishment. Association to Abolish War. American Institute of Accountants. Actors’ Equity Association. Actuarial Association of America. International Advertising Association. National Aeronautic Association. Albany Institute of History and Art. Amen Corner. American Academy in Rome. American Antiquarian Society. League for American Citizenship. American Federation of Labor. Amorc (Rosicrucian Order). Andiron Club. American-Irish Historical Association. Anti-Cigarette League. Anti-Profanity League. Archeological Association of America. National Archery Association. Arion Singing Society. American Astronomical Association. Ayrshire Breeders’ Association. Aztec Club of 1847. There are many more in the “A” section of this very limited list.

The American Newspaper Annual and Directory for 1928 lists 22,128 periodical publications in America. I have selected at random the N’s published in Chicago. They are:

The American Newspaper Annual and Directory for 1928 lists 22,128 periodicals in America. I randomly chose the Chicago publications whose names begin with N. Here is the list:

Narod (Bohemian daily newspaper); Narod-Polski (Polish monthly); N.A.R.D. (pharmaceutical); National Corporation Reporter; National Culinary Progress (for hotel chefs); National Dog Journal; National Drug Clerk; National Engineer; National Grocer; National Hotel Reporter; National Income Tax Magazine; National Jeweler; National Journal of Chiropractic; National Live Stock Producer; National Miller; National Nut News; National Poultry, Butter and Egg Bulletin; National Provisioner (for meat packers); National Real Estate Journal; National Retail Clothier; National Retail Lumber Dealer; National Safety News; National Spiritualist; National Underwriter; The Nation’s Health; Naujienos (Lithuanian daily newspaper); New Comer (Republican weekly for Italians); Daily News; The New World (Catholic weekly); North American Banker; North American Veterinarian.

Narod (Bohemian daily newspaper). Narod-Polski (Polish monthly). N.A.R.D. (pharmaceutical publication). National Corporation Reporter. National Culinary Progress (for hotel chefs). National Dog Journal. National Drug Clerk. National Engineer. National Grocer. National Hotel Reporter. National Income Tax Magazine. National Jeweler. National Journal of Chiropractic. National Live Stock Producer. National Miller. National Nut News. National Poultry, Butter and Egg Bulletin. National Provisioner (for meat packers). National Real Estate Journal. National Retail Clothier. National Retail Lumber Dealer. National Safety News. National Spiritualist. National Underwriter. The Nation’s Health. Naujienos (Lithuanian daily newspaper). New Comer (Republican weekly for Italians). Daily News. The New World (Catholic weekly). North American Banker. North American Veterinarian.

The circulation of some of these publications is astonishing. The National Live Stock Producer has a sworn circulation of 155,978; The National Engineer, of 20,328; The New World, an estimated circulation of 67,000. The greater number of the periodicals listed—chosen at random from among 22,128—have a circulation in excess of 10,000.

The circulation of some of these publications is astonishing. The National Live Stock Producer has a circulation of 155,978, confirmed under oath. The National Engineer has a circulation of 20,328. The New World has an estimated circulation of 67,000. The listed periodicals were chosen at random from among 22,128. Most have a circulation of more than 10,000.

The diversity of these publications is evident at a glance. Yet they can only faintly suggest the multitude of cleavages which exist in our society, and along which flow information and opinion carrying authority to the individual groups.

The variety of these publications is clear at a glance. Yet they give only a faint sense of the many divisions in our society. Information and opinion flow along these divisions, carrying authority for the individual groups.

Here are the conventions scheduled for Cleveland, Ohio, recorded in a single recent issue of “World Convention Dates”—a fraction of the 5,500 conventions and rallies scheduled.

Here are the conventions scheduled for Cleveland, Ohio, listed in one recent issue of “World Convention Dates”. These are just a fraction of the 5,500 conventions and rallies scheduled.

The Employing Photo-Engravers’ Association of America; The Outdoor Writers’ Association; the Knights of St. John; the Walther League; The National Knitted Outerwear Association; The Knights of St. Joseph; The Royal Order of Sphinx; The Mortgage Bankers’ Association; The International Association of Public Employment Officials; The Kiwanis Clubs of Ohio; The American Photo-Engravers’ Association; The Cleveland Auto Manufacturers Show; The American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers.

The Employing Photo-Engravers’ Association of America. The Outdoor Writers’ Association. The Knights of St. John. The Walther League. The National Knitted Outerwear Association. The Knights of St. Joseph. The Royal Order of Sphinx. The Mortgage Bankers’ Association. The International Association of Public Employment Officials. The Kiwanis Clubs of Ohio. The American Photo-Engravers’ Association. The Cleveland Auto Manufacturers Show. The American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers.

Other conventions to be held in 1928 were those of:

Other conventions scheduled for 1928 included those of:

The Association of Limb Manufacturers’ Associations; The National Circus Fans’ Association of America; The American Naturopathic Association; The American Trap Shooting Association; The Texas Folklore Association; The Hotel Greeters; The Fox Breeders’ Association; The Insecticide and Disinfectant Association; The National Association of Egg Case and Egg Case Filler Manufacturers; The American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages; and The National Pickle Packers’ Association, not to mention the Terrapin Derby—most of them with banquets and orations attached.

The Association of Limb Manufacturers’ Associations, The National Circus Fans’ Association of America, and The American Naturopathic Association. The American Trap Shooting Association, The Texas Folklore Association, and The Hotel Greeters. The Fox Breeders’ Association and The Insecticide and Disinfectant Association. The National Association of Egg Case and Egg Case Filler Manufacturers and The American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages. And The National Pickle Packers’ Association, not to mention the Terrapin Derby. Most of these came with banquets and speeches.

If all these thousands of formal organizations and institutions could be listed (and no complete list has ever been made), they would still represent but a part of those existing less formally but leading vigorous lives. Ideas are sifted and opinions stereotyped in the neighborhood bridge club. Leaders assert their authority through community drives and amateur theatricals. Thousands of women may unconsciously belong to a sorority which follows the fashions set by a single society leader.

If all these thousands of formal organizations and institutions could be listed, the list would still cover only some groups. No complete list has ever been made. Less formal groups also lead active lives. Ideas are sorted through and opinions become fixed in the neighborhood bridge club. Leaders assert their authority through community campaigns and amateur theater productions. Thousands of women may unknowingly belong to an informal sisterhood that follows the fashions set by a single society leader.

“Life” satirically expresses this idea in the reply which it represents an American as giving to the Britisher who praises this country for having no upper and lower classes or castes:

“Life” expresses this idea satirically through an American’s reply to a British visitor. The visitor praises America for having no upper and lower classes or castes. The American replies:

“Yeah, all we have is the Four Hundred, the White-Collar Men, Bootleggers, Wall Street Barons, Criminals, the D.A.R., the K.K.K., the Colonial Dames, the Masons, Kiwanis and Rotarians, the K. of C., the Elks, the Censors, the Cognoscenti, the Morons, Heroes like Lindy, the W.C.T.U., Politicians, Menckenites, the Booboisie, Immigrants, Broadcasters, and—the Rich and Poor.”

“Yeah, all we have is the Four Hundred, white-collar workers, bootleggers, Wall Street barons, criminals, the D.A.R., the K.K.K., the Colonial Dames, the Masons, Kiwanis and Rotarians, the K. of C., the Elks, the censors, the cultural elite, the fools, heroes like Lindy, the W.C.T.U., politicians, Menckenites, the Booboisie, immigrants, broadcasters, and the rich and poor.”

Yet it must be remembered that these thousands of groups interlace. John Jones, besides being a Rotarian, is member of a church, of a fraternal order, of a political party, of a charitable organization, of a professional association, of a local chamber of commerce, of a league for or against prohibition or of a society for or against lowering the tariff, and of a golf club. The opinions which he receives as a Rotarian, he will tend to disseminate in the other groups in which he may have influence.

Yet we must remember that these thousands of groups overlap. John Jones, besides being a Rotarian, belongs to a church, a fraternal order, and a political party. He also belongs to a charitable organization, a professional association, and a local chamber of commerce. He belongs to a league for or against prohibition or a society for or against lowering tariffs. He also belongs to a golf club. He will tend to spread the opinions he picks up as a Rotarian among other groups where he may have influence.

This invisible, intertwining structure of groupings and associations is the mechanism by which democracy has organized its group mind and simplified its mass thinking. To deplore the existence of such a mechanism is to ask for a society such as never was and never will be. To admit that it exists, but expect that it shall not be used, is unreasonable.

This invisible network of overlapping groups and associations is how democracy has organized its collective mind and simplified mass thinking. To condemn such a system is to demand a society that has never existed and never will. To accept that the system exists but expect no one to use it is unreasonable.

Emil Ludwig represents Napoleon as “ever on the watch for indications of public opinion; always listening to the voice of the people, a voice which defies calculation. ‘Do you know,’ he said in those days, ‘what amazes me more than all else? The impotence of force to organize anything.’”

Emil Ludwig describes Napoleon as “always watching for signs of public opinion. He was always listening to the people’s voice, a voice no one can predict. In those days, he said, ‘Do you know what amazes me more than anything else? How powerless force is to organize anything.’”

It is the purpose of this book to explain the structure of the mechanism which controls the public mind, and to tell how it is manipulated by the special pleader who seeks to create public acceptance for a particular idea or commodity. It will attempt at the same time to find the due place in the modern democratic scheme for this new propaganda and to suggest its gradually evolving code of ethics and practice.

This book aims to explain how the mechanism that controls the public mind is structured. It also explains how advocates manipulate that mechanism to win public acceptance for a particular idea or product. At the same time, the book will try to find the proper place for this new propaganda in modern democracy. It will also outline propaganda’s gradually developing code of ethics and practice.