From Ludendorff to Tönnies, the prevailing wisdom was that effective propaganda was an instrument, a kind of whirling fan that, if operated properly, could vent a certain opinion, conviction, or message out into the world. Perhaps the most concise image of this take on propaganda is Charlie Chaplin’s Great Dictator, who directs the applause of the masses with a single hand gesture, turning it on and off like a radio.
