Duty to Warn - Edward Bernays, the Father of American Propaganda

Edward Bernays, the Father of American Propaganda

“Tell a Lot of the Truth, but Never Tell the Whole Truth.”

Gary G. Kohls, MD

Brandon Turbeville.com

December 1, 2016

Propaganda: “a message designed to persuade its intended audience to think and behave in a certain manner. Thus advertising is commercial propaganda. Or institutionalized and systematic spreading of information and/or disinformation, usually to promote a narrow political or religious (or commercial) viewpoint.” – from http://www.businessdictionary.com/

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic (AKA “capitalist”) society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, and our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of…. It is they who pull the wires that control the public mind.” – Edward L. Bernays, Sigmund Freud’s nephew, from his seminal book Propaganda (1928). Bernays was the founder of the public relations industry in the US

Bernays had written earlier about the use of public relations techniques as a way for corporations to "so mold the mind of the masses that they will throw their newly gained strength in the desired direction." – Bernays, in his first influential book on propaganda: Crystallizing Public Opinion (1923)

Admen like Bernays are “professional poisoners of the public mind, exploiters of foolishness, fanaticism, and self-interest.” -- Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter when he warned President Franklin Roosevelt against allowing Bernays to play a leadership role in World War II

New Task Force Guidelines Call for Screening Every Adult, Pregnant Women for Depression

Brandon Turbeville
Natural Blaze
Activist Post
January 26, 2016

A new recommendation has been released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government advisory group that is now recommending all adults be routinely screened for depression as part of their healthcare.

The first part of the recommendation suggests that all adults be screened, but singles out pregnant women and new mothers as a target population. The second part of the recommendation mentions the need to ensure that systems are in place that will allow for the proper diagnosis and treatment of people who are singled out through this screening. The guidelines, which were published in the journal of the American Medical Association, did not specify how often adults should be screened.

In regards to the implementation of these guidelines, the Task Force states:

The USPSTF recommends that screening be implemented with adequate systems in place. “Adequate systems in place” refers to having systems and clinical staff to ensure that patients are screened and, if they screen positive, are appropriately diagnosed and treated with evidence-based care or referred to a setting that can provide the necessary care. These essential functions can be provided through a wide range of different arrangements of clinician types and settings. In the available evidence, the lowest effective level of support consisted of a designated nurse who advised resident physicians of positive screening results and provided a protocol that facilitated referral to evidence-based behavioral treatment.1 At the highest level, support included screening; staff and clinician training (1- or 2-day workshops); clinician manuals; monthly training lectures; academic detailing; materials for clinicians, staff, and patients; an initial visit with a nurse specialist for assessment, education, and discussion of patient preferences and goals; a visit with a trained nurse specialist for follow-up assessment and ongoing support for medication adherence; a visit with a trained therapist for CBT; and a reduced copayment for patients referred for psychotherapy.2, 3